COLLINGWOOD cult hero Jeff “Joffa” Corfe has slammed the fans who brawled in the crowd during the Pies’ Anzac Day clash against Essendon while a security guard who helped break up the fight has described the brutal reality of what unfolded.
Collingwood won the match 14.17 (101) to 7.10 (52) but while the scoreboard was pretty for the Magpies, the scenes in the stands just minutes after the final siren were anything but. Roughly 20 fans were filmed fighting and Corfe — the public face of the Pies supporters squad — blasted them for their inexcusable behaviour.
“They weren’t boys, they were men, and there was blood involved,” ‘Joffa’ said on SEN Afternoons. “My concern here is the traumatic effect this has on children who are witnessing the incident.
“Everyone is against violence and it shouldn’t happen. These people and the AFL have got to start thinking about what effect this violence has on other people trying to get through these sorts of fights and children who have stopped to have a look.
“Then there’s blood, police and security involved. This is not right, we have to stamp this out of the game and come down hard on this.
“We all know the horrible traumatic effect of domestic violence on children and other family members. We shouldn’t be just throwing this away and think this just happens at the soccer and that it never happens at the football.
“It happens and we have to talk about it. We have to find ways of getting on top of this and start educating people that violence is a no-no.”
Broadcaster Andy Maher called the incident “disgraceful” and one of the security guards who intervened described the terrible situation.
“It was something you see in a movie,” he told Neil Mitchell on 3AW radio. “This is by far the most savage attack I have seen in my life.
“People being kicked in the head on the ground, children crying.”
SCOTT RETURNS SERVE AT THE KING
Geelong coach Chris Scott has shut down suggestions from AFL legend Wayne Carey the Cats play better without Gary Ablett.
Geelong welcomed Ablett back to the Cattery in 2018 after spending the past seven seasons on the Gold Coast. However, a hamstring injury suffered in round three — to go with the hamstring issues he had in the pre-season — has raised concerns his body may prevent him from playing at his best this year.
Earlier this month Carey said Geelong will “be better without Gary Ablett” because although his stats might be impressive, his contribution with and without the ball wasn’t as significant as it needs to be.
“Gary Ablett doesn’t give you a lot defensively and I think Gary, and I think he’ll admit himself, and a lot of people have noticed, that Gary just chips the ball around,” Carey said.
“He gets a lot of cheap possessions at the moment.”
But Scott has defended his star recruit, saying Carey — a two-time premiership winner who played more than 250 games — may be jealous Ablett is in the conversation as being the best player the game’s ever seen.
“I give it (the criticism) a little more credence if it’s during the game, where they can actually see it,” Scott said. “I suspect that there’s a fair bit of looking at numbers and hearsay and other people’s opinions when you haven’t seen the game up close.
“Maybe he (Carey) has watched it and analysed it really closely, maybe he just hates the talk of Gary being talked about as the best player of all time and think that title should be directed towards him so (he’s) just trying to chip away a little bit.
“Every team needs to get the balance right. Gary’s going to be a really good player for us and has already.”
HARTLETT HIT WITH BAD NEWS
Star Port Adelaide defender Hamish Hartlett is facing a long break on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury at training.
Port general manager of football Chris Davies said the 27-year-old suffered suspected damage to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a routine training drill on Thursday.
“This is obviously a terrible blow for Hamish and the football club,” Davies said in a statement. “Hamish had started the season well and we saw last weekend what a courageous and skilful player he is.
“It was an innocuous incident that caused the injury. He went to change direction and his leg gave way beneath him.
“We fear Hamish won’t be back on the field for some time but no doubt he’ll continue to contribute as a leader of our football club.”
Hartlett has played all five matches to date this year for a career tally of 153. Scans will determine the severity of the injury.
Having dropped their past two matches, the ninth-placed Power take on fifth- ranked North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
— AAP
