Disappointed Wodonga Raiders’ coach Daryn Cresswell says the challenge which left star player Brodie Filo with a broken jaw in two places “wasn’t in the rules of the game”.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The league’s most exciting player had just taken a mark in a thrilling final quarter when Albury’s Sam Schulz collided with him. No 50-metre penalty was paid.
Filo was assisted from the field and taken to Albury hospital.
He’s expected to have surgery on Monday and it’s uncertain how long he will be out.
“It certainly wasn’t in the rules of the game,” Cresswell said following the 14-point loss.
“Any contact to the head, which causes serious injury, which is what happened to Brodie, needs to be seriously looked at.”
Cresswell said pre-match he expected the Tigers would target Filo, but wouldn’t over-step the mark.
“They’re always hard at the footy and I reckon they’re a really fair side, they’re not a side that goes looking for spot fires,” he said.
But he was dissatisfied with at least one aspect of Filo’s tag.
“I thought he was held all day and that’s another thing that certainly needs to be looked at,” Cresswell said.
Any contact to the head, which causes serious injury ...needs to be seriously looked at.
- Daryn Cresswell
However, Raiders’ mentor wasn’t disappointed with the umpiring.
“I think the umpiring this year has been really good,” he said.
Raiders’ next game is against Rovers on August 5.