North Melbourne big man Tristan Xerri will be scrutinised by the AFL after appearing to wipe his own blood on the face of Essendon captain Andy McGrath.
In what was a fiery contest, Xerri kicked a goal from directly in front before McGrath ran straight up to him to remonstrate.
Players from both sides came in to form a fracas, at the centre of which was McGrath and Xerri, who puts his hand to his nose and then wipes it on McGrath’s left cheek.
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Xerri had been bleeding from his nose earlier in the second quarter.
“Oh, don’t do that, Tristan,” Garry Lyon said on Fox Sports.
“That’s what you don’t want to see in the game.”
The incident had shades of a clash between Collingwood champion Nathan Buckley and Geelong tagger Cameron Ling in 2002.
Buckley was suspended for one match for deliberately smearing blood from a cut eyebrow onto the guernsey of Ling in an attempt to force Ling from the field under the blood rule.
Xerri is set to be sent straight to the tribunal and could face a suspension of multiple weeks for serious misconduct.
Tristan Xerri wipes the blood from his nose on Andy McGrath. Credit: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images
In a first half littered with missed kicks, dropped marks and poor decision-making for both teams, the bizarre incident was the major talking point during a fiery clash that the Kangaroos won 12.9 (81) to 9.15 (69).
Outside of the Xerri incident, there was plenty to like for North Melbourne, who led at every change and looked the stronger side throughout.
Prime movers Luke Davies-Uniacke, Harry Sheezel and Colby McKercher were prolific through the midfield, while veteran Luke Parker continued his strong form in the back half.
The Bombers’ recent run of poor fortune continued, with warning signs evident from the first term.
At one end, Sam Durham allowed the first of Zane Duursma’s three first-half goals to sail through, giving up on the play while waiting for a holding-the-ball free kick that was never paid.
At the other, Saad El-Hawli found himself in a goal-line tangle with Luke Parker, with a goal going begging as the ball deflected off Parker’s head for a behind.
A Nate Caddy set shot from a tight angle outside 50 put the Bombers in front early in the second term, but the lead was short-lived.
While Essendon’s intensity and defensive system looked to have improved following back-to-back 10-goal losses in their opening two games, North Melbourne were still able to transition the ball from defence to attack with ease.
The Kangaroos kicked away to lead by 36 points at the final change, and while Essendon rallied in the last quarter to peg back the margin, they never looked like winning.
The victory was North Melbourne’s first win over Essendon since 2016, with the Bombers winning the previous 12 matches between the two clubs.
The loss marks Essendon’s 16th consecutive loss, and will do little to ease pressure on embattled coach Brad Scott
The Bombers have not won a game since the Dreamtime at the ‘G match against Richmond in round 11 last season.
With an Easter Sunday clash with the undefeated Western Bulldogs looming, Essendon look likely to extend their current losing streak to 17, tying a club record set in 2016.
