Demons respond to Christian Petracca vision as 'dangerous act' sparks AFL uproar
Debate has kicked off around the AFL world over a 'dangerous act' from Melbourne's Bayley Fritsch in Friday night's loss to Geelong that's landed the Demons star in hot water. And Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says he understands the alarming post-game reaction of Christian Petracca after the 12.13 (85) to 6.10 (46) defeat to the Cats, with footage showing the Demons superstar cutting a frustrated and angry figure.
Fritsch's mid-air hit on Geelong's Tom Stewart proved a major talking point post-game, with the out-of-sorts Melbourne star seen tunnelling into the back of his opponent when he jumped to take a mark. Stewart came down hard on the turf as the contact from Fritsch took out his legs and resulted in an instant free kick for the Cats.
Veteran commentator Gerard Whateley labelled it a 'dangerous' act from Fritsch but suggested it was only worthy of a fine. However, he was concerned that it was a growing trend that had crept into the game, following a similar tunnelling incident involving Essendon's Mason Redman that saw him slapped with a $1000 fine, two weeks ago.
'He'll be writing a cheque for that, but we are edging towards a dangerous moment with tunnelling the way it has been in the early stages of this season," Whateley said on Friday night. "The players (and) the league ought to have a real think about this, and think about when this goes horribly wrong, what it's going to end up looking like before it happens.'
Speaking about the incident on Saturday afternoon's coverage, Fox Footy's Jay Clark and Jack Riewoldt also took aim at Fritsch, with the former describing it as the type of act that could leave an opponent 'in a wheelchair'. 'It is the most vulnerable position to be in, when you have your legs taken from under you. And you could tell from the reaction of the player, Tom Stewart was filthy, he was filthy about this,' Riewoldt said on Saturday.
'For me, two to three weeks for that - that is so dangerous, and this is the chance for the AFL to get onto something early, before it festers into someone knocking themselves out from coming down on their neck." While Clark added: 'You can end up in a wheelchair, let's be honest. There's a serious neck injury potential there.'
"You can end up in a wheelchair!" The Super Saturday panel discuss Bayley Fritsch's tunneling action from Friday night.📺 Watch #AFLSunsCrows on ch.504 or on @kayosports https://t.co/H3sZjslMPr✍️ BLOG https://t.co/k9lOqhOrJA🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/GKXSjKyRYW pic.twitter.com/RXGhZ8GrsN
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) April 5, 2025
Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley took a different view though, suggesting the free kick was suffice and that Fritsch's act was an unintentional moment that can happen in a split second in a footy contest. 'This is a tremendously difficult game to play. It is in the margins, there's increments ... I don't know if that (act) is deliberate,' he said. '(Fritsch) may have seen him late, so to penalise a player in a circumstance like that could be really difficult to hold up, given that there's so many decisions that are being made. We're making it pretty hard for the players.'
One of the other major talking points from Melbourne's fourth-straight defeat to start the season was Petracca's extraordinary post-game reaction, with the Demons star almost literally tearing his hair out after the final siren. Petracca's frustrations came after the Demons had more inside-50s than the Cats but used the ball horrendously and finished with just six goals for the match.
🗣️ "You can see the despair from Christian Petracca. "That image right there says a lot about where Melbourne is right now, and where it wants to be."#AFLCatsDees pic.twitter.com/uz35gycYx6
— 7AFL (@7AFL) April 4, 2025
Petracca's disenchantment with the Demons was well documented last season, making Friday night's scenes all the more interesting. But Melbourne's coach said it just highlighted how competitive the premiership star was and how desperate he is for the Demons to turn their season around.
"He's a winner. He's determined. He's proud," Goodwin said when asked about Petracca, who kicked two goals in an encouraging individual performance. "He's like everyone, he wants to really start to get some positive results and he's a proud leader of our footy club. All our leaders are like that, so of course he's going to be disappointed."
Melbourne's performance was an improvement on their previous dismal defeats to North Melbourne and Gold Coast, but it's still their worst start since they lost the first nine matches of the 2012 season. "I thought we saw a spirit tonight. A real determination," Goodwin added. "The message is: stay calm, but get urgent. We've got to work to do, get urgent with that work but stay calm and know things can turn pretty quickly."
with AAP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Activist groups gather in Raleigh in solidarity with Los Angeles ICE protests
Protesters in Raleigh gathered in Moore Square on Monday afternoon to display solidarity with ongoing protests in Los Angeles and in response to the arrest of labor union leader David Huerta. The Raleigh protest, which was organized by the Union of Southern Service Workers and Service Employees International Union, amassed a crowd of over 100. Members of North Carolina's state chapter of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the North Carolina Association of Educators and immigrant rights group Siembra NC were also in attendance. 'If the Trump administration can take an American citizen [and] union leader exercising their First Amendment rights to bear witness to the growing tyranny of this administration, put them in the hospital and then throw them in jail, that can happen to anybody,' Jeremy Sprinkle, communications director of the North Carolina AFL-CIO, told The News & Observer. Huerta, who was born and raised in Los Angeles County, serves as the president of the Service Employees International Union California and the president of SEIU-United Service Workers West. Police say that the arrest was made because Huerta interfered with federal officers, multiple news outlets reported. SEIU California says he was peacefully observing officers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Video of his arrest shows Huerta standing with his hands on his hips, then being pushed to the ground by officers. He was injured by the fall and was admitted to the Los Angeles General Medical Center. He has since been discharged and was being held in ICE custody, the Sacramento Bee reported. 'No one should ever be harmed for witnessing government action,' Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, in response to Huerta's detention. The crowd in Raleigh participated in chants led by organizers from Siembra and the service workers' union. 'Free David! End ICE! Right now!' protesters shouted. Bertha Bradley, an organizer with the service workers' union who goes by Mama Cookie, said that she has met Huerta several times. 'He's been fighting for workers his whole life,' Bradley said. 'That just goes to show his power. When you got power in this country, they don't like that.' Anderson Clayton, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, said she thinks that increased ICE raids are simply a 'smoke and mirrors' tactic from Republicans to overshadow GOP-proposed funding cuts for programs like Medicaid and SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. 'People need to see our party standing up for immigrant rights across the country, and I also think we need to show solidarity with our labor movement and labor leaders,' Clayton said. 'What's happening in Los Angeles is definitely just the tip of the iceberg,' said Ellen Canavean, a retired occupational therapist from Cary and a member of the advocacy group Raging Grannies. 'ICE is out of control.' The protests come as the Trump administration continues to push for increased ICE enforcement. In the Los Angeles protests, which began on Friday, thousands of demonstrators have gathered in the streets to push back against several ICE raids that occurred Friday morning, including raids in a Home Depot parking lot and in Los Angeles' fashion district. Some protesters have damaged property, burning cars, throwing rocks at police and their cars, and vandalizing property. Despite Newsom's opposition, the Republican president activated 2,000 of California's National Guard officers and deployed them to the city. This is the first time that a president has deployed a state's National Guard without a call from the governor since Lyndon B. Johnson discharged officers into Selma, Alabama, ahead of the historic, peaceful civil rights march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. CBS reported on Monday afternoon that 700 Marines could also possibly deploy in Los Angeles. Trump's activation of the National Guard has sparked a clash between Newsom and Trump. California's attorney general announced Monday morning that the state is suing the Trump administration. Through Trump's first 100 days in office, ICE had already arrested 66,463 immigrants who were in the country without legal authorization. An estimated 325,000 unauthorized immigrants live in North Carolina, according to a 2022 Pew Research Center estimate. Nikki Marín Baena, co-director of Siembra, said ICE has yet to start raids in workplaces in North Carolina, instead detaining immigrants at probation appointments and during traffic stops. Still, Marín Baena said Siembra is training workplaces across the state to understand they have the right to ask federal agents for a judicial warrant before they search a private area. 'We also just know that a North Carolina that is safer for immigrant workers will be safer for all workers,' Marín Baena said. 'And so that's what we're organizing towards.' The protest is just one of many scheduled for this week, including a demonstration Tuesday to oppose two immigration bills under consideration in the state legislature, and one Saturday organized under the name No Kings. Trump is set to visit North Carolina's Fort Bragg on Tuesday to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Army.
CBS News
5 hours ago
- CBS News
Two of Colorado's biggest unions join a state employee in suing Gov. Jared Polis
Colorado WINS, a union representing 27,000 state employees, and the AFL-CIO say they are joining a top official in the Department of Labor and Employment in suing Gov. Jared Polis after they say he ordered state employees to commit illegal acts. "We are outraged as state employees that our governor wanted us to actively support that assault on our community and make us as state workers accomplices in an illegal and morally reprehensible act," says Diane Byrne, President of Colorado WINS. At issue is a subpoena for information -- including addresses and phone numbers -- on 35 individuals who the Department of Homeland Security says are listed as sponsors of unaccompanied children who are in the U.S. illegally. The agency has apparently lost track of the kids and says they may be subject to crimes of human trafficking or other forms of exploitation. While two laws, signed by Polis, bar state employees from sharing personally identifying information for immigration enforcement, they make an exception for criminal investigations. The governor ordered employees at the Department of Labor and Employment to comply with the subpoena. CBS A spokesperson for the governor says, "The decision to respond to this federal subpoena due to concerns about potential crimes against vulnerable minors was carefully considered in accordance with Colorado law, which allows for sharing information to support timely criminal investigations." Scott Moss, a director at the Department of Labor and Employment, disagrees. He notes the subpoena wasn't issued by a judge and is titled "Immigration Enforcement Subpoena." He sued the governor. State Sen. Julie Gonzalez went a step further, suggesting Polis should step down. "I don't know about you but, Jared Polis has broken my trust," she said. She says Polis has also broken the trust of individuals who were promised their information would be protected from immigration agents. David Seligman is Executive Director of Towards Justice, a civil rights organization that has also joined the lawsuit. He says the Governor's directive doesn't make sense. "So why is the governor going out of his way to help Donald Trump and ICE?" Seligman said. The governor's spokesperson says: "Helping federal law enforcement partners locate and, if necessary, rescue children being abused and trafficked is not only in line with the law but also a moral imperative." It's estimated 75%-80% of unaccompanied children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border are victims of human trafficking. The lawsuit was filed in Denver District Court and will be heard in a couple weeks.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Tipping point': Claim levelled at Max Gawn amid new vision of clash with Steven May
Max Gawn did his best to downplay an ugly clash with Melbourne teammate Steven May, but AFL great Nick Riewoldt says it shows the normally unflappable Demons skipper has reached his 'tipping point'. Channel Seven showed new vision of the incident after the final siren that showed May actually went back for a second crack at his teammate, in scenes Riewoldt described as 'extraordinary' after Melbourne's heartbreaking one-point defeat to Collingwood. With less than one minute left, Gawn took a mark in the back pocket but miscued his kick straight to Collingwood's Will Hoskin-Elliott after being made to play on. The blunder ended any hopes of the Demons snatching a miraculous win as the Pies claimed a 11.6 (72) to 10.11 (71) victory in the King's Birthday clash at the MCG. Melbourne's Daniel Turner immediately went over to console Gawn but May was furious and made his feelings known to his skipper. Gawn clearly didn't appreciate the lecture and shot May an irritated look before pushing his teammate away in heated scenes. Speaking about the ugly flashpoint after the game, Riewoldt said it was completely out of character for Gawn, who is such a respected leader and usually so calm under pressure. But the St Kilda great suggested the pressures at the club and previous controversies around Demons teammates appeared to have finally taken a toll. Christian Petracca's injury saga from last year's King's Birthday clash caused a divide between Melbourne teammates and Clayton Oliver has had his fair of off-field dramas at the club in recent seasons. And Riewoldt suggested it all came to a head for Gawn on Monday night, with the May incident suggesting there are still cracks in the playing group. "It was extraordinary wasn't it. Here's the disappointment in Max Gawn. He's just made an error. He was looking for some support from his mate and Steven May comes in. He doesn't want a bar of it. And then there's the push," Riewoldt said on Channel 7's Agenda Setters. 'To me this is tipping point for Max. 'I reckon he has carried such a massive load for so long. He's been pseudo CEO. He's been pseudo president. He's been the mouthpiece for the club last year. He's been their best player. Today it just spoiled over for him.' May is renowned for being a combative teammate and Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes suggested Gawn was just "sick of it" on Monday night. Goal post vision shows Steven May come back and confront Max Gawn a SECOND The Agenda Setters on 7plus 👉 — 7AFL (@7AFL) June 9, 2025 But Gawn and Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin played down the incident post-game, with the Demons skipper suggesting he and May would have words to sort it all out. "We just both want to win and I'm not exactly sure what actually happened - it was very loud with the crowd and what-not," Gawn said. "But we both want to win and it was a very disappointing last 30 seconds in the way it played out. "Maysey just wants to win and he holds us all to high standards. It was too loud for me to even know. I didn't realise the cameras were on us but it obviously was caught." Melbourne's coach simply put it down to the competitive nature of the pair and the frustration around losing a game they thought they should have won. "[Just] two competitors that are frustrated, two leaders that got an incredibly strong relationship, that are obviously disappointed with the outcome," Goodwin said. "But as I've spoken to the whole group about, yeah, be disappointed with the outcome, but keep working on the things that'll keep making us better. They've moved on already. They're in [the rooms] having a good chat about it. And yeah, they've moved on pretty quickly." with AAP
