North Melbourne ruckman Tristan Xerri has been sent directly to the tribunal for appearing to wipe blood on the face of Essendon captain Andy McGrath.
In an incident that has described as “grubby”, Xerri had just kicked a goal before getting involved in a scuffle with McGrath and other Essendon players.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Xerri set to face tribunal over blood smear incident
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He then appeared to wipe his nose, which had been bleeding, and then wipe his finger on McGrath’s face.
7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary revealed Xerri has been sent straight to the tribunal, likely under the charge of “serious misconduct”.
The AFL will officially release the match review officer’s findings later on Sunday.
Early indications suggest he is staring down the barrel of a multi-game suspension.
The incident had shades of a clash between Collingwood champion Nathan Buckley and Geelong tagger Cameron Ling in 2002.
Buckley was suspended for one match for deliberately smearing blood from a cut eyebrow onto the guernsey of Ling in an attempt to force Ling from the field under the blood rule.
Asked about the Xerri incident post-match, North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson said he was unaware of what had happened.
Channel 7 commentator Kate McCarthy described Xerri’s act as “grubby” in a scathing assessment.
“He actually goes back twice. So wipes his nose once, has a look, then wipes his nose again, and then puts it on the face of Andy McGrath,” she said on Footy Feast.
“Absolutely something that I have no doubt Tristan Xerri is regretting right now.
“But it’s gross, to be frank. It’s gross and it’s a grubby act that we don’t want in footy.”
More to come …
