Young West Coast Eagle Malakai Champion has been referred directly to the WAFL Tribunal for an instance of "serious misconduct" in the second quarter of his side's seven point victory over Swan Districts on Saturday afternoon.
After a string of lacklustre performances at the elite level, Champion was sent to the Eagles' reserves side to rediscover his flashy best, but his lone major in the contest will be overshadowed by the ugly incident.
It is understood that Champion blew his nose on an opponent in the second quarter, in a disgraceful instance of unsportsmanlike conduct.
Executing what is colloquially referred to as a "bushman's blow" - the act of blocking one nostril will ejecting mucus from the other - on the jumper of an opponent. The 20-year-old will be punished, but not before being given the chance to explain his action.
It is the second high-profile case of bodily fluids being weaponised this year, after the AFL Tribunal came down hard on North Melbourne ruckman Tristan Xerri for smearing his blood on the face of Essendon skipper Andrew McGrath.
Any sanction handed down would place an obvious delay on Champion's return to a senior side starting to forge its identity under Andrew McQualter. The goalsneak was absent from the senior side's last-ditch loss to North Melbourne on Saturday afternoon.
