AFL player Tristan Xerri banned for wiping blood on opponent’s face during a match
Consensus Summary
AFL ruckman Tristan Xerri was banned for three games after wiping blood from his nose onto Essendon captain Andrew McGrath’s face during a match at Docklands Stadium on March 29 2025. The incident occurred after Xerri complained to an umpire about a bloodied nose, kicked a goal, and clashed with McGrath before wiping his bloody hand on the opponent’s face. Xerri pleaded guilty to serious misconduct, admitting he acted on impulse after being sledged with homophobic slurs, calling it a ‘brain fade.’ The AFL tribunal, chaired by Jeff Gleeson KC, ruled the behavior ‘disgraceful’ but credited Xerri’s remorse and early plea for avoiding a longer suspension. All sources agree the ban means Xerri will miss North Melbourne’s next three games, including a marquee match against Carlton on Good Friday. While the Guardian and ABC highlight Xerri’s apology to McGrath and his consultation with a doctor over infection risks, The Age emphasizes the broader context of Essendon’s poor start and the AFL’s zero-tolerance stance on such incidents. Comparisons to past cases like Nathan Buckley’s one-game ban in 2002 were made, but Gleeson dismissed them as less severe. The incident overshadowed North’s 12-point win over Essendon, drawing widespread condemnation from players, coaches, and AFL executives.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Tristan Xerri (North Melbourne) was banned for three games for wiping blood from his nose onto Essendon captain Andrew McGrath’s face during a match on 2025-03-29 (Saturday night).
- The incident occurred at Docklands Stadium during North Melbourne’s 12-point win over Essendon.
- Xerri pleaded guilty to serious misconduct at the AFL tribunal, with the tribunal chair (Jeff Gleeson KC) calling the act ‘disgraceful behaviour’ and noting Xerri’s hand was near McGrath’s open mouth.
- Xerri admitted in evidence that blood was on his hand before wiping it on McGrath’s face, despite this not being clear in video footage.
- The AFL tribunal could have imposed a suspension of more than three weeks if not for Xerri’s early plea and remorseful testimony.
- Xerri’s suspension means he will miss North Melbourne’s next three games against Carlton (Good Friday), Brisbane, and Richmond.
- Xerri claimed he was sledged with homophobic slurs (‘weak c-word’, ‘effing flopping c-word’) by Essendon players before the incident, which he described as a ‘brain fade’.
- North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson initially refused to comment on the incident, saying ‘I’ll make no comment until I see it’.
- AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon stated the incident was ‘something we don’t want to see’ and called for such behaviour to be stamped out.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The AFL initially wanted a three-game ban, while North Melbourne argued for two games.
- Xerri’s hand was ‘close to McGrath’s open mouth’ during the incident, which Gleeson described as ‘the look of the act is quite shocking’.
- North Melbourne drew comparisons to previous cases (Nathan Buckley and Jeremy Howe) but Gleeson dismissed them as ‘quite significantly less serious’.
- Former Collingwood captain Nathan Buckley was suspended for one game in 2002 for smearing blood on Geelong’s Cameron Ling’s uniform, with Xerri’s incident expected to result in a longer sanction due to contact with skin rather than clothing.
- Essendon coach Brad Scott emphasized his team’s long-term strategy amid their 0-3 start, noting the incident distracted from their struggles.
- Dr Peter Larkins and Leigh Montagna publicly called for Xerri to be suspended, with Larkins tweeting ‘This needs definitive AFL response – cannot have this go without games sanction’.
- The incident occurred after Xerri gave away a 100-metre penalty for remonstrating with the umpire and being slow to return the ball.
- Zach Merrett was limited to just 10 possessions in the match, his lowest since round one 2018.
- Xerri admitted he extracted blood from his nose to ‘show them that I was bleeding’ and wanted to ‘defend himself’ from accusations of flopping.
- Xerri consulted a doctor about the risk of spreading an infectious disease after the incident.
- Xerri spoke to McGrath on Sunday morning to apologize, and McGrath ‘took it very well’ and had a ‘good conversation’ with him.
- Lance Collard’s alleged homophobic slur in a VFL match was mentioned as an unrelated ongoing investigation by the AFL.
- Former Geelong player Cameron Ling stated Xerri’s act was ‘unacceptable in the modern game’ and warned young players against such behaviour.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian reports Xerri’s hand was ‘close to McGrath’s open mouth’ during the incident, while The Age does not specify this detail in its description of the act.
- The Guardian states the tribunal hearing was held a day earlier than normal, but this detail is not mentioned in The Age or ABC articles.
- The Age implies Xerri’s suspension could be longer than three games (due to skin contact), but the Guardian and ABC confirm the final suspension was exactly three games.
- The Guardian notes North Melbourne argued for a two-game ban, while The Age does not mention this specific argument from North.
- The ABC reports Xerri extracted blood to ‘show them that I was bleeding’ as part of his defense, but this nuanced explanation is not present in the Guardian or The Age.
Source Articles
‘Cannot have this’: Xerri’s ugly incident takes the focus off Essendon’s 0-3 start
North’s first win over the Bombers since 2016 was marred by an ugly incident involving their inspirational giant, who is now staring down the barrel of a serious misconduct charge....
Roos star sent to AFL tribunal after alleged blood-wiping incident
North Melbourne ruckman Tristan Xerri is sent directly to the AFL tribunal on a charge of serious misconduct after he allegedly wiped blood on Essendon captain Andy McGrath's face....
AFL player Tristan Xerri banned for three games for ‘disgraceful’ blood smear
Kangaroos star sanctioned for wiping blood on opponent’s face Xerri admits incident during Essendon game was a ‘brain fade’ North Melbourne star Tristan Xerri would have risked a heftier AFL ban had h...
Banned Xerri reveals Essendon abuse leading to blood-wiping incident
Kangaroos ruckman Tristan Xerri gives evidence at the AFL tribunal as he accepts a suspension for rubbing blood from his nose on the face of Essendon captain Andrew McGrath....