O’Donovan is available for Newcastle’s home clash with Melbourne City on Sunday after serving a two-match ban for “assault” on Sydney FC’s Jordy Buijs earlier this month.

Jets boss Ernie Merrick labelled Buijs a “B-grade actor” and the Irishman insisted his action wasn’t deliberate but the match review panel imposed the ban.

O’Donovan was infamously issued with an eight-game ban for a headbutt in early 2016 and suggested that incident had played a part in his latest ban which he labelled “ridiculous”.

The ex-Sunderland and Hibernian striker also slammed the lack of a proper appeals process in the A-League, saying the competition is on a path to be a  “laughing stock”.

“They say you have the right to an appeal but there’s a veiled threat of an extra game if you do appeal it,” O’Donovan said.

“That’s not an appeals process. For me if Australian football is serious it needs to start taking itself serious like other codes do in Australia.

“Rugby league and AFL have been examples of where players can appeal, they can have their day in court and they’re not guilty just because they’re seen as an Irish hooligan. I’ve never even had a yellow card.

“To miss two games and a month overall is ridiculous really. It’s something that needs to be fixed for next season otherwise Australia is going to be a laughing stock.

“There should be avenue to do that. I’m frustrated about that.”

O’Donovan, who also suggested the competition had become soft, re-lived the incident, explaining his innocence.

“I didn’t deliberately hit him,” he said. “I was basically trying to chase a ball down.

“The defender has played a loose pass, that’s why he’s run across my path.

O'Donovan walks off after being sent off against Sydney

“I was trying to get through him to get to the ball. My suspension was deliberate assault while not playing the ball.

“That’s either football people, players, ex-players, coaches, have a different perspective to the referees or VAR or it’s a different game completely, I have to stop playing in Australia now, because it’s very soft.”

O’Donovan was coy in his criticism of Buijs, stating the system was the issue not the Sydney defender’s simulation antics.

“If you can getaway with that in Australia, which you can, why not do it?” he said.

“There’s no punishment for it in Australia. You get the other team punished.

“Keep doing it, because it’s brushed under the carpet. I’m the hooligan and the thug.

“It’s never in the spirit of the game but I’m not in charge of the rules and regulations.

“Between referees, VAR, match review panels, FFA, A-League, I don’t know where the connection is there between what’s happening on the pitch.

“I’m not standing up here to be a cheerleader. I’m always talking about the positives, there’s great players, the broadcast service on Fox Sports every week is fantastic but everything else that goes with it, you’ve got to ask questions.”