Jetta's season takes a nosedive
AFL: Essendon small forward Leroy Jetta has claimed the dubious honour of being the first AFL player ever to be charged with staging.
Friday 25 May 2012, 05:31PM
Jetta faces a written reprimand, but no other penalty for his over-reaction to a bump from Richmond defender Steven Morris last Saturday night (May 19) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Match review panel chairman Mark Fraser reportedly described the behaviour as “unsportsmanlike”, and Jetta now faces a A$1600 (B50,000) fine if he re-offends.
He had just kicked a goal in the second term when he ran up to Morris, who reacted by bumping him.
The Essendon forward theatrically dropped to the ground as he tried to milk a free kick from the minor incident.
“Leroy Jetta falls to the ground and then holds his face and we believe this is unsportsmanlike in nature and worthy of a charge of staging,” Fraser told the AFL website.
It came a week after the match review panel assessed St Kilda utility Brendon Goddard for the same offence, but did not charge him.
The league introduced staging as an offence at the start of the 2010 season.
