Collingwood’s clash with the Gold Coast has descended into chaos with a shock all-in melee at half time after Pies star Brayden Maynard was dropped off the ball.
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But what followed “could be the dumbest thing we’ve seen for the year” as Maynard is now staring down the barrel of a hefty suspension for his brain fade contact with an umpire amid the scrap.
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The drama started late in the second term when Sun Bailey Humphrey put his head down and won a free kick in the tackle of Maynard and teammate Darcy Cameron.
After Humphrey kicked the goal to bring Gold Coast back within 12 points, Maynard ran at the Sun – as Gold Coast’s Ben Long came in from the side, catching the Pies defender under his ribs.
That left Maynard lying on the People First Stadium turf as teammates came from everywhere to remonstrate. And that wasn’t the end of the drama as seconds later, an all-in fight started.
The moment in question where Ben Long makes contact with Brayden Maynard’s right side.Source: FOX SPORTSBrayden Maynard was enraged after Ben Long’s bump into his right side on the cusp of half time.Source: FOX SPORTS
“Maynard is hurt! He’s gone down … this is seriously on,” Fox Footy’s Jason Dunstall said.
“Ben Long, no surprise to see him in it.”
“Every player on the field is into it,” Jonathan Brown added.
“There will be a big bill … a few fines coming out of that exchange,” Dunstall said.
“He’s holding the ribs. Let’s hope Maynard’s OK – he’s not happy.
“He’s asking who was that? He wants to know who it was.”
As replays showed it was Long that caught Maynard under the ribs, the Pies backman was then seen yelling and gesturing “you are f—ed” multiple times.
“Don’t want to be doing anything stupid” | 01:14
“You can read those lips! You are in trouble he was saying,” Dunstall laughed.
And as soon as the half time siren went seconds later, Maynard rushed straight in for Ben Long.
Humphrey was able to immediately pull Maynard off his teammate while Touk Miller dragged Long from the contest.
“Geez, they are all into it! They are coming off the bench as well!” Brown said.
“This is out of control!” Anthony Hudson added.
“The umpire can’t do anything!”
All 46 players remonstrated at the main break, as tempers flared to a level almost never seen anymore in the modern era.Source: FOX SPORTS
Dunstall could only laugh as he watched Long kept from the drama by teammates.
“You know who got out of that perfectly? Ben Long! That’s who (Maynard) was running for and he got pulled out the back and wasn’t any part of it,” he said.
“That is hilarious.
“The umpires keep telling him it’s not worth it … There are going to be so many fines coming out of this.
“He’d just be laughing out the back Ben Long.”
Pies defender Billy Frampton had his entire jumper ripped off in the scuffle while Maynard emerged from the melee with blood in his eyebrow.
“Smoke coming out of the ears of Brayden Maynard,” Hudson said.
“I don’t think either of them would take a backwards step,” Dunstall added of Long and Maynard.
It took both Sam Collins and Noah Anderson to keep Long out of the drama while Josh Daicos and Sam Swadling tried unsuccessfully to stop Maynard going back in.
As the two teams separated to head into their respective rooms, Maynard was still able to get in the face of Long in front of umpires, again yelling and gesturing.
“Do we need to put in a blanket apology for all the lip readers out there?” Dunstall said.
The two teams did eventually separate – with triple premiership Lion Alastair Lynch stating it was “season on the line” stuff for both sides.
“You don’t want to be doing anything stupid but there was plenty happening in time on,” Lynch said.
“It was like an ice hockey match there! They cleared the benches – they were all out there.”
Brayden Maynard is staring down a potential lengthy ban for contact made with an umpire during the half-time melee.Source: FOX SPORTS
But it’s Maynard who is facing the most scrutiny after replays showed him making contact with an umpire as he raced to confront Long after the half time siren.
“This vision does not look good,” Fox Footy’s Jay Clark said.
“He’s charged in at speed, pushed the umpire in the middle of his back; now that appears to be intentional contact grading – that’s straight to the tribunal.
“From there, it could be multiple weeks.”
Jack Riewoldt described it as a “fiery finish” to the half, and said Maynard now had “a big worry”.
“I think he’s staring down the barrel of at least a month (on the sidelines). Toby Greene got six (for umpire contact) so wouldn’t be surprised,” he said.
“It could be the dumbest thing we’ve seen for the year,” dual premiership Roo David King said.
“The umpires are a no-go zone.
“We’ve been talking about protecting them at all costs just in the field of play. This is irresponsible and it’s a month (ban) for me.”