AFL 2021: All the fallout from Brisbane’s decision to use the medical sub for Oscar McInerney late in the game
The AFL will officially investigate Geelong coach Chris Scott’s verbal altercation with Brisbane star Lachie Neale on Monday. But Chris Fagan isn’t happy.
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The AFL will investigate Geelong coach Chris Scott’s heated quarter-time exchange with Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale, which Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan labelled as “inappropriate.”
The league on Monday will look at the incident, in which Scott was seen in conversation with the star midfielder and several of the Lions as they made their way to their respective huddles.
Cats on-baller Cam Guthrie and skipper Joel Selwood went to Scott to take him away from the Brisbane group.
Fagan on Saturday said coaches should not be speaking to opposition players during games.
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“Personally I would not choose to speak to opposition players, I don’t think it is appropriate,” he said on 3AW.
“I don’t know how often it happens, pretty rarely I guess.
“I wasn’t there to see how it all started, but I think from a coaching perspective you just need to restrain yourself no matter how you feel at that moment.”
There was also an on-field exchange that occurred between Fagan and Scott when they were about 20m apart as they left the ground for the start of the second term.
“I think it’s best left alone,” Fagan said.
“Just two passionate people (and) there wasn’t much in it, so we’ll leave it at that I think.”
Scott on Friday night revealed the exchange between himself and the Lions players was sparked when Neale raised the incident between himself and Cat Gary Rohan.
“I was walking on to the ground and Lachie Neale said something about Gary Rohan and I said ‘I am happy to have the conversation with you if you like, I have seen the vision and I am comfortable with it’,” Scott said.
“I suspect he didn’t hear all of that. I think a few of them…they weren’t paying me compliments but I didn’t say anything after that.
“I thought Neale struck Gary on the chest and then Gary struck him on the chest. The vision is clear…I have had a pretty good look at what Gary did and I am comfortable with it.
“(Cam and Joel) said nothing really, just let’s get back into it.”
‘That’s not the rule’: Fagan defends controversial sub
- Josh Barnes
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has defended the timing of a medical sub that removed Oscar McInerney from the game in the final term.
The ruckman rolled his ankle early in the match, and appeared lame, but wasn’t subbed out until the last quarter, when he was replaced by Kaiden Coleman.
The use of the substitute came at the perfect time to give the Lions extra legs as they surged to the lead.
Coleman collected just two disposals but he had a chance to put the Lions back in front with one of them, only for his left foot snap to fall short and be rushed for a behind with less than two minutes to play.
Fagan said the call to sub McInerney off came after he had run aground on his bum ankle and that the decision wasn’t necessarily made on the proviso he wouldn’t be fit to play in 12 days time.
Brisbane's Oscar McInerney headed to the bench for treatment after this incident in the first quarter. #AFLCatsLionspic.twitter.com/g1Hk69EU3g
— AFL (@AFL) March 26, 2021
“That’s not necessarily the case with the rules, you can come off because you can no longer continue to play,” he said.
“(McInerney) and we decided to tough it out but there came a point in that last quarter where he just couldn’t keep going. I think if you watch the replay you will notice that he was almost stationary on the ground.
“It was a courageous effort for him to continue to play but we made the decision early in the last quarter. He just couldn’t run anymore, it didn’t make sense to keep him out there. We tried for as long as we could because basically he is our only ruckman.
“The doctor said enough is enough.”
Geelong coach Chris Scott defended the use of the substitute, saying Brisbane lead doctor Paul McConnell was “beyond reproach”.
RELATED: SCOTT REVEALS WHAT WAS SAID IN HEATED EXCHANGE
Confused about the medical sub. The AFL stated it must be “reasonably determined†that the player will miss 12 days to replace him. Chris Fagan said in his presser it’s his understanding a player just has to be sore enough he can’t come on again. But is free to play next week 🤔
— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) March 26, 2021
The Lions coach refused to address the controversial non-call on Geelong’s Mark Blicavs late in the final term, with the umpire choosing not to pay holding the ball that would have almost certainly led to a Brisbane goal and victory.
“I never comment on umpiring decisions. I haven’t in the four years I’ve coached,” he said.
Fagan also played a straight bat to questions about the Gary Rohan’s incident with Lachie Neale incident, saying he hadn’t seen the vision.
The next few days are unclear for the Lions given the COVID situation.
“We haven’t received any information from the AFL,” he said.
“As far as I know we are flying back tomorrow but that could change. As we know, life changes pretty quickly these days.”
Fagan said the thought a game wouldn’t be played on Friday night did cross his mind.
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