Essendon skipper Dyson Heppell has hit back at criticism from club legend Matthew Lloyd over the team’s lack of response after star midfielder Dylan Shiel was mocked.
Lloyd was left incensed with the vision of Sydney Swans midfielder Luke Parker poking fun at Shiel’s attack on the football, and said he wished Shiel or another Bomber had “ploughed straight through” the Swans star in retaliation.
Heppell was visibly frustrated when shown the vision of Parker’s taunt, saying he’d not seen it, but said an undisciplined response would not have helped the situation.
READ MORE: Gould reveals ‘very raw’ phone call to Trent Barrett
READ MORE: Darren Berry’s heartbreaking link to Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds
READ MORE: ‘Scared’ F1 star crashes iconic ex-Niki Lauda Ferrari
“Look, Lloydy’s got every right to say that, no doubt. Everyone has their own opinion, that’s fine, but does he want Dylan to plough through someone, give away a free kick, give away a 50-metre penalty and then another goal? In this day and age free kicks are given away so quickly,” Heppell told Fox Footy’s On The Couch.
“The hardness and the firmness and what you’re talking about, being a ‘nice’ football team, it’s not about giving away free kicks or showing full-blown aggression.
“It’s when the ball is there to be won, that’s what we want to stand for, playing good quality tough footy.”
Heppell’s comments followed that of Bombers star Andy McGrath admitting he and his teammates should’ve stood up for Shiel, something the skipper agreed with.
“Yeah, no doubt (there needs to be a response), if they’re aware of it,” he said.
“By the looks of it, everyone seemed to be oblivious to it. I had no idea it was happening in the moment. I hadn’t even seen the vision, that was the first time.
“If you’re aware of it in the moment I have no doubt teammates will go straight over and help and support.”
Heppell said the moment would be brought up in Essendon’s match review meeting on Tuesday, and shed light on what his message to his teammates would be.
“It’s the reinforcement of absolutely we support our teammates if the moment’s there and the moment’s right, but I’m not going to go in there and say sling Parker to the ground and give away a free kick, that does us no favours,” he said.
“Our brand and our identity wants to be where we’re playing within the rules, but we’re playing hard and tough.”
When presented with Heppell’s comments, Lloyd reiterated that a retaliation to the Parker taunt did not necessarily mean being undisciplined.
“When I say ‘plough through’, you can still hit hard. I don’t know where a 50m penalty and a goal comes from – they still lost by 12 goals anyway,” he told 3AW’s Sportsday.
“Dyson was pretty defensive, everyone is entitled to their option.
“I know it’s a different game and different era, but I didn’t see anyone hunt the ball harder afterwards either.”