MRO a “chook lotto”

This morning on SEN Breakfast Richmond assistant coach Justin Leppitsch has compared the Match Review Officer to a “chook lotto”.

The comment came after Richmond player Ivan Soldo was given a one-match ban for elbowing Hawthorn’s James Worpel in the head.

The incident is similar to a couple of recent  Gary Ablett and Nat Fyfe incidents, where both players got off without suspension.

Leppitsch confirmed the club would challenge the ban.

“The powerbrokers … were of the opinion (that) there is enough evidence, I guess recently, that guys who has done similar things have got off,” Leppitsch said on SEN Breakfast.

“At times I think we think we all feel like it’s a chook lotto at times. You just don’t know what you’re going to get.

“We’ll go appeal it, we think there is enough evidence there and we will see what they say.”

Rhys Mathieson, Travis Varcoe and Lewis Jetta were all offered one match bans yesterday for their conduct over the weekend, while Carlton’s Dale Thomas has been referred straight to tonight’s tribunal after being charged with abusing an umpire.

In a surprise to some GWS ruckman Shane Mumford went unpunished for his bump on Carlton’s Marc Murphy which left the midfielder with suspected broken ribs.

Carey lets loose on former club

North Melbourne champion Wayne Carey did not hold back when assessing the form of the Kangaroos on Talking Footy last night.

After losing to an inexperienced Sydney side over the weekend, the former club great believes the Roos have “gone backwards” and are a “shambles” at the moment.

“They have gone backwards terribly since last year, we know what they did last year and maybe it was a fake ninth, they weren’t that good,” Carey said.

“But to go down to Tassie, play a team less experienced, and as we saw there… they’re a shambles, the Kangaroos right now are a shambles.”

The Kangaroos currently sit in seventeenth place on two wins and seven losses.

Essendon star set for season-ending surgery

Reigning Essendon Best and Fairest winner, Devon Smith is set to undergo a knee operation which will likely end his season.

The injury occurred in the Bombers round eight loss to the Swans.

Coach John Worsfold confirmed the news to reporters this morning, saying that the forward is likely to have an issue with his posterior cruciate ligament operated on as well.

“The understanding we have is that he saw his surgeon last night and he will require surgery to fix his knee. He’s got an acute injury, which has just happened, and he’s also got his long-standing PCL injury that he’s had for a couple of years,” Worsfold said to reporters on Tuesday.

“We’re just waiting on clarity around if they’re going to fix both at the same time. That sounds like it’s the way it’s going to go, but we’ll release something that’s more clear this afternoon.

“If he has the PCL fixed as well, the old injury corrected, then that’s a six-month downtime.”

Photo: Ivan Soldo, by Nick DustyNail available HERE and used under a Creative Commons Attribution. The image has not been modified.