West Coast’s Chris Masten in derby bite probe

West Coast midfielder Chris Masten has been referred directly to the AFL Tribunal after being accused of biting Fremantle’s Nick Suban.
Suban claimed Masten bit him on the arm while the two engaged in a wrestle in the third quarter of a spiteful western derby on Sunday.
• Why the most important derby was meaningless
• The greatest game you didn’t see Chris Judd play
• Hawks have a chance to sit with the immortals
Masten was not reported by match-day umpires but an AFL spokesman confirmed on Monday that the allegation had been noted by umpires and referred to the MRP.
While biting is not a specific offence under the MRP guidelines it can be classified as misconduct.
Fremantle went on to lose the match by 24 points, with the loss further compounded when defender Alex Silvagni was reported for striking Jamie Cripps in an off-the-ball incident.
Silvagni has also been referred directly to the Tribunal, which will sit on Tuesday evening.
Eagles coach Adam Simpson said after the match that Cripps had suffered a suspected broken jaw after Silvagni appeared to make high contact with his elbow.
– AAP