Border Mail |
YARRAWONGA says Brendan Fevola is being unfairly targeted by umpires.
Fevola was this week suspended for two matches after pleading guilty to calling an umpire a cheat at the weekend.
Yesterday, the Ovens and Murray fined him the maximum amount for commenting publicly about umpires.
Fevola, pictured, took to Twitter yesterday, suggesting he might give the tribunal and the “umpire that cheated” a “few nice words”, following his ban.
He also said that he expected the league to fine him because it had “nothing better to do”. The former AFL star was hit with a $1000 fine shortly after.
The extra punishment came off the back of the Pigeons presenting evidence to the league’s tribunal on Wednesday night suggesting Fevola was being treated unfairly.
The Pigeons continually vented their frustrations at the hearing, saying Fevola was copping a raw deal from the umpires and that all he wanted was to be treated the same way as other players.
The Pigeons told the tribunal they believed the umpiring fraternity was turning “a blind eye” to what was happening to Fevola but was more than happy to act on anything he did in return.
Fevola has now been suspended four times in his two-year stint in the O and M.
It’s also the second time Fevola has been hit with a $1000 fine.
The two-time Coleman medallist was handed the heftiest individual fine in league history last season when he was penalised the same amount for calling umpires “a joke” after being sent from the ground against Wangaratta. He also encouraged the crowd to abuse the umpire who reported him that day.
League boss Aaron McGlynn yesterday said previous indiscretions “didn’t help” Fevola’s cause in avoiding his latest fine.
He said umpire abuse, of any kind, would not be tolerated.
“It is hard enough to keep umpires in the game and it’s in our interests to protect them,” McGlynn said.
“We want to keep an environment they want to be in and, more importantly, enjoy to be in.
“It (umpire abuse) just won’t be tolerated, by anyone.”
