A MAN has been arrested and charged by Victoria Police for alleged threats levelled at Richmond defender Dylan Grimes following Saturday night's Dreamtime match in Darwin. 

Grimes revealed he had received death threats and abuse on social media on Sunday morning after a staging incident in which he was fined for by the AFL's Match Review Officer. 

The sanction is being challenged by written submission at the Tribunal on Tuesday night. 

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After receiving the threats, Grimes then contacted police before a warrant was followed out on Monday. 

"Police executed a warrant at a Frankston address on Monday 24 August as part of an investigation into alleged online harassment," the Victoria Police statement said.

"Detectives arrested a 39-year-old man and charged him with stalking, using telecommunications device to menace, making threat to commit sexual offence and other charges. 

"He was bailed to appear before Frankston Magistrates' Court on 4 May 2021."

No one should have to tolerate this, and as an AFL industry, we need to continue to unite, educate, call-out and stamp out this ugly, abusive behaviour,

- Richmond CE Brendon Gale

Grimes said his decision to escalate the abuse was in order to protect his family. 

"Firstly, I want to thank Victoria Police for their assistance with this matter, and for promptly protecting the physical safety of my family while I am away," Grimes said on Tuesday.

"The severity and pointed nature of these threats went way beyond what I would call normal post-game banter with this individual, so much so that we were concerned for the safety of my family back home in Victoria." 

"Honestly, I am disappointed that this has escalated to this extent, I'd really like to move on from it and get back to focusing on footy, but at the same time I also encourage people to continue to call out this kind of behaviour. It's not right for anyone, including players and their families, to have their safety threatened."

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Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale backed Grimes' move to call out the behaviour.

"No one should have to tolerate this, and as an AFL industry, we need to continue to unite, educate, call-out and stamp out this ugly, abusive behaviour," Gale said.

Richmond said it wouldn't be making any further comment with the matter now before the courts.