"Rose coloured glasses": Former Demon disputes Riewoldt's take on dangerous Tiger actBy Jaiden Sciberras
SEN
30 March 2025Richmond forward Rhyan Mansell is expected to be ruled out for three weeks following a nasty shove that left St Kilda rookie Liam O’Connell with concussion.
The 24-year-old Tiger pushed O’Connell into oncoming traffic as the ball sailed overhead, leaving the Irish recruit vulnerable to the momentum of Tiger forward Tom Lynch, collecting his head en route to the football.
While the AFL intends to crack down on the action, former Tiger and Fox Footy analyst Jack Riewoldt believes that Rhyan Mansell may have a case to argue.
“I think quietly, Richmond will be seething about this if it does go down the three-match suspension,” Riewoldt told Fox Footy.
“If I’m Richmond, I’m manning a case. Could he foresee (the traffic)?
“He is engaging his opponent, does he know that that contest is coming behind him?
“The event is the other part that Michael Christian (MRO) spoke about, is the event the contest coming through, or is it the fact that Tom Lynch’s elbow collects young Liam O’Connell?
“I think there is enough grey area here - is Mansell to know that this contest is coming?
“I think there is a moment in there where Mansell is still engaged with O’Connell and his eyes are locked with him, that there is enough of a case to go to the tribunal and go ‘well maybe he is not to foresee that the contest is actually coming.”
SEN’s David Schwarz believes that the action of pushing a player into oncoming traffic has become far too common in the game, contending with Riewoldt’s opinion of a supposed case against suspension.
“There’s two things creeping into football at the moment,” the Ox told SEN’s Point of View.
“It’s causing real concern and players are going to get injured.
“There is the tunnelling aspect, where players' legs are being taken and they’ve got nowhere to land other than on their back or on their head, which is happening and there are very few free kicks being called.
“The other one is pushing players into a contest to try and free up, especially when there is oncoming traffic.
“I heard Jack Riewoldt try to justify why this was happening, but there is no justification.
“If you are pushing players into oncoming traffic, it is dangerous and you’ve got a duty of care.
“You cannot have the rose coloured glasses on, and Jack is going to learn that over the next few years that if he is going to stay in the media, that you cannot have those lenses on.
“If you want credibility, you cannot defend that. That is a three-week offence.
“There is no excuse with this. It is dangerous, it is high impact, it’s very reckless.”
The MRO will review the action, with findings to be revealed on Sunday night.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2025/03/30/rose-coloured-glasses-former-demon-disputes-riewoldts-take-on-dangerous
