Old school brawl breaks out0:43
AFL: An old school brawl broke out late in the third quarter during St Kilda’s clash with Carlton.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — MAY 13: Marc Murphy of the Blues looks dejected after losing the round eight AFL match between the St Kilda Saints and the Carlton Blues at Etihad Stadium on May 13, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
FORMER Essendon champion Tim Watson has called for AFL players to consider a code of conduct of their own for on field sledging.
The conversation stems from an ugly incident on Saturday afternoon when Carlton captain Marc Murphy took umbrage to a barb from St Kilda players.
The actual sledge has not been made public but it is not of a racial, homophobic or religious nature.
“It is of a family nature. It’s a personal family thing that was pointed out on the weekend and that is why Murphy reacted in the way that he did,” Watson said on SEN 1116.
“This is a player issue, not an AFL issue.
“Lots of stuff gets said out there on the AFL field, But what do the players find acceptable? What’s crossing the line? What’s banter?
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Marc Murphy of the Blues looks dejected after Carlton’s loss to St Kilda Saints and the Carlton Blues at Etihad Stadium on May 13, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)Source:Getty Images
“If what I’ve been told is what’s been said to Murphy, I would find it extremely disappointing to think the modern AFL player thinks it’s fair game.
“Write a code among yourselves boys and be mature … the players (should) develop their own code of conduct as to what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.”
Watson has also called on the AFLPA to take swift and decisive action on the matter.
“By five o’clock today, I would hope that we would hear from the Players Association in some meaningful way and say okay we’re going to do something about this, this is not acceptable,” he added.
“We would like to think that all our members of the Players Association show more respect for each other, than embarking on this type of behaviour.”
Murphy will not pursue any further action over the ugly incident at Etihad Stadium.
Retired Geelong champion Jimmy Bartel said traditionally sledging was directed towards the player.
“To be honest I haven’t heard too many personal sledges,” Bartel said on RSN 927.
“Obviously it is probably serious what happened on the weekend.
“It was often pretty direct towards the player.
“I never heard anything that was so personal where a player was obviously that upset about it still after the game.”
Originally published as ‘AFL needs a sledging code of conduct’
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