GREENE ‘MUST BE BANNED'

MELBOURNE star Christian Petracca has joined the chorus of players calling for Toby Greene to be let off with a fine by the AFL Tribunal as the umpire at the centre of one of the AFL’s biggest suspensions expressed his shock that such player conduct was not “gone from the game”.

After Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury suggested there would be “incoming Toby tax” and teammate Taylor Adams said “play on”, Petracca said the incident warranted “a fine for sure”.

“He is such a special part of the game,” Petracca said.

“It is a bad look, but it’s a big name and they need Toby Greene.

“If I was judging this I would give him a harsh fine.”

However, the umpire who was pushed by Carlton’s Greg Williams in 1997 said Greene had to be suspended. “(I had) a little bit of surprise, really,” Andrew Coates said of his reaction when he saw Greene’s bump on umpire Matt Stevic.

“The way players conduct themselves these days, the game is completely different to near-on 25 years ago.

“I thought that sort of thing is gone from the game ... I think a suspension is obviously needed in the circumstance.”