Richmond star Dustin Martin was extremely lucky to have his ban downgraded, according to Kane Cornes and Malcolm Blight.
Martin was cited for striking GWS’ Adam Kennedy off the ball in Round 3 last Saturday and as a result was handed a two-week suspension by Match Review Officer (MRO) Michael Christian.
On Tuesday night, the sanction was cut in half to one week by the AFL Tribunal after the Tigers appealed but that decision does not sit well with Cornes.
“It’s one of the dirtier things I’ve seen on a football field,” Cornes said on SEN SA Breakfast.
“If that is only worthy of a one-week suspension? I’m not happy with that.
“I think there needs to be some room for feel in the game and I think Michael Christian got that one spot one.”
Cornes referenced Martin’s teammate Dylan Grimes who received a one-week suspension for his forearm to the head of Collingwood’s Jamie Elliott in Round 2.
“I was disappointed that (Martin) got downgraded from two to one because it wasn’t the same as what Grimes did to Elliott, which was in play, it was high,” he added.
“This was behind the ball, 100 metres off the ball and had the ability to cause significant injury.
“So for that to be only one week is disappointing.”
Blight was also critical of the Tribunal’s decision to reduce the penalty.
“I think he’s a very lucky boy,” he said on SEN’s Whateley.
“Elbows have no part in our game whatsoever and I think that the tribunal got it wrong.
“It should have kept the two weeks.”
Regarding Martin's reaction to Matt de Boer's tagging job, Blight feels it is a part of the Brownlow Medallist's game he must improve so he doesn’t lash out again.
“I didn’t think there was too much untoward (from de Boer),” he added.
“In fact, Dusty threw another elbow at one stage and probably should have got a week for that.
“If that’s what you are going to start doing, that means they’ve got you, so he’s got to learn another approach.”
