Melbourne, North Melbourne trade jumper punches in spiteful MCG clash
MONDAY is the day that the match review panel can make a statement: jumper and gut punches are not on, after the practice was rife in North Melbourne’s win over the Demons.
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MONDAY is the day that the match review panel can make a statement: jumper and gut punches are not on.
A week after Richmond skipper Trent Cotchin escaped with a fine for his “careless” hit on Docker Lachie Neale, the practice was rife at the MCG as North Melbourne fought all afternoon to earn a 14-point win over Melbourne.
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Kangaroos midfielder Ben Cunnington — who had endured lengthy treatment on his ankle and knee — will certainly face scrutiny after his blatant gut-punch on Bernie Vince on the members’ wing, flattening the Demon in a whack that left him dry-retching on the sideline.
It didn’t earn a free kick, despite an umpire being five metres away.
Before the ball was even bounced, Shaun Higgins and Jack Viney sparked the fire.
And the petrol came gushing on to the flame within the first 10 minutes when Higgins — who found himself the target of Vince for the afternoon — felled Clayton Oliver with a jumper punch to the throat inside the Demons’ attacking 50.
Vince stuck so closely to Higgins, he may well still be right next to him as he sips his morning latte today.
For 15 minutes in the second quarter, it was chaos.
Antagonistic and spiteful, just about every player got involved at some stage.
The MRP has set a precedent in recent weeks, dishing out fines. A second offence attracts a further financial penalty.
It could be in for a big payday today.
It’s obvious players aren’t scared.
“I hope the match review panel is watching to see what they’ve created with this dud jumper punch,” former Melbourne coach Paul Roos said on Triple M.
“Players know it’s perfectly legal to hit someone in the throat or hit someone with a jumper punch. That’s why it continues.”
Fans agree. In a poll conducted by the Herald Sun, 61 per cent of readers agreed that jumper punches that are high or fell a player should result in suspension.
When Higgins was rewarded with a free kick following an off-the-ball tangle with Vince and missed his set shot, his tailing tagger went straight to him.
Higgins’ immediate retaliation saw him penalised 50 metres. More chaos ensued — there were spotfires everywhere.
“The umpires have lost a bit of control here,” Roos declared.
He was right.
Marley Williams and Josh Wagner went at it.
Some 25m away, both sides’ respective skippers Nathan Jones and Jack Ziebell wrestled on the ground with fists clenched tightly at one another’s collars.
Christian Salem could also be in trouble for an apparent elbow to Higgins’ face.
Umpire Brendan Hosking had his work cut out, talking to several players including Oliver, Vince and Higgins throughout the first half.
Melbourne players choose the stadium playlist at home games. Fittingly, it was Vince’s song of choice that blared across the ground at halftime. ‘Ring of Fire’ was exactly what the MCG had become.
In the second half, the flames flickered but didn’t rage. Melbourne couldn’t afford to focus on the niggle — the Demons’ energy was spent on just trying to get the ball forward of centre.
Ben Brown continues to go from strength to strength as the Roos’ No. 1 forward and finished with five goals, with his teammates’ work through the corridor and delivery allowing his work at the contest to shine over young Dee Oscar McDonald.
Using Cam Pedersen in the ruck continued to work for Melbourne as it continues to await the return of Max Gawn, the Demons again winning the clearance count 39-34 despite being smashed in hitouts.
When the two sides went toe-to-toe in the final term, Luke McDonald landed a blow to the chin with his major to ice a 16th-straight win over Melbourne win that will burn, burn, burn for the now 4-5 Demons.
LAUREN WOOD’S BEST
North Melbourne: Cunnington, Brown, Goldstein, Williams, Thompson, Tarrant
Melbourne: Hibberd, Viney, Vince, Hannan, Frost, Pedersen
Originally published as Melbourne, North Melbourne trade jumper punches in spiteful MCG clash
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