FOOTBALL
NORTH GIPPSLAND
By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
AN all-in brawl erupted during Round 16 of the North Gippsland Football-Netball League between Yarram and Rosedale, which has resulted in one Demons player receiving a five-week suspension.
During the third quarter of the seniors match held at Yarram Recreation Reserve, where the favoured Blues were beginning to break away from their home opponent, tensions rose to the point where a large number of players on the ground broke out into a fight.
The vision of the ‘punch-on’ quickly circulated online with two separate pieces of footage, one from close to the Yarram social rooms near the boundary where a bulk of the brawl was taking place, and another across from the far wing along the fence.
The fight halted the game’s proceedings for well over a minute however, no reports or send-offs were given by the umpires on the day.
The punished Yarram player was seen arriving after the fight had already began and inflicting heavy blows to, what has been revealed, a 19-year-old Rosedale player, said to be left with facial injuries upon the attack.
As such, the Yarram player received five weeks and an additional two-week suspended sentence, disqualifying him for the remainder of the season.
The Demons have a bye this weekend regardless, before facing Churchill at Gaskin Park in the final round of the home-and-away season – Yarram have been out of the finals race for a number of weeks at this point.
NGFNL President, Martha Truin provided a statement on the incident.
“A melee broke out at the Yarram v Rosedale game during the Seniors match,” she said.
“No reports were handed out at the time.
“An Incident Referral Report was lodged by Rosedale FNC, to the controlling body, the NGFNL.
“This was then passed to the MRO, who sent the case to (the) tribunal, resulting in one player charged and receiving five weeks suspension.”
Rosedale would go on to win their eighth match for the season, 18.19 (117) to 5.9 (39), and are preparing for two more rounds of action to set up a finals berth.
