Fremantle Dockers forward Pat Voss taunts Harrison Petty with ‘crying’ sledge during heated confrontation

Fremantle antagonist Pat Voss has riled up Melbourne defender Harrison Petty with a pointed sledge on the stroke of quarter-time during their big win on Saturday night.

After the Dockers piled on seven goals to one in a dominant first term, Voss and Petty could be seen exchanging words as the players went to their respective huddles.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Voss taunts Petty on quarter-time

Voss tapped Petty on the back of the head multiple times, perhaps highlighting the defender’s bald spot before attempting to open old wounds with a questionable act.

He took both his hands to eyes and pretending to wipe away tears in a reference to an incident from over three years ago.

“Voss and Petty get into it, that’s really stirring the pot as we go to the break,” commentator Adam Papalia said on Fox Footy.

“Going with the crying ... Patrick Voss doesn’t mind getting stuck into the opposition.”

Petty was unmoved and barely reacted throughout the interaction, but Melbourne captain Max Gawn did come over and push Voss away.

The crying gesture brought back memories of the infamous incident between Brisbane veteran Dayne Zorko and Petty during a game in 2022 at the Gabba that left the Melbourne tall in tears.

David King took a poor view of Voss’s interaction, saying the AFL should look at implementing a taunting rule.

“Sometimes you just need those energy givers to spark up, but it does go too far, and he overstepped the mark at quarter-time, and I think there’ll be some reflection from the club that that’s just a step too far,” he said on Fox Footy.

“I think you’ve got to have a status in the game to get away with that sort of stuff, and the harsh reality is, Voss doesn’t have that yet.

“I think it’s a bad look and the AFL won’t be thrilled with this, and I think the taunting rule will come into effect because in the end it’s an ugly part of our game that we don’t need.”

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir later said he was unaware of the exchange but he praised Voss for the general energy and enthusiasm he brings to the side.

“We understand he treads a fine line at times, and he’s got to manage that,” Longmuir said.

“But he just brings so much energy to the group that we all buzz off it.

“He plays with great energy. He tries to help his teammates out who are getting tagged. He goes after target players for us or players we want to try and negate from the opposition. So he does a lot right in that sense.”

Voss has developed into a cult hero with his style of play and goal celebrations, but fans were quick to turn on the young forward.

“Voss you have had three touches, instead of rubbing heads and holding players off the ball or taunting just focus on the football!!” One fan said.

“The carry on at quarter time was embarrassing,” another added.

“Pat Voss chirps a hell of a lot for a bloke whose achieved nothing in the game,” another said.

“I think I’m starting to understand why Essendon let Voss go… He’s a great player, but bloke needs to control his emotions,” another said.

“Patrick Voss strikes me as the sort of bloke that his teammates just tolerate,” another added.

Voss was involved in another incident late on when he lifted Ed Langdon above his shoulders for an extended period, much to the delight of the crowd.

The two Voss moments were arguably the biggest talking points of a pretty straightforward victory for Fremantle.

After the first-quarter onslaught, they kept the Demons at bay to run away with a comfortable 48-point victory.

Josh Treacy kicked four goals from 10 marks, while Isaiah Dudley bobbed up with three.

Andrew Brayshaw did the heavy lifting in the midfield with 29 disposals, while Murphy Reid and Shai Bolton were influential moving forward.

Meanwhile, it’s not the first time, Petty has been on the end of a sledge like that.

In 2024, Zorko’s teammate Noah Answerth mocked Petty with the “cry baby” act during the Lions-Demons clash at the MCG.

Answerth was extremely apologetic in the aftermath, but Petty’s teammate Jake Lever was highly critical.

Melbourne defender Jake Lever said it shouldn’t be part of the game.

“He (Petty) had a tough time up there a few years ago and as a player, you don’t know what others are going through,” Lever Channel 7 at the time.

“I think footy’s cleaned up that sort of act.”