Crowley claims: 'I didn't do it'

Kangaroos star Brent Harvey of the Kangaroos talks to the umpire about Ryan Crowley's close checking at Patersons Stadium yesterday. Source: Getty Images

FREMANTLE is poised to fight a pinching charge laid against Ryan Crowley after the antagonistic tagger denied intentionally pinching Brent Harvey.

Crowley was fined $1200 after an AFL investigation into an incident in the first quarter at Patersons Stadium.

There is no footage of the incident, although Harvey was captured raising his jumper to an umpire and complaining about Crowley's tactic, which prompted the investigation.

Both Crowley and Harvey were interviewed on Monday.

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Crowley denied to the AFL he intentionally pinched Harvey, while Harvey did not deny his initial statement to the umpire.

It's also understood Harvey told friends he was pinched on more than one occasion, while in the rooms after the match a series of welts could be seen on his body.

Footage at the end of the game showed Harvey and Crowley in discussion about the tactics employed by the Dockers hardman.

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The Dockers refused to comment last night, but the strong indication was they were prepared to back their player's version of events.

In their weekly media release, the Dockers said: "If a Fremantle player is found guilty by the match review panel during the 2013 season, the club will not make any comment or decision as to whether to challenge that finding until the next day's deadline."

The Dockers are expected to lodge appeal papers by 11am today, meaning the AFL Tribunal would sit tonight.

The game's most famous "pincher', former Collingwood strongman Craig Kelly said yesterday rules dictated that pinching was outlawed.

Kelly employed the tactic for a fortnight in 1996 against Geelong and Hawthorn.

He pinched Billy Brownless, Gary Ablett and David Mensch from Geelong, and then Jason Dunstall from the Hawks.

"The following week I was playing on (Tony) Lockett and I didn't go anywhere near him," Kelly said.

 He said pinching was outside the rules.

"Clearly it is (banned), the AFL has said it is by the rules in place, so you can't do it," he said.

 Kelly described the tactic as "annoying" for opponents.

North Melbourne refused to comment last night, but coach Brad Scott made it clear in the post-match that a complaint about Crowley's tactics would not come from the club.

"I think it was a good battle," Scott said.

"Boomer has played 350-plus games. I reckon he might have got away with 20 games at the start of his career, maybe 10, when he wasn't subjected to that sort of defensive pressure, but he's had it for his whole career so it's nothing new."