Johnathon Brown spoke up about his displeasure with the niggling taking place in the AFL and has pointed out young Caleb Marchbank as the worst offender.
Brown urged all AFL players to focus more on their game and less on the errors of their opponents.
Over the weekend, Marchbank was involved in some pushing and shoving with Jack Gunston following a miskick by the Hawthorn forward.
Earlier this year, Marchbank made his presence felt when Brisbane Lions forward Tom Cutler missed a shot on goal with an open teammate in the goal square.
“Now, Caleb, you’ll earn respect in the football world by your attack on the footy being absolutely non-negotiable every time,” Brown said on Fox Footy’s On The Couch.
“At this stage in your career, I can’t say I’ve seen it every single time.
“So worry about that first before you start worrying about that other crap.”
Carlton have won only one game this season and Brown suggested they need to look at bettering their game rather than trash talking other teams.
“The niggle in the game, whether it be after free kicks or holding the balls or players missing shots on goal, it’s just a new phenomenon,” Brown said.
“It is bad, especially coming from Carlton players. Don’t embarrass yourself, boys. This goes for the whole competition.
“We need to end this. I’m not happy with this trend at the moment.”