Essendon’s Peter Wright is facing a nervous wait, with Jack Riewoldt declaring the Bombers forward is “in trouble” after a concerning incident involving Sydney’s Harry Cunningham.
Cunningham was left briefly motionless on the ground after what Cameron Ling described in commentary for Channel 7 as a “huge collision” with Wright early in the first quarter.
In this case, Wright initially looked to be contesting for the ball before bracing for contact later and collecting Cunningham high in the process.
Sydney players took exception to Wright’s actions, racing in as both teams came together while the stretcher was later brought out to help Cunningham from the field.
Fortunately Cunningham was later conscious and moving, at one point sitting up on the stretcher and then able to walk off on his own power after being subbed out of the game.
Attention then turned to what sort of action may be taken against Wright, with Ling saying he
would have a “big case to answer for” from the MRO.
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“It was a huge hit,” the Geelong premiership winner said.
“A huge collision. Straight away everyone on the ground knew Cunningham was in a lot of trouble.
“I don’t think it’s going to matter if it was a football act and play on the ball. I think with the way everything shifted over the off-season with Brayden Maynard, I don’t think the AFL are going to care if it was a football act or not.
“I think they’re going to put the responsibility onto Peter Wright there and say he turned, bumped and got a player on the head and concussed him. I think he’s going to end up with a big case to answer for.
“I am [expecting several weeks] because of the shift in off-season. I think when you go back to last year and Brayden Maynard got off … I think it’ll be different this time round and he’ll get weeks.”
Retired Richmond champion Jack Riewoldt, meanwhile, agreed that Wright would likely “be in trouble” for his involvement in the collision, although he added it would be “interesting” to see how the MRO viewed the incident.
“He is [in trouble],” Riewoldt said on Fox Footy.
“It’s a bit of an unfortunate one for Peter Wright. [He had his] eyes on the ball and all of a sudden something is coming out of his peripherals and he braces for contact.
“The AFL we know, these sort of aerial contests where there is head-high contact, have changed the way they look at these, obviously off the Maynard-Brayshaw incident in last year’s finals. I think he’s going to be in trouble.”
Source Agencies
