The AFL will stay out of Thursday night’s ‘crybaby’ incident despite acknowledging its bad look

The AFL has made it clear that Noah Answerth’s unnecessary sledge of Harrison Petty is not a good look for the club, but will leave the Lions to deal with the incident that took the shine away from their huge win.

Noah Answerth mocks Harry Petty for crying.

The AFL will leave it to the Brisbane Lions to internally address its third bout of sledging towards Melbourne’s Harrison Petty, but has made clear it believes the matter is a poor look for the club.

Petty was subjected to a “crybaby” sledge from Brisbane’s Noah Answerth during Thursday night’s game for the third time since early 2022.

Lions leader Dayne Zorko said on Thursday night he would speak to Answerth and made clear it was not how the club wanted to win, given the lack of sportsmanship.

It renewed the feud between the clubs after Zorko was forced to apologise in 2022 after sledging Petty’s mother and being forced to apologise to the Demons.

Brisbane has always maintained that Melbourne players were just as vile with their own sledging of Zorko, but it painted the Lions veteran in a poor light.

In September that season, Lions forward Lincoln McCarthy also mocked Petty by pretending to wipe away a tear as the pair clashed.

Lincoln McCarthy has also been heavily involved in the sledging of Petty. Picture: Getty Images

The league told this masthead on Friday they did not like the look of the incident, but had “let it with the club to address internally”.

Lever said post-match he did not believe such acts had a place in modern football.

“I don’t think it’s part of the game now. (Petty) had a tough time up there a few years ago (when Zorko made the comments) and as a player, you don’t know what others are going through. I think footy’s cleaned up that sort of act.”

Said Zorko post-match: “I’ll probably go have a word to him, that’s obviously not the way we want to win. Heat of the moment, stuff happens. I’m sure he’d have fixed it up after the game.”

Fox Footy’s David King said on Friday Answerth needed to concentrate on playing football.

“I’m not sure that’s Noah’s go just yet,” he said.

“Just get yourself embedded into that team and play good footy before you start lighting fires like this, because it does bring up the ugly past.

“I think Dayne Zorko was looking to move past this, to be fair. The Brisbane Lions have been looking to move past it too.”

Dayne Zorko was disappointed with Answerth. Picture: Getty Images

It continued a strange season for Petty, who has played forward and back without much effect amid strong Adelaide interest.

This masthead reported last month that Petty was determined to play in another flag with Melbourne and was no certainty to make another trade request.

But he has one goal playing forward in four contests where he has also been needed in defence at times given Steven May’s rib injury.

Adelaide will again attempt to lure Petty home given the lack of homegrown talents across the league who can play forward or back.

Yet he has struggled for impact this year and was one of multiple Demons forwards who did not fire against the Lions.

He had only two possessions, Ben Brown four touches and a single goal and Bayley Fritsch a single possession in the first half when the game was up for grabs and five in total for 2.1.

Crybaby mocking threatens to overshadow Lions’ MCG triumph

Melbourne will rally around out-of-form forward Harrison Petty after he was subjected to a “cry baby” sledge from Brisbane’s Noah Answerth during Thursday night’s game with defender Jake Lever saying personal taunts should no longer be part of the game.

In an unnecessary moment that threatened to overshadow one of the Lions’ best MCG wins in recent years, Answerth rubbed his eyes in a crying motion in front of Petty after the Demons’ forward missed a final term goal on what was a dirty night for him.

Noah Answerth mocks Harry Petty for crying.

It appeared to be a reference to an infamous 2022 altercation between the two sides involving Dayne Zorko, where words were exchanged which left Petty in tears during a break.

Zorko later apologised for a sledge which was believed to be along the lines of ‘I hope your mother dies’, but the Demons were incensed at the time of the incident.

Lever told Channel 7 after the game on Thursday that he was uncomfortable with Answerth’s gesture, saying he did not believe such acts had a place in modern football.

“I don’t think it’s part of the game now,” a disappointed Lever told Channel 7.

“He (Petty) had a tough time up there a few years ago (when Zorko made the comments) and as a player, you don’t know what others are going through.

“I think footy’s cleaned up that sort of act.”

Brisbane’s Dayne Zorko and Demon Harrison Petty shake hands after Thursday night’s match at the MCG. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Another of Petty’s teammates, Alex Neal-Bullen said he had not seen the incident, but he backed the Demons’ forwards to bounce back on Anzac Eve against Richmond after next week’s bye.

Petty was one of several Melbourne forwards who struggled to make an impact on the night. He had two disposals from two marks as well as kicking a behind.

Originally published as The AFL will stay out of Thursday night’s ‘crybaby’ incident despite acknowledging its bad look