Former North Melbourne and Brisbane midfielder Ryan Bastinac has slammed the actions of an alarming incident that occurred in a local football game on Saturday.
In what Bastinac labelled a "coward hit", the 30-year-old took to Twitter to express his disgust at the confronting on-field experience.
Following his match for second division Morning Peninsula Football League side Pearcedale on Saturday against Langwarrin, Bastinac revealed a gruesome image the showed damage the incident caused.
"Coward hits in local footy are not on in this day and age," he wrote.
"The footy field isn't free reign to go out and assault people. Put some gloves on and try yourself the right way if that's what you want to do. Byt we know that never happens.
"People shouldn't play the game they love and enjoy and have to worry they are going to get assaulted.
"Footy is a tough hard and fair game but we need to do more to protect all the players who are playing the game the right way.
"The 'hard and fair way' and stamp out these cowards because there is no place for it."
Bastinac played 121 games for North Melbourne after being drafted to Arden Street in 2009 and was eventually tarded six years later to Brisbane, where he played 43 matches.
Bastinac was delisted by the Lions at the end of the 2019 season.