There was a public outcry; and the press was outraged: "Collingwood should give an immediate open clearance to the player responsible for this despicable action.
[5]"Saturday's brutal and cowardly assault on Essendon's John Somerville points out the crying need for stewards in Australian football.
Once he had a confrontation during a cricket match that resulted in him being in trouble with the game's authorities, and he had also been involved in a huge altercation with the Lord twins, Alistair and Stewart, at Geelong.
[11] During the game Wright had taken a mark and saw that one of the twins was headed towards him so he secured the ball under his arm and threw out a right cross.
[12]The Collingwood coach, the tough champion rover, the highly talented boxer, and the scrupulously fair man Bob Rose was far from impressed with Wright's knockout; and, at Rose's behest, during the 1966 pre-season practice matches – that is, when the police, VFL and general social pressure on Collingwood and Wright had somewhat diminished – Wright was told, by football club secretary Jack Burns that his services were no longer required at Collingwood.
[13] Somerville left Essendon at the end of 1967, and was appointed coach of Numurkah Football Club in 1968.