Loose-lipped Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt might be axed from the side to face Greater Western Sydney with coach Damien Hardwick saying he had let the club down.
Riewoldt this week publicly criticised the team’s game plan, saying they had tried, and failed, to replicate that of AFL premiers Hawthorn.
Hardwick met with an apologetic Riewoldt on Thursday morning and planned to do so again later in the day in consultation with the team’s leadership group.
“We caught up with him this morning and removed his foot from his mouth and my foot from his arse,” Hardwick said.
“Obviously we were pretty disappointed with his comments.
“We talk about being a united footy club and Jack went outside those boundaries.
“Unfortunately he’s learned a harsh lesson from that.”
Hardwick said Riewoldt couldn’t explain his comment that the club’s game plan had gone this way and the competition had gone the other.
The Tigers have faced fierce criticism this week after last round’s loss to Melbourne which effectively killed off their finals hopes.
Hardwick said the team hadn’t changed their game plan from the last few seasons but their poor form didn’t allow them to effectively execute it.
The coach said Riewoldt’s spot wasn’t guaranteed against the Giants on Saturday.
“We’ve got match committee this afternoon. His form has been OK. Whether we take any of this into account well see this afternoon,” said Hardwick.
“Like anything, with every action comes an equal and opposition reaction.
“We obviously have some standards that we abide by here and he went outside those.”