Xerri Copped Three-Week AFL Ban for “Disgraceful” Blood Wipe on McGrath
North Melbourne’s Tristan Xerri has been handed a three-game AFL suspension following a serious misconduct charge, with the tribunal acknowledging his remorse played a significant role in preventing a harsher penalty. The incident, which saw Xerri wipe blood from his nose onto the face of Essendon captain Andrew McGrath, was labelled “disgraceful behaviour” by tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson KC.
The severity of the suspension was the sole point of contention at Monday’s tribunal hearing. While the AFL pushed for a three-game ban, North Melbourne argued for a two-game suspension. Ultimately, the tribunal sided with the AFL, handing down the three-week penalty.
Gleeson KC highlighted the shocking visual nature of the act, noting that Xerri’s hand was in close proximity to McGrath’s open mouth. “The ‘look’ of the act is quite shocking,” he stated. However, the tribunal also recognised Xerri’s candid and remorseful evidence, which they described as “impressive.”
Crucially, Xerri admitted in his testimony that there was indeed blood on his hand, a detail not immediately apparent from the video footage. This admission, coupled with his early plea and “candid and remorseful evidence,” was credited by the tribunal. “If not for Mr Xerri’s early plea and his impressive, candid and remorseful evidence, we may have considered a sanction of more than three weeks as appropriate,” Gleeson explained.
Xerri will now miss several key fixtures for the Kangaroos, including the highly anticipated Good Friday clash against Carlton, followed by matches against Brisbane and Richmond.
The incident occurred during North Melbourne’s 12-point victory over Essendon, an event that unfortunately overshadowed the team’s win. Xerri was directly referred to the tribunal for the serious misconduct. He described the bizarre episode as a “brain fade” during his evidence.
Xerri’s Account and Apology
Throwing himself at the mercy of the tribunal, Xerri recounted the events leading up to the incident. It transpired after the North Melbourne big man had complained to an umpire about a blood nose, subsequently kicking a goal and then clashing physically with McGrath. Xerri then touched his bleeding nose and proceeded to wipe his hand on McGrath’s face.
In the aftermath, Xerri reportedly called McGrath to apologise. He stated during his evidence that it was a positive conversation and that he was “completely owning” his mistake. Xerri claimed his reaction was a result of being sledged by Essendon opponents after kicking a free-kick goal.
“I was getting called a ‘weak c-word’, a ‘effing, flopping c-word’,” he revealed. “It’s not right what I did. I’m sorry and sincerely apologise for that. It was just a lapse in judgment. There’s no excuses, mate. It’s a poor look. I had a brain fade. I was defending myself and in that moment I had a brain fade. I should have done better.”
The incident drew widespread condemnation leading up to the tribunal hearing. AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon commented on Sunday, stating it was “something that we don’t want to see.”
North Melbourne attempted to draw parallels with previous cases, citing instances where players like Nathan Buckley and Jeremy Howe received one-game bans for similar actions of wiping blood on opponents’ uniforms. However, Gleeson distinguished these cases, deeming them “quite significantly less serious” than Xerri’s offence.
Other Tribunal News
In separate tribunal news on Monday, West Coast recruit Deven Robertson was offered a one-game ban for a rough conduct charge related to a dangerous tackle on Port Adelaide star Zak Butters. The incident highlights the AFL’s ongoing efforts to address player safety and conduct on the field.
