Tristan Xerri explains blood-wiping act as AFL tribunal hands down three-match ban

North Melbourne ruck Tristan Xerri has been handed a three-match suspension for wiping blood on the face of Essendon captain Andy McGrath.

Xerri was charged with serious misconduct and sent straight to the tribunal for the ugly incident during Saturday night’s clash at Marvel Stadium.

The 27-year-old rang McGrath to apologise for his actions the day after the Kangaroos’ win over the Bombers, and also addressed the entire playing group.

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Xerri faced the tribunal on Monday night and pleaded guilty, as well as giving evidence.

He said there was no excuse for what he did, but added that was called a series of names in the lead-up to the incident.

Minutes before it happened, Xerri had given away a 50m penalty and then been bowled over by two Essendon players, including McGrath. He was slow to get up from the clash that caused the blood nose.

“I was quite displeased with the names I was being called … I was getting called an ‘effing c-word’, a ‘flopping c-word’,” he said.

Xerri said he “wanted to show them he was bleeding”, but admitted it was a “brain fade” in the heat of the moment.

“There’s no excuses. It’s a poor look and I had a brain fade,” he said.

“I extracted the blood to show them (Essendon) I was bleeding. That was my intention.

“It wasn’t my intention to get the blood to put on his face. I was defending myself and in that moment, I just had a brain fade and did what I did, I know better. I should’ve done better.

“It’s not right what I did. I’m sorry and I sincerely apologise for that.”

The AFL asked for a three-match penalty, while the Kangaroos argued for a two-match ban.

The tribunal deliberated for over 30 minutes before settling on three matches. They described the act as “disgraceful”.

“The appearance or the look of the act is quite shocking. On any view, the act qualifies as serious misconduct,” the tribunal said in its findings.

“We also take into account the fact that Xerri pleaded guilty to the serious misconduct charge and made no attempt whatsoever than to minimise the nature of his conduct.

“Xerri’s evidence was impressive. He stated that he suffered a lapse in judgment, but that there were no excuses. He said that he suffered a brain fade, and that he knows better and should have done better.

“We have viewed all of the video evidence and taking that into account, together with Xerri’s evidence, it is clear that he had suffered a blow to the face and that he was upset at being taunted for having staged or flopped.

“It is of some significance that Xerri admitted that there was blood on his hand, despite the fact that the vision did not clearly show this to be the case.

“Although the vision did clearly show that Xerri’s nose was bleeding and that he wiped his nose with his hand before touching McGrath’s face, the concession Xerri made goes to his credit.

“We also note that Xerri took it upon himself to speak to his doctor about the medical aspects of his conduct. In the end, however, we are of the view that this serious misconduct warrants a suspension of three matches.”

A remorseful Xerri fronted the media after the hearing, apologising for his actions again.

Xerri will miss the Good Friday clash against Carlton, as well as matches against Brisbane and Richmond.

The incident unfolded after Xerri had just kicked a goal and then got into a scuffle with McGrath and other Essendon players.

He then wiped his nose, which had been bleeding, multiple times before wiping his finger on McGrath’s cheek.

Saturday night’s incident has received widespread condemnation, with AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon on Sunday saying it’s “something that we don’t want to see.”

The incident had shades of a clash between Collingwood champion Nathan Buckley and Geelong tagger Cameron Ling in 2002.

Buckley was suspended for one match for deliberately smearing blood from a cut eyebrow onto the guernsey of Ling in an attempt to force Ling from the field under the blood rule.

Ling on Sunday recalled there was “no malice” in the Buckley incident, but declared Xerri’s action unacceptable in the modern game.