The incident in the game between Sydney FC and Newcastle Jets was no longer an issue for the match review panel once referee Peter Green informed the A-League that he had seen it clearly and deemed it an accident.
False 9 is not saying Smeltz meant to injure Birighitti, but replays showed the Jets goalkeeper going to ground and reaching the ball fractionally ahead of Smeltz's right boot connecting with his face. There was a duty of care that Smeltz didn't meet.
It's understandable that Football Federation Australia wants to back its match officials and not have a system in which there is constant reviewing of incidents, but there should be more flexibility with an incident like this one.
The match review panel should be compelled to make a judgement on such an incident. The referee's opinion could still have an influence, but the panel may agree or disagree with him. That is how the system should work.
Ange-watch
National-team coach Ange Postecoglou makes the occasional appearance on the ABC TV program Offsiders and when he was there on Sunday he was asked if he had any new players "on the horizon".
Postecoglou replied: " Well, yeah, the beauty of it is I don't even have to look to Europe these days. I mean, we saw Aaron Mooy last night, who's really growing all the time, Jamie Maclaren in the first week scored a couple of goals for the Roar and Tomi Juric scored overnight.
"I think from that perspective I'm really encouraged. The challenge is when do you take the punt to put these young players in, or these young people in, in any sport, particularly when they're replacing champions who have been successful.
"I've seen in so many of our national teams that sometimes, you know, we don't want to pull apart teams that have been really successful and all that really does is delay that regeneration process."
Postecoglou would have been further impressed by Maclaren's performance for Brisbane Roar in its 2-1 win over Central Coast Mariners.
He didn't score any goals on this occasion, but kept getting into good positions and on a day when they weren't going in for him he still made sure they went in for the team with assists for each of Brandon Borrello's goals.
Born to score on the road
Wellington Phoenix striker Roy Krishna's goal in the 2-1 away win over Perth means he has now scored in three straight road games against Glory. And with a double thrown in that is four goals in total.
It is described as one of the longest road trips for a domestic league game in world football, but it obviously doesn't bother Roy. So, in celebration of his true road warrior fitness, False 9 would like to bring in The Boss with the greatest road-trip song of them all.
Krishna is a true team player, so he would appreciate it when The Boss said: "Remember, in the end, nobody wins unless everybody wins."
How did that feel?
We had seen late, late shows before in the Melbourne derby and now Besart Berisha has added to the legend with his 90th-minute winner for Victory against City. Berisha accepts that is his job, to score the biggest goals in the biggest games, and he was delighted to do that yet again.
"I just always try my best, you know, I work hard and I keep believing I will score my goal and also a very important goal, so I'm very, very happy for that," Berisha said afterwards.
"This is why I'm here at Victory, you know, this is why they brought me here and I hope I can always be here for the club and supporters and the team and score the goals for them.
"We made it a little hard for ourselves, but in the end we deserved it because we're playing good football."
Tweet, tweet #1
This one needs no explanation other than to say it's ex-Central Coast striker Daniel McBreen chiming in with a well-timed gag.
Tweet, tweet #2
The goalkeepers' union doesn't exist in fact, but in the minds of the custodians themselves it's a reality so it was no surprise Victory's Danny Vukovic got a pat on the back from one of his fellow glove-men after breaking the A-League appearance record.
Man of the hour (and a half)
Brisbane coach John Aloisi, a former La Liga player himself, is clearly loving the work of Corona for his team. The Spaniard was sublime with some of his touches against Central Coast.
"Each game, he'll get stronger," Aloisi said after the win. "Once he understands his teammates around him as well. He can control a game of football and he showed some of his quality touches.
"It's really a pleasure to have him here in Australia because the foreigners you bring in you want to be foreigners who can make a difference and I think Miguel is definitely making a difference and I believe he'll get better."
Quote of the week
"We're probably at ground zero. We're starting to rebuild again. It's a big challenge and one we're all looking forward to and really want to embrace, you know."
That was Perth coach Kenny Lowe after the home loss to Wellington. Glory is on the bottom of the table and the only team without a point after two rounds.
The team looks hugely different to the one that was riding high last season before it all came crashing down on the club with the salary cap drama.
It is obviously still only early days this season, but Perth needs something good to happen soon or the fans that are already hard enough to attract will start to drop off and the mood around the club will inevitably be affected.
A win in the FFA Cup semi-final at home against Melbourne City on Wednesday night would be a good start.
Can't wait for ...
What else but the Sydney derby, in front of what should be a packed house at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.
Sydney FC, still to settle into a groove following key changes to its team since last season but with a healthy four points from two rounds, against a Western Sydney Wanderers outfit that has just one point and is still trying to adapt to an evolving style of play.
The Sky Blues will start clear favourites, but anything can happen in a derby. That is what makes these games so fascinating.
