‘Peanut umpires’ comment to be looked at after Saints coach lashes out at grand final umpires

ANTHONY Vallejo concedes his post grand final comments on “peanut umpires’’ were a poor choice of words

St Mary's coach Anthony Vallejo could be hot water over his “Peanut umpires’ comment. Picture GLENN CAMPBELL

ANTHONY Vallejo concedes his post grand final comments on “peanut umpires’’ were a poor choice of words.

The first year St Mary’s coach’s personal appraisal of the umpiring in his side’s 13-point loss to Nightcliff will be reviewed by the league’s match review panel today.

“I apologise if I have hurt anyone’s feeling and in hindsight I probably shouldn’t have called them that,’’ Vallejo told the NT News.

“There were obviously some decisions made in the last quarter and throughout the game that were 50-50.

“But it’s been brought to my attention there are better ways of bringing up any grievances, particularly with the umpires after the game and various official channels.’’

Vallejo said the post-match emotion associated with a loss in a fiercely contested grand final and the end of a long journey for the footy club after its financial dramas and first wooden spoon 12 months ago.

“The word I used was “bashed’’ through social media outlets about what’s been happening,’’ he said.

AFLNT boss Stuart Totham was both surprised and disappointed by Vallejo’s comments.

“We at the league hold Anthony in the highest regard,’’ Totham said.

“He’s been a really strong contributor across junior coaching with the NT Schoolboys, NT Thunder and now St Mary’s, which leaves us extremely disappointed with his comments.

“The footy operations team will review them and have a look at how they relate to our own code of conduct.’’

The league tribunal and match review panel will be kept busy this week with two reports already submitted and several incidents that will be looked at.

Nightcliff’s Michael Hagan was reported for head butting Saints’ Nick Yarran in the third quarter and St Mary’s ruckman Ryan Smith late in the last quarter for abusive language.