Geelong defender Tom Stewart could be facing weeks on the side line after a vicious hit on Tigers midfielder Dion Prestia.
With five minutes left in the first quarter and trailing by seven points, Prestia had just tapped the ball back in-field when he was collected late by a charging Stewart, who appeared to be hit Prestia flush in the head with his shoulder.
In commentary for Fox Footy, Melbourne great Garry Lyon said the hit was as “clear-cut as we’ve seen for a while”.
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“He’ll be disappointed with that when he sees it, Tommy Stewart.”
Lyon said he expected Stewart to have at least a two-week holiday.
Lyon was also critical of the umpires’ decision – or lack of – to not stop the game while Prestia was being seen by medics. At one point the ball was kicked straight over the medic’s heads.
“It’s going back over his head … surely they stop the game. One of these umpires should surely take control of it,” he said.
“All we care about is Dion Prestia, but the Tigers are also one down. In terms of where the game sits the Richmond doctors should stop the game so they can even up.”
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Prestia was medically subbed out of the game at quarter time.
The first time Stewart touched the ball in the second quarter, he was met with a chorus of boos from the MCG crowd.
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