Collingwood midfielder Brayden Sier is in hot water with the AFL club over his decision to play a basketball match while injured.
The 21-year-old has been sidelined for the past month with a calf injury but was spotted shooting hoops on Monday night, having listed his name on the teamsheet as “Phill Inn”.
Coach Nathan Buckley says Sier will likely face disciplinary action, noting that the youngster had also lied about the incident when confronted.
Sier initially told the club he had just been watching friends play and shooting around during breaks.
“(It was) a blue from a young player,” Buckley told reporters on Thursday.
“He made a couple of errors in the whole situation; one, to play the game and two, to try to sweep it under the carpet.
“We’ll deal with that accordingly and appropriately but we’ve got a game to prepare for on Saturday, which he won’t be a part of.
“Our VFL don’t play this week, so we’ve got a bit of time to sort that out.”
Sier played in last year’s grand final defeat to West Coast but has struggled to hold his spot this season, managing just six games.
Buckley said he would be involved in deciding what sanction to hand down, along with football boss Geoff Walsh and the club’s leadership group.
The Magpies travel to face Adelaide on Saturday and will again be without hamstrung stars Jordan De Goey and Darcy Moore.
Buckley said De Goey was no certainty to face Essendon in next week’s final round of the home-and-away season.