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Apology, now for Vickery penalty

Richmond forward Ty Vickery will learn his fate today after apologising for committing one of football's cardinal sins.

Vickery smashed West Coast ruckman Dean Cox's jaw with a roundhouse punch on Friday night, just days after the Eagles legend announced this year would be his last.

It is understood the Eagles' round-22 home fixture against Melbourne on Saturday, August 23 could be Cox's last game.

Vickery appeared on Fox Sports yesterday to apologise for the second-quarter blow which concussed Cox and led to his substitution from the match.

"I just want to unreservedly apologise to Dean and his family - it would have been hard to see him go through what he had to," Vickery said.

"I've attempted to make contact but haven't got through to him yet, but I want to offer him an apology personally.

"In the heat of the game I overstepped the mark with my physicality and aggression."

The case may be referred directly to the AFL Tribunal because of the severity, however if graded by the match review panel today it will likely result in a four-match ban cut to three with an early guilty plea.

The 24-year-old Tiger heard all about it from Cox's teammates, then from a parochial Patersons Stadium crowd.

Now he's copping it from the AFL community.

Essendon goal-kicking legend Matthew Lloyd said a three-match ban would not be enough, while Brisbane legend Michael Voss supported a public apology.

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said Vickery was "remorseful" and the club was braced for his punishment.

"We as a footy club understand that, and so we'll go through the due process and cop our whack," he told Channel 7's Game Day.

Two current players took to Twitter to condemn the strike, with Brisbane's Pearce Hanley declaring it a "S**t act" and Adelaide forward Taylor Walker saying "What a disgrace!!!"

Meanwhile, Sharrod Wellingham's disappointing season at West Coast could be over after injuring a knee playing for East Perth on Saturday.

The 2010 Collingwood premiership star limped from Medibank Stadium early in the third quarter with the assistance of trainers after hurting his right knee.

The 26-year-old returned to the interchange bench with heavy strapping on his knee, but played no further part in the game against West Perth.

Wellingham will be sent for scans, as will fellow midfielder Luke Shuey, who arrived for the team's recovery session on crutches on Saturday morning after rolling his left ankle against the Tigers.

"I just want to unreservedly apologise to Dean … I overstepped the mark …" " *Ty Vickery *