The Geelong Football Club is investigating a wild brawl which started after the Cats' thrilling two-point victory over Melbourne.
Just moments after Geelong's Zach Tuohy had scored a match-winning goal after the siren, a brawl erupted in the crowd between opposition fans. At least a dozen supporters from both teams were filmed punching and kicking each other at GMHBA Stadium, on Saturday night. The fight lasted almost a minute before security arrived to break it up. The brawl alleged began because of racial slurs directed towards a Geelong player. Geelong released a statement on Sunday regarding the incident. "Football is an inclusive sport and every supporter that attends a game should be able to do so in a safe and enjoyable environment," the statement read. "Violence has no place in society, let alone at a game of footy. "We will work with all appropriate parties to review what occurred. Once this has been completed we will be able to determine if any action will be required by the club." There have been calls for crowds to be segregated at future AFL games, but CEO Gillon McLachlan has said that it is not happening. He spoke on Triple M and demanded that violent fans should be dealt harsher penalties instead. "The issue here is individual accountability, idiotic crazy behaviour, and they need to be held to account," McLachlan said on Monday. "We pay a lot of money for security ... and the police need to be prosecuting these guys and holding them to account. "We have seen seven million people go to our game and we'll have that about this year, everyone gets on famously. "It's part of our game. Sit with opposition supporters and do it the right way and have a great time, and I'm incredibly proud generally about how we can have such a highly supported, passionate game where people can go with supporters of the opposition. "Segregation is not happening." There have been several violent incidents at AFL games this year, occurring at the MCG, Etihad Stadium and Adelaide Oval.
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Former Hawthorn star defender Brian Lake has been arrested in Japan after he was involved in an incident at a bar while intoxicated.
The three-time premiership Hawk is in Osaka and is competing in the AFL Asia competition. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade released a statement, confirming it was aware that an Australian man had been arrested in Japan. "The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is making inquiries about an Australian in Japan who may require consular assistance and stands ready to provide assistance, in accordance with the Consular Services Charter, should it be requested," the statement read. "Owing to our privacy obligations we will not provide further comment." Lake won the Norm Smith medal in Hawthorn's premiership win against Fremantle in 2013. He played 251 AFL games at both the Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn before he retired in 2015. Former St Kilda, Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs star forward Barry Hall was sacked by Melbourne radio station Triple M, after making an inappropriate comment while on-air with co-commentators Leigh Montagna, Nathan Brown, Mark Howard and Damien Barrett.
The comment was made by Hall during a pre-game broadcast of the Western Bulldogs and Geelong match on Friday night, where former St Kilda star Leigh Montagna was discussing the birth of his first child with wife Erinn. The comment made by Hall is too offensive to quote. Triple M head of content Mike Fitzpatrick released a statement on Friday night, confirming that Hall's employment had been terminated from the radio station. "Tonight on Triple M Football there were unacceptable and inappropriate comments made by a member of the commentary team," Fitzpatrick said on Friday night. "The commentator was removed immediately from the broadcast and an apology was issued on air afterwards. "Immediate action was taken with the termination of employment for one team member." The broadcast on Friday night was Hall's return to commentating on Melbourne radio, who was a fill-in for West Coast and Carlton great Chris Judd. GWS Giants forward Jeremy Cameron will be sidelined for the next five weeks, after the AFL Tribunal ruled that his strike on Brisbane Lions defender Harris Andrews was intentional.
On Monday, Match Review Officer Michael Christian released the match review statement which graded Cameron's offence as "intentional conduct, severe impact and high contact". Andrews had to be stretchered off the ground during the first quarter of last Saturday's match, after suffering a severe concussion. It was later that night that the Lions vice-captain had to be taken to hospital, where scans revealed a small bleed on his brain. At the Tribunal hearing on Tuesday night, Cameron pleaded not guilty to intentionally striking Andrews, believing that he used his arm to protect himself in the contest. Cameron and his representative Rob O'Neill argued that the charge should be judged as careless conduct. After a 33 minute deliberation, the Tribunal upheld their view that Cameron's act of raising his elbow in the contest, was intentional. AFL legal counsel Nick Pane QC argued that the minimum sanction for the incident should be graded as six matches, but O'Niell argued that four matches would be more appropriate. The Tribunal met in the middle, handing down a five-match ban to Cameron. Cameron spoke to reporters afterwards, stating that the hearing was "fair" and reiterated that the incident was unintentional. "I'd just like to say I didn't mean to hurt Harris," Cameron said. "Unfortunately I did. I'm very sorry for that and I hope he gets back to playing football very soon. "Like I said, my main concern is around Harris and his family. "I'm looking forward to seeing him back on the field, where he belongs." Cameron will miss the next five games for the Giants against Hawthorn, West Coast, Richmond, Port Adelaide and St Kilda. The 25-year-old will be available for selection in round 20 when the Giants face Carlton at Etihad Stadium. In recent weeks, there have been several incidents where brawls have occurred at football matches -- especially at Etihad Stadium. As a result of the rising crowd violence, Victoria Police and Etihad Stadium security will increase.
The most recent of brawls to occur at Etihad Stadium was during the match between Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs, last Friday night. The brawl, which was filmed on a mobile phone, involved two groups of men at the Medallion Club. Etihad Stadium issued a permanent lifetime ban to one of the men involved, which is the first ever lifetime ban to be issued from the stadium. The man has also had his AFL membership cancelled and will no longer be allowed to purchase an AFL or Football Club membership. Etihad Stadium CEO Michael Green described the incident last Friday as "abhorrent" when speaking to reporters on Monday, and stated that the incident was "fundamentally opposite" to what the stadium represents. "We are working closely with Victoria Police to identify those involved and we'll take decisive action against anyone breaching the stadium's conditions of entry," Mr. Green said. "I can advise today that one person involved from Friday night has been identified and we are currently in the process of communicating to that person that they will be permanently banned from attending events at the stadium in the future. "We will continue to review our security processes in liaison with Victoria Police. I would like to remind patrons that their safety is our number one priority and we will not accept any behaviour that puts that safety at risk." Victoria Police will boost its presence at Etihad Stadium this weekend to ensure that patrons are under control. |
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