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Mediation key to sledging

Daryl TimmsNews Corp Australia

SELF-confessed sledger Tony Shaw says the alleged verbal exchange between West Coast's Adam Selwood and Fremantle's Des Headland should be referred to mediation rather than the tribunal.

Shaw, who had a reputation for sledging opponents during his career with Collingwood, said Selwood's alleged sexual comments about Headland's daughter should come under the same process as racial and religious vilification.

He said if conciliation failed the offending player should face sanctions in cases of personal vilification.

"What was said was totally wrong," Shaw told 3AW yesterday. "But it should be a personal vilification case, with the same process as the racial and religious vilification code."

The Magpie premiership captain said he had never racially vilified an opponent.

"Let me say that I have sledged people about their parentage and things like and I also have it done to me a million times," Shaw said.

"But look, if this kid (Selwood) said what he's alleged to have said, then he has stuffed up.

"It's such a stupid thing (the alleged sledge) that we all know it's not true and in some ways it is laughable to think that you'd even worry about it.

"But Des Headland had every right to act the way he did and if the tribunal sees what happened as a major issue then he should be let off the striking charges."

Former Western Bulldog Paul Dimattina also had a reputation as a sledger but said last night he would have acted in the same way as Headland if someone made derogatory comments about his children.

"Being the father of two children, if someone said something like to me, I would have well and truly put their head through a brick wall," he said.

"I can't talk because I probably overstepped the mark a couple of times when I was playing but I didn't say anything about their children but probably spoke about their ex-wives and things like that.

"There was no doubt that me and Libba (former teammate Tony Liberatore) had a bit too much to say at times."

Geelong's 1989 Brownlow medallist Paul Couch, who was constantly targeted by the likes of Dimattina and Liberatore, said he gave as got as he got in the verbal stoushes.

Former Port Adelaide star Josh Francou said that players always sledged on the field.

"Apart from racism, any other sledge was really like water off a duck's back," Francou said.

"Racism and religious vilification is unacceptable without question.

"At the end of the day you have to ask yourself what Headland is thinking when he gets reported.

"Maybe I'm a bit out of line, but if Selwood said what he's alleged to have said, who cares.

"If he said it to him at a pub, then you'd react to it."