Another Brisbane player was caught taunting Melbourne forward Harrison Petty with a “crybaby face” in what has become an ugly, ongoing trend.
Lions defender Noah Answerth was pictured on camera shoving and then making a crying face at Petty in the last term at the MCG after the Demons forward missed a shot at goal. At this point, the Lions were up by seven goals.
Dayne Zorko and Harrison Petty shake hands after Thursday’s game.Credit: Getty
Answerth’s actions appeared to be a reference to teammate Dayne Zorko’s unsavoury sledge in 2022, which left Petty in tears.
Zorko told ABC radio after Thursday night’s victory that he would speak to Answerth.
“I’ll probably go have a word to him, that’s obviously not the way we want to win,” Zorko said. “Heat of the moment stuff happens. I’m sure he’d have fixed it up after the game.”
It was Zorko who came under fire two years ago when he allegedly made an “over the top” comment relating to a member of Petty’s family. The then Brisbane captain later apologised, but said it “wasn’t an unprovoked sledge”.
The matter had appeared settled when the Demons accepted Zorko and the Lions’ apology post-game and the AFL chose on Saturday not to intervene or punish Zorko.
Zorko went on SEN on Wednesday to attempt to express his remorse and admit he got it wrong, but was keen to outline there was back-and-forth sledging between the two teams.
“It was an intense game. From the first bounce there was to-ing and fro-ing from both sides of the fence. Players across the field stepped up to the line all game, and I acknowledge that I certainly crossed that,” he said.
McCarthy and Petty also had an altercation during the 2022 semi-final between the two sides when the Lions forward was clearly seen mocking Petty for crying.
Jack Viney of the Demons tackled by Jarrod Berry of the Lions.Credit: Getty
Both coaches, Lions’ Chris Fagin and Demons’ Simon Goodwin, said they didn’t see the incident on Thursday night, and declined to comment.
It was a sour note in Brisbane’s comprehensive 22-point win over top-four side Melbourne to notch their first back-to-back wins this season, after downing 17th-placed North Melbourne the week prior.
Key defender Jack Payne said it was he was impressed with his side, who “played unbelievably well”.
“I thought the way we played tonight was pretty much the same as how we played last week. Some of our chase, our pressure was unreal and we forced Melbourne to cough it [the ball] up a lot of the time,” said Payne.
Lions tall forwards Joe Daniher and Eric Hipwood both fired early with two opening terms goals, and exciting goalscorer Charlie Cameron finished the night with four majors.
“It was great to watch from our end,” said Payne. “They were coming out of the centre square and each time the boys chased them high and came forward and put the pressure on. And obviously, we were able to rebound the other way and kick a lot of goals from that momentum. So, yeah, unreal”.
Goodwin conceded Brisbane beat them “in all phases of the game”.
“They were stronger, they were cleaner, they transitioned the ball better and they defended better,” said Goodwin.
“So, that makes the game pretty tough. So, for us, we walk away and we’ve got some work to do.”
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