Ranking the 10 worst AFL taunts

Patrick Voss's taunting of Harrison Petty has made headlines for all the wrong reasons, but the issue is nothing new. Voss took it one step too far, prompting the MRO to fine the forward, while the AFL's stance against his action now resulting in a free kick against. The Docker has plenty of competition in the race for the worst taunt of all time. Introducing you to the top 10: Catch me if you can The cheek of some small forwards is always bound to reach the football field, especially when storming into an open goal. Shai Bolton, Jack Ginnivan and Willie Rioli all taunted their opponents when slotting the easiest majors of their career, showing the ball before slamming it through for six points. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AFL (@afl) However, Liam Ryan's ball-showing taunt to Brayden Maynard in the 2020 elimination final is another one to remember. https://twitter.com/AFL/status/1312346350260895744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1312346350260895744%7Ctwgr%5E64a08810aaddf39f0b1ffc6f21707410aba04e60%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Fsport%2Fafl%2Fliam-ryan-and-brayden-maynard-image-sums-up-beauty-of-finals-footy%2Fnews-story%2F8fde98d3d349ab54426260e9bc1ffe9b Western Bulldogs forward Nathan Brown also wasn't shy when storming into an open goal, showing the football to North Melbourne players before flipping the bird to its supporter base after he kicked the major. Essendon IV drip gag backfires Essendon attempted to take a punt at Brisbane during the 2001 Grand Final with a left-field taunt, but it didn't pay off. During the season, the Lions attempted to get ahead of the game by using intravenous drips, a standard saline liquid to help prevent player injury and enhance post-game recovery, especially in the warmer climate of Queensland. Reports indicated that players had a plastic shunt inserted in their arm before games to allow the drip to be immediately inserted at half-time. However, those reports were corrected by the club. They'd used the drip throughout 2001, but were stopped by the AFL ahead of the finals campaign. Interestingly, in the decider against Essendon, the Bombers donned black arm bands as a taunt. The reigning premiers took the liberty of making fun of their challenger, but were found out when it mattered most. "I do recall back in 2001 when Essendon played Brisbane (in the Grand Final). They actually wore black armbands around the area where you would have a drip inserted in your arm," Jonathan Brown said in 2015. "Of course, the Lions had drips used on us throughout the season, certainly not in the finals. "The drips contained salt water for the hot days up in Queensland, so hardly performance enhancing. "When the whole team goes in with black armbands, where we were wearing band aids, talk about idiocy ... That was idiocy. "To be focusing on that during the Grand Final, it certainly did them no favours on the day because we got the chocolates." Sealed with a kiss When Luke Hodge planted his lips on former teammate Lance Franklin during the 2014 Grand Final, the result was settled, as the Hawks stormed toward back-to-back flags. Franklin had spent nine years at Hawthorn before taking up a lucrative long-term contract at Sydney, ditching the brown and gold after the 2013 premiership. A year later, Buddy faced his old side, but the fortunes ran out. Late in the third term, as Hawthorn led by 61 points and had all but sewn up another premiership cup, Hodge sealed the afternoon with a kiss. While the tempers didn't flare as Franklin would have questioned whether he made the right career choice, the tongue in cheek, and lips on cheek, moment arguably stands among the best taunts the game has seen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbTJTrijTZU Shiel shields away from contest Luke Parker is known for his courage and bravery in the contest, and an effort from Dylan Shiel inspired a taunting action. Parker, when he was still at Sydney, mocked Shiel's hardness amid a thrashing at the SCG. The hard-nosed Swan kicked the club's ninth goal on the night, and let the opposition know all about it. The lack of a response from Essendon players was heavily criticised, just as much as the "bad-look" of Parker's shoulder shrugging suggestion. Zorko pretty Petty-ful Brisbane captain Dayne Zorko is no stranger to on-field feuds or altercations with the opposition, but in 2022, he seemingly took it too far. Against Melbourne, the Lions skipper targeted a family member with a three-quarter time sledge, leaving Harrison Petty in tears. "Obviously Petts thought he'd heard something inappropriate about a family member and he was bit upset about it," Demons coach Simon Goodwin told reporters after the incident. "Brisbane have spoken to us and obviously the AFL will look at it. Petts was a bit emotional at three-quarter time, he went away ... then came back into the game. "Brisbane has been quite apologetic to us and that's the type of footy club they are." Petty 2.0 You'd think the Lions would have learned, but it wasn't the case for Noah Answerth, who went after Harrison Petty two years after his captain Dayne Zorko had taken aim. Answerth performed the cry-baby gesture directly in the face of Petty, suggesting that he sulked it up in 2022. Ironically, Zorko said he'd have a chat to his teammate. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 7AFL (@7afl) "I'll probably go have a word to him, that's obviously not the way we want to win. Heat of the moment, stuff happens. I'm sure he'd have fixed it up after the game," he said on ABC radio. Oh no, Petty 3.0 Fremantle forward Patrick Voss was the inspiration for this list, and not in a positive way. Voss has made headlines for his encounter with Melbourne's Harrison Petty after several taunts were directed at the Demons defender. The Docker tall made "cry-baby" gestures and consistently rubbed Petty's head, pointing at his bald spot. Voss was handed a $1500 fine ($1000 early plea), with the AFL explaining the punishment. https://twitter.com/AFL/status/2035607238551712038 "The MRO deemed that Voss's action of rubbing the head of Petty multiple times, combined with the ‘crying' references was unsportsmanlike and unacceptable," an AFL statement read. "The action had the potential to instigate a melee or retaliatory action and is an action that we do not want to see flow down into community or junior football and hence the charge to deter players from doing it in the future." Woosha goes whoosh West Coast player John Worsfold let Collingwood father-son Mick McGuane know when he dropped an uncontested chest mark in the dying seconds of the 1994 Qualifying Final. The Pies trailed by two points, and if McGuane marked, he could have slotted a goal from 40 metres to push the club into the third week of the finals. The clash was played at the WACA, and the speedy Pie clarified the incident that boiled over once the final siren rang, saying it had nothing to do about his late teammate Darren Millane. "Everyone thought that it was about Darren, but Woosha (Worsfold) is a better bloke than that," McGuane said in 2009. "He didn't go down that path. He wouldn't talk ill of the dead. "The siren went and Woosha was in my vicinity. My remonstration was very limited. "Everyone has asked me. It comes up at every sportsman's night I've done and people always bring it up in pubs. It's not true." McGuane said Worsfold's message was simple: "Get back to Victoria where you blokes belong." The Eagles would go on to claim the 1994 premiership, with many saying the champion was decided in that clash. Bye, bye... Ginnivan It's a memorable one but former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley's airplane gesture to Hawthorn and Jack Ginnivan had layers. In the thrilling 2024 semi final clash between the two clubs, the Power prevailed by three points, prompting an aeroplane emotive by Hinkley, whilst also directing comments and arrogantly smiling towards the Hawks camp. What prompted the post-match scuffle was Ginnivan reacting to former teammate Brodie Grundy's social media post, suggesting that the brown and gold would steam past the Power before facing Sydney in a preliminary final. However, Hinkley and his men put a stop in Hawthorn's tracks, ending their season in the second week of finals. He was fined $20,000 for In a perfect return serve, the Hawks put the sword to Port Adelaide the next time they clashed, with Ginnivan, after kicking a goal, performed an aeroplane celebration. It drew a wry smile from Hinkley, who was in the last year of his senior coaching tenure. Martin's nosy encounter Richmond great Dustin Martin has rarely been faulted for anything he's done on a football field, but an incident in 2019 certainly made many squirmish. A tough day in the office for the Tigers against GWS, Martin initially flipped the bird before making a snorting gesture towards a Giants player, alleged to be Shane Mumford. The Giants ruck had just returned from a two-match suspension after a video of him snorting white powder surfaced. The act cost the three-time Norm Smith Medallist $7,500. "Frustrating one on the weekend !! I understand my reaction is not a good look for the game.. I apologise for my actions . Thanks," Martin tweeted. That same game, Martin was reported for striking, and handed a two-match suspension. Carey vs North Melbourne There's plenty of scandals and furores in AFL football, but none was bigger than Wayne Carey and North Melbourne. Carey departed Arden Street after his affair with teammate Anthony Stevens' wife ultimately resulting in him landing at Adelaide ahead of 2003. And it only took until Round 6 at Docklands before they met. @goalposttinnies Glenn Archer did not hold back #afl #waynecarey #northmelbourne ♬ original sound - Goal Post Tinnies Glenn Archer, Stevens' close mate and Kangaroos leader, took matters into his own hands during the match, utilising his physical presence to inflict harm. Archer feigned to square up to Carey, clenching fist and making an aggressive motion towards his former teammate before restraining himself. The act prompted the Crows forward to jump in fright. Mitchell jabs the Bombers Essendon was so graciously reminded of their drug scandal when entering a war of words with Hawthorn hot-head Sam Mitchell during a clash in 2015. The hatred between the two clubs had stretched over 30 years by that point, and was reinvigorated when Mitchell took aim with his contentious taunt. Bombers players had been under extreme pressure since 2013 over the supplements saga, and were punished https://twitter.com/7Sport/status/615418068114649089?lang=en

		P	W	L	PTS	%
1	GC	3	3	0	12	191
2	WB	3	3	0	12	137.2
3	SYD	3	2	1	8	139.5
4	HAW	3	2	1	8	118.1
5	FRE	2	1	1	4	121.1
6	NMFC	2	1	1	4	116.3
7	PORT	2	1	1	4	109.3
8	ADEL	2	1	1	4	104.6
9	COLL	2	1	1	4	98.7
10	STK	3	1	2	4	92.3

Ranking the 10 worst AFL taunts

Voss was bad, but these actions won’t be forgotten in a hurry.

1Mitchell jabs the Bombers

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