AFL 2023: Mark Robinson on why Port Adelaide’s Willie Rioli shouldn’t be banned for Nathan Murphy strike

Port Adelaide has confirmed it will appeal Willie Rioli’s two-game ban – and rightly so after Dusty last week, writes Mark Robinson. The MRO is being laughed at again.

Dustin Martin surely would be sniggering and Kozzie Pickett is probably in hysterics.

And the MRO is being laughed at.

The Richmond ace escaped suspension a week ago for a deliberate elbow to West Coast’s Alex Witherden.

In round 1, Pickett received a two-week suspension for a late, mid-air cheap shot bump on Bulldog Bailey Smith.

Somehow in between, Port Adelaide’s Willie Rioli’s open hand slap to the side of the head of Collingwood’s Nathan Murphy is deemed worse than what Martin did and equally punishable to Pickett’s launch on Smith.

Willie Rioli strike on Nathan Murphy. Picture: Fox Footy

Pickett v Rioli? Both two weeks? You’ve got to be kidding.

And Martin’s deliberate elbow was considered less aggressive because he landed it on Witherden’s sternum.

He was fined $5000 and could take $3000 with an early plea.

When you’re on $1.2 million, $3000 is what you pay the MCG attendant a tip for looking after your car for the three months.

Port Adelaide on Monday confirmed it will appeal the Rioli outcome. It has to. The punishment is terribly excessive.

The open-hand swipe — which clearly shocked Murphy and sent him sprawling to the ground — was assessed by the MRO as being intentional, medium contact and high contact.

Pickett’s hit — when he jumped off the ground and crashed into Smith — was assessed as careless, high impact and high contact.

We all know what was worse and what had more capacity to cause injury.

They simply can’t be dealt the same penalty.

Tigers star Dustin Martin escaped a suspension for a deliberate elbow last week. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos

Instead, he was fined $5000. Picture: FoxFooty

Port has to argue the impact was low and not medium, and they could even argue the slap was careless and not intentional.

It is not worth two weeks.

In round 16, Brisbane’s Lincoln McCarthy jumper-punched to the face Richmond’s Kamdyn McIntosh. It was low impact, the MRO said.

It was much worse than what Rioli did. He got one week.

There are endless examples of confusion with the MRO/AFL tribunal.

Sydney’s Dane Rampe got off after concussing Lachie McNeil, and on Saturday West Coast’s Sam Petreveski-Seton was given two weeks for slinging Alex Cincotta into the carpet-covered concrete at Marvel Stadium, the same penalty as Rioli.

Port needs to fight this.

Originally published as AFL 2023: Mark Robinson on why Port Adelaide’s Willie Rioli shouldn’t be banned for Nathan Murphy strike