‘Put him in a headlock’: Mark Ricciuto comes clean on infamous pub brawl

A legend of South Australian footy has lifted the lid on one of the most infamous brawls in AFL history, and how he feels about it today.

“I won’t be putting him in a headlock, that’s for sure.”

Mark Ricciuto knows a thing or two about Showdowns and the AFL great is fired up for the 57th edition of the bitter clash between the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide on Saturday night, exclusive on Fox Footy and Kayo.

Port are coming off a 90-point loss but Ricciuto believes form goes out the window in Showdowns, where there is no shortage of feistiness, as the Crows legend and Fox Footy expert knows all too well.

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Ricciuto was involved in an famous fight the day after Port Adelaide won the 2002 Showdown by eight points — the Power’s fourth Showdown victory in a row — when players from both teams kicked on to Adelaide’s Ramsgate Hotel.

Kane Cornes lifted the lid on the infamous pub brawl in 2020, telling AFL Media Ricciuto and hard nosed Port midfielder Josh Carr went at each other in one of footy’s most legendary off-field scuffles.

“A conversation struck up between Mark Ricciuto and Josh Carr when ‘Roo’ asked Josh Carr if (he) could please join him outside,” Cornes recalled.

Josh Carr (middle left blue jersey) and Mark Ricciuto (with ball) clashed in countless AFL Showdowns.

“Now Josh Carr was unaware of why Mark Ricciuto wanted him to join him outside of the establishment. But in the end, we know what happened.

“There was some sort of push and shove. Mark Ricciuto says that he chucked Josh Carr over the bonnet of a car. Certainly from the people that I’ve spoken to, there was a serious headlock placed by Ricciuto on Carr, which forced some of Carr’s teammates from Port Adelaide to come over quickly and try and sort this out, because they were worried Carr was going to get strangled.

Ricciuto chuckled when asked about the incident and his feelings towards Carr, who will take over Ken Hinkley as Port Adelaide’s head coach next season, meaning the old foes will face off again when Ricciuto interviews Carr on Fox Footy.

“I will not be interviewing him (Carr) in a headlock, that’s for sure,” Ricciuto told news.com.au.

“But we’ve got a lot of respect for each other. ‘Carr-y’ is a great fella.

“I didn’t like him at all during my playing career. I didn’t like any taggers to be honest when I was in my playing career, but as soon as I finished, there’s always a mutual respect, you just don’t show it while you’re playing.

Ricciuto on the bottom of a pack with Josh Carr (right) in the 2002 Showdown at Footy Park.

“You probably pretend you hate him even more than what you really do and then afterwards you kiss and make up and you do that with everyone. Well, I have anyway.

“I’m friends with everyone from Port Adelaide. I don’t think I’ve got any enemies, that I know of anyway.”

Ricciuto said time heals all wounds and he wishes nothing but the best for Carr as he becomes a senior AFL coach.

“He’s a ripping fellow and I wish him all the best in his coaching career,” Ricciuto said.

“I think it’s a great story for Josh to come from where he’s come from and to be the next coach of the footy club. I think that’s awesome.”

‘YOU GO OUT THERE TRYING TO HURT PEOPLE’

Showdowns can be seriously fiery contests where players push the line, as was seen last year when Port’s Dan Houston bumped Crows star Izak Rankine and knocked him out cold.

“I’m sure Dan Houston didn’t try and knock out Izak Rankine last year,” Ricciuto said.

“I’m sure what Houston was trying to do was be tough and put his body on the line for his teammates. That’s what he was trying do, he got it slightly wrong. That’s what happens.

“So it’s a fine line and that’s why we love the game.”

Port Adelaide's Josh Carr then and now.

The 1998 Crows premiership winner added: “A Showdown is like any big game like a final, grand final — you’ve got to be careful of doing is not amping it up too much.

“I’ve absolutely been guilty of that where you get amped up to the eyeballs and you go out there and trying to kill or hurt people and you give away stupid free kicks, and you do the exact opposite of what you really want to do.

“So it’s a balance between channeling all your energy and nerves into what you got to do is put all that at the at the ball.

“That’s the balance and sometimes, yeah that spills over.”

Mark Ricciuto knows Showdowns can get feisty.

Port’s Conor Rozee and Adelaide’s Jordan Dawson with the Showdown Shield. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

Ricciuto is a longstanding member of Fox Footy’s commentary team as well as a Crows board member, and he’s used to receiving a fruity reception from fans of both Adelaide teams.

“I‘ve been doing it (commentating) since the day I retired, so I’m pretty good at it, I think,” Ricciuto said.

“If this is an indication of being unbiased or neutral, I do get abused by both sets of supporters.

“So if I check my Twitter or X account and I get abused by both sets of supporters then you know you’ve been pretty neutral.”

As for this weekend’s Showdown, Ricciuto is tipping “the Crows by a point”.

Watch the Adelaide Crows vs Port Adelaide in the AFL Showdown, live and exclusive on Kayo Sports on Saturday at 8.10pm AEST and 7.40pm local time.

Originally published as ‘Put him in a headlock’: Mark Ricciuto comes clean on infamous pub brawl