Hawthorn forward Nick Watson caught doing obscene gesture towards Richmond fans

One of the young stars at the Hawks has become the latest player fined for an obscene gesture towards the crowd. Watch the video here.

Hawthorn young gun Nick Watson has become the latest AFL player fined for an obscene finger gesture, slapped with a $1000 bill after footage emerged of him flipping the bird to the Richmond cheer squad on Sunday.

In a growing trend this year, the Hawks goalsneak was the third player to cop a fine this season for the finger salute, joining Bailey Smith (who has been fined twice) and Harley Reid.

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Footage filmed from the crowd and shared on social media showed Watson giving the middle finger to Tigers fans as the three quarter-time siren sounded and players headed towards their team huddles.

Watson presented the finger on his left hand twice, while also shaking his fist towards the Tiger army, and seemingly pointing to the scoreboard in what appeared to be retaliation to some by-play from beyond the fence.

The Hawks were up by 49 points at the time, and would win the game by 65.

Watson can pay the $1000 with an early guilty plea, and will have to fork out another $1875 with an early plea for being part of a massive melee in the second quarter of Sunday’s game.

Watson was one of six Hawks fined, and Blake Hardwick was fined twice, while eight Tigers were also asked to pay up for the brawl.

Lke Watson, Geelong midfielder Smith’s penalty came after footage was posted on social media of him retaliating to Crows fans with a double bird in the player race during Gather Round.

Smith later explained he was sticking up for captain Patrick Dangerfield, who copped abuse on his way to the changerooms.

Nick Watson gestures to the crowd. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos/via Getty Images.

Fines for the gesture are handed out on a rising scale, with Smith first fined $1000 with an early guilty plea, then hit with a $1875 bill for his second offence, which came on Easter Monday against Hawthorn.

That rising scale is in place to deter repeat offenders.

West Coast youngster Reid was fined $1000 for his salute in March.

Match review officer Michael Christian revealed in March that the league protocol was for the AFL to contact the club and player to understand why they made the gesture before a fine is issued, even if it is labelled an ‘obscene gesture’ in the regular list of match review penalties.

The fine is not issued by Christian as part of his duties, but by the AFL’s football department.

Former Richmond player Marlion Pickett was caught flipping the bird to Geelong fans in June last year, but he was not fined.

Originally published as Hawthorn forward Nick Watson caught doing obscene gesture towards Richmond fans