AFL dodges response over ‘ridiculous’ Dion Prestia moment slammed by Richmond legend Matthew Richardson
League headquarter has chosen to let slide a bizarre passage of play that has AFL greats furious.
Harrison Reid
7news
30 June 2022
The AFL has refused to comment whether play should have been stopped while Dion Prestia was dazed and concussed on the ground during the Tigers’ thriller with the Cats on Saturday.
Tom Stewart was sent directly to the tribunal for a sickening hit that floored Prestia and has accepted his four-game ban.
While Prestia is believed to be recovering well, he was in serious trouble immediately after the hit and struggled to find his feet as trainers rushed in.
The footage that followed was hard to watch as the umpires made the bizarre decision to let play continue around Prestia, who was seeing stars.
When asked by 7NEWS.com.au why play wasn’t stopped, or if it was the correct decision to let play continue, an AFL spokesperson said the league was choosing not to comment.
Richmond legend Matthew Richardson told 7NEWS.com.au he couldn’t believe that play wasn’t stopped in the extreme circumstances.
“That was just ridiculous,” he said.
“Let’s be honest here, how can you have play going on when a player is distressed on the ground like that? We’ve got to have some common sense there – mainly for Dion Prestia and his health and well-being.”
The umpires’ first opportunity to stop play came just seconds after the hit, with Jack Graham being awarded a free kick just metres from Prestia.
But play wasn’t stopped and the ball went over Prestia’s head twice as subsequent opportunities to stop play came when marks were taken by Dylan Grimes and Tom Hawkins, all within kicking distance of Prestia who was yet to find his feet.
Ricahrdson said the risk to Prestia’s safety was clearly the main concern, but another element was the almost two minutes during which Geelong had one extra active player on the ground - from the moment Prestia was hit to when Cats forward Tyson Stengle made the Tigers pay with a crucial goal.
“It penalised Richmond,” Richardson told 7NEWS.com.au.
“They were playing 17 on 18 for what felt like a couple of minutes, and Tyson Stengle kicks a goal while Prestia’s lying on the ground.
“Play had to be stopped there – that’s just ridiculous that Richmond could be penalised like that.
“If we can’t have a game where the umpire can blow the whistle and say, ‘We have to stop the game’ when the ball is still near a guy in the state that Prestia was in – there is no common sense in that.”
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