There have been calls for the AFL to launch an investigation into what provoked Lions captain Dayne Zorko into laying a horror sledge on Demons defender Harry Petty.
This all comes as Zorko's former teammate Dayne Beams took to social media on Thursday morning to vent his frustration with the current captain over his comments in response to the incident.
The veteran has been subject to intense media scrutiny over the past week due to a comment made to Petty in his side's 58-point loss to the reigning premiers last Friday night, where Zorko made a jibe at the 22-year-old regarding his mother.
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The 34-year-old came out and apologised on SEN's The Run Home, however was quick to point out that the comments weren't unprovoked by any stretch.
“I apologised to Harrison on the final siren and obviously that apology still stands,” Zorko said on Wednesday afternoon.
“My remorse still stands. If I could take it back, there's no doubt I would.
“I just wanted to get across that it was an intense game. From the first bounce there was toing and froing from both sides of the fence. Players across the field stepped up to the line all game, and I acknowledge that I certainly crossed that.
“I just reckon it's really important that Lions fans and fans in general understand that it wasn't just an unprovoked sledge, and it wasn't set in isolation. As I said, it was toing and froing for the majority of the game and remorsefully I accept that I've overstepped the mark."
With these comments, both Footy Classified's Caroline Wilson and former teammate Dayne Beams have both put forward responses, however both have voiced vastly different points of view on the incident.
Wednesday night saw Wilson give Zorko the benefit of the doubt in making a call for the AFL to launch an investigation into what was said to the Brisbane captain in the lead-up to the incident.
“I'm told that some of the stuff said to Zorko ... was pretty disgusting,” she said on Channel 9's Footy Classified.
“If you were going to investigate what was said, you'd be more investigating what was said to Zorko about women in his life (that was) far worse than what was said to Petty.”
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However, the skipper has found himself in hot water with his predecessor in the form of retired ex-teammate Dayne Beams.
In response to Zorko saying that he was bemused at Petty approaching him at three-quarter time at the match due to him not realising what he had said, Beams uploaded an Instagram story detailing his own thoughts.
“Really? You wondered what you said?” the former skipper said.
“Embarrassing that he is still captain. Worst thing is I'm not even surprised.”
This condemnation from an ex-teammate, let alone a former skipper, indicates that things may not have been totally fine between Beams and Zorko prior to the incident.
However, the calls from pundits for Zorko to be suspended seem to have fallen on deaf ears, as the Lions skipper is set to be able to play in his side's do-or-die elimination final against the Tigers next Thursday with no punishment in the works.
Chris Fagan's side will go into the clash without forward Cam Rayner after the 22-year-old was rubbed out for a week over a dangerous tackle on Dees key forward Ben Brown in the aforementioned fixture.
Despite the final being held at the Gabba which has proven to be a very happy hunting ground for the Lions throughout 2022, their patchy form over the past two months and Rayner's suspension will see them go in as slight underdogs considering Richmond's blistering past month.