St Kilda defender Alix Tauru has landed himself in hot water after he was reported late in Sunday's VFL match against Sandringham Zebras.

The footage shows Tauru throwing three punches towards his Zebras player Ben Stephenson in the final term. 

The umpire was witness to the incident, standing very close to the pair of them, and immediately noticed Tauru's punch, which set off a melee between the two clubs.

The 19-year-old was managed for the clash against Adelaide in Round 6, with Liam Stocker taking his place against the Crows. However, Tauru has failed to reclaim his spot, spending the past three weeks in the reserves side, with St Kilda coach Ross Lyon favouring Callum Wilkie, Anthony Caminiti and Jack Silvagni as key defenders in recent weeks.

Dougal Howard has also made his way back into the side, while Mitch Owens and Cooper Sharman, along with the ruck duo of Tom De Koning and Rowan Marshall, are working in tandem in the front half.

However, the injury cloud surrounding Wilkie, who copped a knee to the back from Ben King. He was ruled out after the second half, which has placed him in doubt for next week's game against Richmond.

The St Kilda skipper's availability doubt would've put Tauru back into the selection conversation, but the young Saints' mental lapse could make him unavailable.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION