Carlton pull up Michael Gibbons for inappropriately touching a cameraman during team song
Carlton has acted quickly to remind Michael Gibbons he is a role model within the community and his actions during the team song after the win over Gold Coast were “unacceptable”.
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Carlton believes its quick actions in pulling up Michael Gibbons after he touched the bottom of a cameraman post-match on Friday show the impact of cultural change in the AFL.
The Blues have apologised after Gibbons twice touched the bottom of an Amazon filmmaker during the team song after the victory over Gold Coast.
The AFL will not take any further action, with the filmmaker clear that he had not taken offence to the gesture from former rookie Gibbons.
A team staffer who saw Gibbons’ gesture immediately told him to stop while the song was taking place.
Then coach David Teague spoke to the Blues players in the post-match team meeting to ensure that they knew it was not appropriate behaviour.
Richmond players Nick Vlastuin and Jayden Short were forced to apologise after touching the privates of teammate Mabior Chol recently in an incident which made clear football must move into the modern era.
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Carlton football boss Brad Lloyd said the club was aware Gibbons’ conduct was not acceptable and would not continue.
“We were aware of the unacceptable actions that occurred during the team song on Friday night,” Lloyd said.
“The behaviour was addressed in the team meeting immediately after the game by senior coach David Teague, with the playing group affirming that such behaviour was clearly not to be tolerated.
“The club acknowledges its position as role models in the community and apologises for any offence caused.”
The Amazon cameraman has been embedded with the Blues for a series of Amazon documentaries about the AFL this season.
The Blues have been clear they want to play football the right way this year, with Teague urging his players not to get involved in cheap antics like ruffling players’ heads or stomach bumps.
He told Fox Footy on Friday night he wanted players to make the ball their objective instead of getting caught up in that type of play.
The Blues’ team song wasn’t broadcast on television on Friday night because Teague had brought the players into the wrong room in their changerooms.
Teague had apologised in his post-match press conference about Blues fans not seeing the song given the mix-up at TIO Stadium.
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Originally published as Carlton pull up Michael Gibbons for inappropriately touching a cameraman during team song