North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson has encouraged umpires to be more careful about “getting milked” for free kicks following a pair of controversial off-the-ball situations featuring serial Western Bulldogs pest Cody Weightman, which resulted in goals for the Dogs at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
The first came seconds before quartertime, with North trailing by barely three points. Kangaroos rookie Jackson Archer was penalized far off the ball for allegedly catching Weightman too high, but TV replays revealed Archer barely touched the Bulldog’s ponytail.
Weightman took the free kick 25m out in front and made no mistake.
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Just before three-quarter time, Weightman was back in the middle of the action. After teammate Adam Treloar grabbed a mark 50 metres out on the boundary line, North defender Aidan Corr pushed Weightman with minor power, but the umpire was drawn in when the Bulldogs forward played up the contact.
Treloar received a 50m penalty, making a very difficult shot on goal a certainty.
Clarkson regarded the occurrences as “quite costly” in a game with just 20 goals and a final margin of 17 points.
“It is frustrating, but the umps are making decisions on what they think they see and so you’ve just got to abide by what transpires on the ground,” Clarkson told reporters afterwards.
“But it’s a close game, and goals come at a high cost.
“So we need to work out with our own players, or is contact unnecessary?” There is a lot of contact between players, and the umpires need to be very aware of how much their free kicks are being milked when they are in that part of the ground.”
The setback concluded an unpleasant 48-hour stretch for the Kangaroos, who lost young gun George Wardlaw to a concussion at training on Thursday, and because to the timing of his entry into protocols, the midfielder will miss at least two games rather than the typical one.
“I think he’s okay. “It’s just so unfortunate,” Clarkson explained.
“To improve in football, we play a confrontational game, and every time players go out for a training session, they are putting themselves at risk because they must prepare well for the game.
“We initially thought he just hurt his shoulder but he just complained of a bit of daziness [sic] from the contact.”
Zac Fisher had to be replaced due to a lower leg injury after an opportunistic performance in which he had 22 touches from only 43% of the game time, although Clarkson was optimistic it was on the “minor” side of things.
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Reed Mahoney has taken over Michael Ennis’ job at the Bulldogs, getting under the skin of opposing players and becoming a serial pest on the field.
However, Billy Slater believes that the top hooker does not need to be an aggressor or niggler, and has advised him to “tidy that side of things up”.
Mahoney has been involved in a number controversial incidents in recent weeks, including a confrontation in the tunnel with Knights enforcer Jack Hetherington.
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Mahoney was involved in another altercation over the weekend, this time receiving a headbutt from Tigers forward Alex Seyfarth.
Alex Seyfarth was sin-binned for a headbutt on Reed Mahoney. Fox League
The match review committee has since charged Canterbury’s dummy-half with contrary conduct, as well as a further charge of dangerous throwing against the Tigers.
Speaking on Nine’s The Billy Slater Podcast, the rugby league star urged the 26-year-old to keep the nonsense out of his game and concentrate on his football.
“It has sort of crept into his game a little bit,” Slater told me.
“He doesn’t need that; he’s an excellent player and a fierce little competitor. He is a smart No. 9 and an excellent defender. He doesn’t need that kind of stuff in his game.
“It’s starting to make headlines about him as a player, which you don’t want.
“I’m sure he will tidy that side of things up.”
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Mahoney is an important member of the Belmore squad and has previously led the team, but his on-field antics have divided fans in recent weeks.
Slater’s criticism was echoed by Andrew Johns on Nine’s The Sunday Footy Show, who encouraged the hooker to consider his long-term legacy.
“Reed Mahoney’s coming in third man and it’s a couple of times he has done it this year, to agitate and carry on, because there’s no fear of being punched in the head,” added the player.
Reed Mahoney and Alex Seyfarth were involved in a brawl in round nine. Getty
“There’s no natural justice on the field, no penalties, and little lads running up to big blokes and carrying on and getting in their faces irritates me.
“Reed is a really kind man, but you’re going to end your career, and you don’t want your legacy to be that he was an agitator, worm, or nuisance. He’s too strong to accomplish it.
“He’s a tough player, he rips in defensively, he doesn’t need to do this absolute rubbish.”
While it’s a tight line that players like Ennis and Will Chambers mostly walked and exploited to their benefit during their careers, Slater argued that Mahoney doesn’t need to be the agitator and stir up opposing players.
Slater cautioned that the Bulldogs will be worse off without his offensive threats if he is sidelined, whether through suspension or the sin bin, as they compete for a berth in the NRL playoffs this season.
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