Paul Roos slams Saints over sledging of Carlton star Marc Murphy
PREMIERSHIP coach Paul Roos says St Kilda’s personal sledging of Marc Murphy is a blight on the entire club, with the Carlton captain clearly fed up with being a verbal target.
PREMIERSHIP coach Paul Roos says St Kilda’s personal sledging of Carlton captain Marc Murphy is a blight on the entire club.
Murphy was verbally targeted by Saints players during Saturday’s’s loss and responded with his own sledge to St Kilda’s Jake Carlisle as the defender writhed in pain on the ground.
The Herald Sun understands neither club wants to take the issue further, given there was sledging from both sides.
A Carlton spokesman said Murphy would not be putting in a complaint, intent on moving on from the incident.
The AFL said it would await the umpires’ reports tomorrow to see whether there was cause for investigation.
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If the incident does not fall under the AFL’s vilification codes, a matter is only taken further if there is a complaint from a club or player.
It is understood the sledging towards Murphy is of a family nature, with Murphy agitated and upset.
He only shook hands with two St Kilda players when they approached him as he went straight to the bench when the final siren sounded.
Roos said St Kilda coach Alan Richardson needed to address his playing group after they clearly crossed the line.
“We all know what the line is. If it gets too personal it reflects poorly on the St Kilda football club and as an extension everyone at that football club,’’ Roos told Triple M.
“I know Nick Riewoldt and Joey (Leigh) Montagna. They are outstanding characters and I would be staggered to think they wouldn’t be relatively upset with some of the things we are hearing have been said by their teammates.
“I would think Alan Richardson would be disappointed as well. I would think they would address it. It reflects poorly on the St Kilda Football Club.”
Carlisle told the Sunday Herald Sun there was no bad blood between the two teams.
“The boys said something about it. Apparently there was a bit of a melee but I didn’t know about it.”
Down-the-ground footage showed Murphy making a beeline to Carlisle when he was felled by an accidental Levi Casboult hit to the groin.
He shouted angrily at Carlisle, with St Kilda captain Jarryn Geary remonstrating before a melee broke out.
AFL spokesman Patrick Keane said the league would follow its normal processes.
“The first point would be if anything comes up in the umpires’ reports from the game,’’ Keane said.
“If it is not under the vilification code, then it depends on whether the person makes a complaint.”
In 2015 Hawthorn’s Sam Mitchell apologised after mocking Essendon’s players as drug cheats, mimicking a needle going into an arm during an on-field confrontation.
Originally published as Paul Roos slams Saints over sledging of Carlton star Marc Murphy
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