St Kilda’s Jake Carlisle under fire after appearing to hit Dane Rampe’s broken hand

An AFL player has come under heavy fire from fans and legends of the game after appearing to strike the broken hand of an opponent.

Jake Carlisle has come under scrutiny for targeting Dane Rampe's hand.

St Kilda’s Jake Carlisle is set to come under scrutiny from the Match Review Officer after he appeared to target the broken hand of Sydney’s Dane Rampe.

Rampe broke his hand midway through last weekend’s game against Hawthorn, managing to finish the game out before having a plate and screws inserted on Monday.

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He wore a glove on his hand for Saturday’s contest against the Saints, with Carlisle appearing to hit the hand leading to an off the ball scuffle between the pair.

Cameras picked up Carlisle attempting to hit Rampe’s hand which led to Sydney’s star forward Tom Papley to come rushing in to defend his teammate.

Fans watching on weren’t impressed with Carlisle’s actions with the commentary crew also not happy with what was unfolding.

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Two-time premiership player David King said there was “really no need for that”, while Brisbane great Alastair Lynch added “we’re well past that in the game these days”.

“It’s not fair game,” Western Bulldogs great Brad Johnson said on Fox Footy.

“You just can’t be doing that.

“Rampe’s teammates had to come to his defence to try and get him out the way.

“Yes he’s playing injured, they already know that, but I’m not a big fan of that.

Four-time Hawthorn premiership legend Jordan Lewis said Carlisle was “just stupid”.

“There is nothing to achieve there, it’s a shocking look for the game and it just didn’t need to happen.”

Carlisle could be handed a fine or sent directly to the tribunal depending on what Michael Christian hands down after reviewing the incident.

The ugly moment brought back memories of St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt being targeted by Brisbane duo Mal Michael and Chris Scott.

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In the season opener, the Saints great injured his shoulder and it became a target for both men as they continually bumped and knocked it as he attempted to make his way to the bench. Riewoldt was later seen in tears on the bench with scans revealing he had fractured his collarbone.

Carlisle’s incident drew the ire of football fans watching on, many believing the hot-headed nature of the defender could end up costing St Kilda in the long run.

Jake Carlisle deliberately hitting Dane Rampe’s (broken) hand in a scuffle. Fair play because he’s crossed the white line? Poor form? Or both? #aflsaintsswans

— Andrew Wu (@wutube) August 1, 2020

Jake Carlisle, stuck in 2002 🤦🏻‍♂️

— Adam Curley (@AdamCurleyMedia) August 1, 2020

That's very on-brand from Jake Carlisle.

— Daniel Cherny 📰 (@DanielCherny) August 1, 2020

In the space of 2 minutes Jake Carlisle has:
- Deliberately made a play at Dane Rampe's broken hand outside of a footballing action
- After being correctly called as to not have marked, just dropped the ball away from the boundary ump
His attitude will cost the Saints at finals

— Geoff Koop (@GKoop93) August 1, 2020

The moment was the only lowlight on the night for the Saints as they marched on to record the comprehensive 15.11 (101) to 6.12 (48) victory at the Gabba.

It makes it three straight wins for the Saints and launches them into third spot on the ladder, sitting ahead of West Coast and only one game behind Brisbane and Port Adelaide.