Tristan Xerri Faces Tribunal for Serious Misconduct Charge
North Melbourne ruckman Tristan Xerri is set to appear before the AFL tribunal following an incident during Saturday night’s clash against Essendon. Xerri has been charged with serious misconduct after he was observed appearing to smear blood on Essendon skipper Andy McGrath’s face. The action has drawn swift condemnation from AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon, who described it as “something we don’t want to see” in the sport.
The controversial moment occurred during North Melbourne’s 12-point victory at Marvel Stadium. Following the match, Xerri reportedly contacted McGrath on Sunday to offer an apology. His tribunal hearing is scheduled for Monday night.
Speaking at the MCG on Sunday, AFL CEO Andrew Dillon emphasised the league’s stance on such conduct.
“It’s not something we want to see on our fields,” Dillon stated.
The incident has reignited discussions about the “blood rule” and player conduct. Geelong premiership player Cameron Ling, who was involved in a prominent “blood wiping” case over two decades ago with Nathan Buckley, reflected on how his perspective has evolved.
“Now I put my older, sometimes wiser, head on my shoulders. We don’t want this in our game,” Ling commented to the ABC. “That act is not an acceptable act on the football field.”
AFL commentator Kate McCarthy was equally critical, labelling the act as “grubby” and “disgusting” on the show The Round So Far. She expressed hope that Xerri would regret his actions.
However, Collingwood legend Tony Shaw initially suggested on 3AW that Xerri should face a significant fine and an apology rather than a suspension. He later amended his view on Sunday, stating, “I said he should get a week, but I do think we need to be a bit stronger and harder at times. Sookies.”
Ling recounted his experience from 2002, when Nathan Buckley wiped blood on his jumper. At 21, Ling admitted he didn’t fully grasp the severity of the situation at the time, viewing it as an attempt to force him off the field. “He didn’t have any malice; he just wanted me to come off the field and not have the advantage,” Ling explained. He also noted that he received a one-week suspension for the incident.
The AFL’s guidelines define misconduct as any act “reasonably regarded as unacceptable or unsportsmanlike, or where it had the effect or potential to prejudice the reputation of any person, club or the AFL or to bring the game of football into disrepute.” A suspension for Xerri could see him miss North Melbourne’s upcoming marquee Good Friday match against Carlton.
In separate news, Dillon also confirmed that the league’s integrity unit is investigating allegations that St Kilda’s Lance Collard used a homophobic slur during a VFL game. “At the moment, that’s being investigated, and it is an allegation, so we’ll look into that,” Dillon said. “It’s not something we want to be dealing with.”
‘Evolving’ Eagles Secure Stunning Comeback Win Over Port Adelaide
West Coast’s coach has lauded a newfound resilience within the team after they achieved a remarkable two-point victory against Port Adelaide, marking their first consecutive wins in nearly two years. Despite the significant upset, coach Andrew McQualter remains cautious about declaring the Eagles’ long period of struggle over.
“We’re evolving as a team, we’re evolving as a club, and we feel like we’re making progress,” McQualter stated after the hard-fought 13.14 (92) to 13.12 (90) triumph at Adelaide Oval. “But we’re still going to have a lot of challenges in front of us.”
The Eagles, who had not secured successive victories since rounds six and seven of the 2024 season, found themselves trailing by 29 points just five minutes into the second quarter. McQualter praised his players’ fighting spirit, especially in the absence of veteran Elliot Yeo, who sustained a groin injury.
“The group’s resilience is just starting to shine through,” he observed. “Young and old players stood up in huge moments.”
The AFL’s controversial video-review system played a role late in the contest. Unlike a recent match where an incorrect umpire call went unreviewed, this instance saw play halted to ensure the correct decision was made. The Eagles were initially denied a free kick awarded with approximately a minute remaining, leading to a boundary throw-in. This decision offered Port Adelaide a glimmer of hope to overcome a one-point deficit, but West Coast managed to regain possession and secure the win with a late behind.
The use of the AFL Review Centre (ARC) in this match came just days after a contentious decision in Geelong’s win over Adelaide. The AFL later admitted that a last-touch free kick awarded to Geelong’s Tom Atkins was incorrect, with the ball having come off his own boot. The margin was two points at the time, and the subsequent free kick led to a goal for Geelong. The AFL acknowledged the need to review its late-game processes to allow for potential holds in play to ensure accurate outcomes.
West Coast’s victory at Adelaide Oval was their first since round six of 2022. Jake Waterman was a key contributor with 4.4, including a remarkable 65-metre set shot in the final quarter. Harley Reid impressed with 21 disposals and two goals, as did Bo Allan who also kicked two majors.
The Eagles’ No.1 draft pick, Willem Duursma, showed promising signs with 20 possessions and a goal, while second-gamer Josh Lindsay contributed 19 touches. Veteran Tim Kelly was influential with 23 disposals. For Port Adelaide, Mitch Georgiades and Jack Whitlock each kicked three goals, and Corey Durdin added two. Despite strong performances from acting captain Zak Butters (30 disposals), Kane Farrell (25), and Jase Burgoyne (21), the Power were unable to secure the win.
AFL Boss Highlights Strong Crowds Amidst Opening Round Debate
AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon anticipates that the opening round of the 2027 season will likely present a different format, primarily due to the scheduling of cricket’s 150th centenary Test, rather than any significant backlash regarding the current fixture.
Discussions have emerged from various stakeholders, including Fremantle’s Justin Longmuir and Simon Garlick, and rookie Melbourne coach Steven King, who have raised concerns about the perceived unfairness of some clubs playing a match while others have a bye, potentially impacting preparation. Dillon acknowledged that four of the six clubs participating in the opening round subsequently faced opponents who had not played a match in round one. Collingwood and St Kilda were the exceptions, losing to Adelaide and Melbourne respectively.
“There are a number of stakeholders we consulted, and the coaches are really important,” Dillon stated. “If you look at the stats, though, there were six teams that played out of opening round into round one, and it was 4-2, but absolutely [we] take on board the feedback from the coaches on that.”
Dillon indicated that the league headquarters is monitoring the opening round fixturing, which typically prioritises northern markets. However, he expressed satisfaction with the increased crowd attendances this season.
“What I am focusing on is our crowds are up on what they were last year. We’re averaging just a tick under 40,000 going to the games,” he reported. “We’ve had three games at Marvel [Stadium] this weekend, and they’ve all been above forecast. We’ll have a crowd of over 50,000 here at the ’G [between Carlton and Melbourne]. We’ve had four crowds in the 70,000s, and we had St Kilda, in opening round, play in front of the highest home-and-away crowd they’ve played in front of, and they’ve been in the competition since 1897.”
A special one-off match between Australia and England is scheduled to take place at the MCG from March 11 to 15 next year, commemorating the legacy of Test cricket. Dillon confirmed that this event will necessitate a “different-looking start” to the 2027 AFL season.
Moore Out for Another Month as Collingwood Faces Tough April Fixture
Collingwood will be without their captain, Darcy Moore, as they prepare for a series of challenging matches throughout April. The Magpies confirmed on Sunday morning that a low-grade hamstring strain, sustained during Friday’s victory over the GWS Giants, will sideline the star defender for the next “three to four weeks.”
This period includes a Thursday night game against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba, leading into the Easter weekend, followed by encounters with Fremantle at home, arch-rivals Carlton, and potentially the Anzac Day clash with Essendon. The absence of Moore is a significant blow, particularly as he was playing his first game of the season on Friday at Marvel Stadium.
Collingwood’s Executive General Manager of Football, Charlie Gardiner, revealed that scans taken post-match indicated Moore has an inflamed bursa behind his knee. “We are obviously disappointed for Darcy. Scans yesterday showed he has sustained a low-grade hamstring strain along with an inflamed bursa behind his knee, which is expected to keep him out for the next three to four weeks,” Gardiner stated. “Darcy will continue to work closely with our medical and high-performance team as he progresses through his return-to-play timeline.”
Collingwood managed to defeat the Giants on Friday despite Moore’s premature departure from the field, which was initially described as “hamstring awareness.” Former captain Scott Pendlebury also experienced discomfort with an Achilles strain during the same match.
Moore spent considerable time off the ground on Friday. Following the game, Collingwood coach Craig McRae explained that Moore’s return to the field had been managed cautiously. “It’s hamstring awareness,” McRae said. “For those following his rehab back to play, he had this about 10 to 12 days ago – the same thing – and we were just, ‘No risk, no risk, no risk.’ But we were in the game, and you go, ‘Can he push through? Can he take some minutes?’ Because it’s important that, in terms of rotations, to see if he could take some minutes without risk. Now I say that, but I’m just backing in the high-performance team. That’s not my area, and so we did that. But he’s not right. He’s not 100 per cent. Has he done a hamstring? I’m not sure. I don’t think so … but we’ll obviously do all the investigations and find out.”
