Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has defended the character of Ty Vickery after the ruckman received a barrage of criticism following his crude roundhouse to the jaw of retiring Eagle Dean Cox.
Vickery is facing a lengthy suspension after knocking West Coast's Cox unconscious as the pair jostled for position at a boundary throw-in during Friday night's AFL round-18 clash.
The incident comes just seven weeks after Vickery was handed a two-game ban for striking North Melbourne's Michael Firrito.
Collingwood great Tony Shaw predicted Vickery would be suspended for the rest of the season, while other past players also condemned the 24-year-old's actions.
Eagles' coach Adam Simpson was left furious over the incident, claiming it was a bad look for the game.
Cox lay motionless on the ground for more than a minute before being subbed out with concussion.
The 32-year-old didn't require in scans, but will need to pass a concussion test during the week if he is to appear in next Saturday's game with Adelaide.
Hardwick was reluctant to comment on the incident itself, but said Vickery's character shouldn't be questioned.
"To me he's a hard, tough player. That's what we want at the Tigers ... and that's how we like him," Hardwick said.
"Sometimes you step outside the boundaries.
"I love the way Ty's been going about his footy. He has been incredible for us over the past four or five weeks.
"His attack on the ball's been outstanding."
Vickery was abused by the Patersons Stadium crowd after felling Cox.
At one point, two fans leaned over Richmond's dugout and angrily yelled at Vickery, who returned fire with his own verbal barrage.
Hardwick admitted the exchange wasn't ideal, but said he understood why Vickery wanted to stand up for himself.
Richmond captain Trent Cotchin says he counselled Vickery during the game about not letting the crowd affect him.
"The West Coast supporters were into him for the rest of the match," Cotchin told SEN Radio on Saturday.
"The thing with Ty is we love him playing on the edge. His best games this year have been when he's most physical.
"There's going to be time when there's frustration for him and the team.
"But in a team environment, we're going to support our teammates as much as we possibly can.
"Whether or not the match-review panel see it as a silly and unnecessary ... it's going to be up to them."
Vickery's hit on Cox overshadowed Richmond's fourth straight win. However, the Tigers' late surge up the table is unlikely to be enough to land a finals berth, with the team's 3-10 start to the season coming back to haunt them.
West Coast also have a 7-10 record.
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