Police and paramedics were called to Featherbrook Reserve on Saturday after a senior player from the Sanctuary Lakes Sharks Football Club was allegedly struck to the head in a brawl with players from the Braybrook Football Club during the final home-and-away game of the division three competition.
The senior game was abandoned in the third quarter, with Sanctuary Lakes leading 15.18 (108) to Braybrook 6.4 (40).
Earlier in the day, a reserves game was also called off after another on-field brawl which resulted in a Sanctuary Lakes player being injured.
In a statement posted to the club’s Facebook page this afternoon, Sanctuary Lakes club president Gavin Young said the senior player injured in one of the brawls had been taken to hospital with a concussion and a large haematoma across the eye.
Mr Young said the reserves player was also taken to hospital due to concussion. Both men have since been discharged.
“There is absolutely no place in any form of sport for what our players, supporters and officials experienced on the weekend,” Mr Young wrote.
“The cowardly acts of a minority has tarnished this great game over the weekend.”
Mr Young said the attacks were witnessed by juniors, female players and supporters.
“In saying that, we would like to recognise the efforts of the umpires of both games, opposition club president and opposition senior coach for assisting in containing the situation.”
A police spokesman said investigators attended Featherbrook Reserve about 4.30pm in relation to an alleged on-ground assault but no complaint had been made to police and the matter was being handled by the Western Region Football League.
It comes a week after an umpire was forced to “run for his life” as angry fans and parents at an under-15s football grand final in Hoppers Crossing threw punches and chased him off the ground. The umpire was treated at the scene by paramedics for minor injuries to his upper body.
A 40-year-old Truganina man was charged with affray and two counts of assault over the incident and has been bailed to appear at the Werribee Magistrates’ Court on February 5.
