'Not good enough': Essendon youngster taken to hospital in taxi

Essendon youngster Matt Guelfi has been taken to hospital in a taxi after suffering suspected broken ribs and a concussion after an ugly shove into the fence against the Eagles.

The 21-year-old was forced from the field in the first quarter of the Bombers’ clash with West Coast at Optus Stadium.

Eagles veteran Jeremy McGovern pushed Guelfi over the boundary, with the Essendon man landing awkwardly on a security guard’s chair and into the LED advertising boards.

Guelfi staggered to the bench with the help of club physios, later heading down into the rooms to be assessed.

It emerged after half-time that the Bombers suspected he had fractured his ribs in the incident.

McGovern was put on report immediately after the push and Guelfi’s medical report is unlikely to help his case.

Guelfi was later oddly pictured hopping into a taxi to head to the hospital, something that didn’t sit right with Channel 7 commentators Brian Taylor and Wayne Carey.

“It is a billion-dollar business we're in. It's a multibillion-dollar business,” he said.

“They've just built a billion-dollar stadium, state of the art.

“We've got a player that's injured and requires hospital attention. And he gets carted off in a crown cab.

“Not even a silver luxury. Not even a nice one. An old beat-up Hyundai. I would bet that he had to fork out the 10 bucks at the other end. It's just not good enough.”

Essendon football boss Dan Richardson defended the decision on Channel 7.

“It's not an emergency or anything, but with the travel and the flight back we just wanted to get (the injury) checked out,” he said.

“His mum and dad are with him at the moment, as is our welfare manager, so he's in good care.”

Taylor reiterated that the taxi trip was ‘unacceptable’ and said the AFL Players Association may feel the same way.