Saints need to be more disciplined: Geary
Jul 4, 2017 - 7:24 AM St Kilda captain Jarryn Geary says the type of undisciplined acts that resulted in teammates Jimmy Webster and Jack Steven fall foul of the AFL match review panel could cost the club wins.Webster will miss upcoming matches against Richmond and Essendon after being suspended for eye-gouging.
Star on-baller Steven escaped a ban, but was fined for the second time this year for striking - and the third time overall - for his hit on Fremantle's Hayden Ballantyne on Sunday.
"It's a fine line; you want them playing on the edge but you don't want undisciplined free kicks or guys missing games of football," Geary said on Tuesday.
"You definitely want to be teetering on that edge but as soon as you take the step over that line it can be a pretty touchy subject with the coach.
"We want everyone available.
"It's a tough contest. If teams are off five to 10 per cent you can lose games of footy and those guys make us a better team."
Webster's transgression was the more serious, with the half-back accepting a two-match ban for eye-gouging Fremantle's Nick Suban, rather than taking his chances at the tribunal and risking a three-game sanction.
"I've had a conversation about him jeopardising his spot in the team by doing something unnecessary," Geary said.
"Obviously he was pretty lucky that it didn't end up converting into a goal but Jimmy knows he's let himself down, he's let us down.
"We lose one of our better players for the season for the next couple of weeks, which is disappointing."
Geary said Steven's teammates needed to do a better job helping him break free of a close tag, while noting the three-time best and fairest winner also had to expect the close attention that came with his status among the competition's best midfielders.
"He probably needs to be able to control his reactions a little bit better as well," Geary said.
"It's now a couple of times he's had a few fines from reacting to the attention he's had."
Saturday's clash between eight-placed St Kilda and fourth-ranked Richmond at Etihad Stadium will be the second annual Maddie's Match to raise awareness of bone marrow failure syndrome.
Maddie Riewoldt, the sister of Saints star Nick and cousin of Richmond spearhead Jack, died in 2015.
The St Kilda players presented Nick Riewoldt with a $10,000 cheque to assist with fundraising on Tuesday.
Source: AAP
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