Fremantle star Patrick Voss has been fined and branded a ‘fake tough guy’ by AFL legend Nick Riewoldt after he appeared to taunt a rival player about his bald spot.
Voss has been slammed by fans and experts over his ‘ugly’ display in Saturday’s win over Melbourne, during which he repeatedly ruffled Harrison Petty’s hair and made a ‘crybaby’ gesture at him.
The latter taunt is likely a reference to Petty being brought to tears in 2022 when Brisbane Lions veteran Dayne Zorko sledged him about his sick mother.
On Monday, Riewoldt and Mick Molloy launched into Voss on Triple M’s Mick in the Morning show.
‘They’re terrible pictures. I’m talking about the one of him rubbing his head. If any person did that to you in the street or footy field or whatever, you’d be within your right to destroy them, to turn around and knock them out,’ Molloy said.
‘I hate this, it’s fake tough guy stuff, that’s what it is,’ Riewoldt added.
Pictured: Fremantle star Patrick Voss ruffles Harrison Petty’s hair as he taunted him during the match against Melbourne on Saturday
Voss (circled) also made a crybaby gesture at Petty, which harks back to a previous sledge about the Melbourne star’s mother
‘He’s a pretty hard-at-it guy on the field. I don’t know why he would feel he needs to resort to this, because it’s fake tough guy, it’s taunting.
‘He’s been fined $1000, whoop-de-doo. The AFL’s got to come down on this because what used to happen, if you did that to someone, they’d turn around and punch you straight in the face … you would get knocked out.’
At the sounding of the quarter-time siren and with Fremantle holding a 42-point lead, Voss rubbed Petty’s hair condescendingly three times as the pair engaged in a back-and-forth verbal exchange at Optus Stadium.
Melbourne skipper Max Gawn came in to remonstrate with Voss, with the Fremantle forward then making the ‘crybaby’ gesture at Petty.
The AFL match review panel made its stance clear on Sunday when it handed down a $1500 fine to Voss, which can be reduced to $1000 with an early guilty plea.
It was put under the ‘Other Misconduct’ category, and makes it clear similar taunts won’t be accepted.
Petty was also the target of similar sledging in 2024, when Lions defender Noah Answerth directed a crybaby taunt towards him.
North Melbourne great David King also lashed out at Voss, labelling the spearhead’s actions a ‘step too far’.
Petty (pictured) has been the target of savage sledging on at least two previous occasions
Footy great Nick Riewoldt (pictured) slammed Voss on Monday and said in years gone by he would have been ‘knocked out’
‘You can embarrass them in the way you play but you can’t humiliate them face-to-face,’ King told Fox Footy.
‘I think it’s a bad look and I don’t think the AFL will be thrilled with this. I think the taunting rule will come into effect. It’s an ugly part of our game we don’t need.’
Voss tried to play down the incident after the game.
‘There were a few words being said, but yeah, shake hands at the end of the day,’ Voss told Fox Sports.
‘Probably early in my career I stepped over the line a few times, and as I’ve matured I’ve found the line fairly well, and I think I’m in a pretty good space at the moment.’
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir was unaware of the exact details or context behind the incident.
But he praised Voss for the general energy and enthusiasm he brought to the side.
‘We understand he treads a fine line at times, and he’s got to manage that,’ Longmuir said.
‘But he just brings so much energy to the group that we all buzz off it.’
Voss had a more light-hearted moment late in the game when he lifted Ed Langdon over his shoulder and walked six steps to carry his opponent over the boundary line.
The pair had a laugh about that incident, but Voss’s taunt on Petty was deemed no laughing matter.
Voss kicked 1.2 from 12 disposals in the 17.16 (118) to 10.10 (70) win over Melbourne, and looms as a key player in Fremantle’s bid to win their maiden flag.
