AFL world reacts to Mabior Chol video from Jayden Short and Nick Vlaustin

The bizarre footage of two Richmond teammates touching a fellow teammate below the belt sent social media into overdrive on Friday.

Vlaustin grabs Chol below the belt.

The vision of Richmond’s star defenders Jayden Short and Nick Vlaustin inappropriately grabbing teammate Mabior Chol caused a major stir on Friday.

Footage from two separate wins showed the Tigers team in a huddle singing the club song, but it was the acts that stole the attention.

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During the two incidents, both Short and Vlaustin are alleged to have grabbed the genitals of Chol on numerous occasions.

Vlaustin also appeared to have put a finger up the anus of his teammate on the outside of his shorts.

The accusations against the players were thrown to coach Damien Hardwick during his weekly press conference by veteran reporter Hugh Riminton.

“If this is horseplay, are all premiership players within Richmond expected to tolerate fingers going up their anuses, or is it just the black players?” Riminton asked.

Hardwick didn’t answer any of the allegations, and a club spokesman entered the press conference, being done via Zoom, to say the coach and the club had “no knowledge” of the incident.

RELATED: Star duo apologise following groping complaint

The duo apologised for their actions in a club released statement on Friday evening. But the footage didn’t sit well with footy fans who were quick to condemn the actions of the pair.

Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd couldn’t help but feel for Chol after seeing the footage and said the club would be ashamed of the vision.

“I think Hugh Riminton, what he’s done, he has stopped it across the competition,” Lloyd said on 3AW.

“He’s put the spotlight on it.

“Richmond is a great football club but they’d be highly embarrassed because that was repulsive and an invasion on Mabior Chol.

“I felt very uncomfortable watching it – I didn’t see at the time, but watching it since – for Mabior Chol.

“He would have been well within his rights to knock Nick Vlastuin out, there and then.

“Imagine trying that on Tony Lockett – he would have thrown you into a brick wall.”

Vlaustin grabs Chol.

Short followed suit.

AFLW star Tayla Harris was quick to slam the actions of both Short and Vlaustin but also took aim at those defending the incidents and attempting to write them off as boys being boys.

“The justification of this is extraordinary, the comments are unbelievable. These men are role models, kids playing junior footy see this on teli and think it’s okay. IT IS NOT OKAY. I don’t care about the ‘boys club’ BS, this is severely inappropriate, grow up,” Harris tweeted.

Harris wasn’t alone in her condemnation of the uncomfortable footage that whipped around social media.

“That Mabior Chol footage is pretty rank on a couple of levels. He’s clearly pissed off and uncomfortable. Meanwhile, schoolkids are taught that sort of thing can send u to jail.

Richmond players have shown they can play footy but they also keep showing they’re quite a dim bunch,” Ten journalist Michael Bodey tweeted.

Former AFL player Joel Wilkinson hit out on social media, believing Chol would have felt pressure not to out his teammates or shine a bad light on the club.

“Support & care for Mabior Chol. He would be pressured to protect ‘the team culture’. Whilst the AFL framework leaves the expectation for Mabior to decide if he’s offended or not, that does not supersede the racial context to these incidents of racially aggravated sexual abuse,” Wilkson tweeted.

Chol appears to tell Short off.

“A white person groping an African/Black person is horrific and continues a horrendous historical pattern of racial abuse from white culture to black bodies. It must be stopped. @AFL @Richmond_FC you must be stopped.

“The video is very clear. I’ve raised these same concerns for 7 years to the @AFL and @AFLPlayers, even a lawsuit and it’s been dismissed or referred to as ‘changeroom culture’. Important to know, who at Richmond and the AFL knew of these incidents?

“Good to see a journalist finally ask a direct question to Damien Hardwick regarding the abuse. The media are always scared to question and hold accountable the AFL and those in the industry in regards to black players.”