A scuffle involving players and at least one spectator has tarnished a special day for Wyndhamvale in the Western Region Football League division 2.
Star forward Paul O’Shea booted his 100th goal of the season in the Falcons’ 20-point win over Manor Lakes at Howqua Reserve on Saturday, but the milestone was overshadowed by an ugly three-quarter-time incident.
Falcons player Nic Aldridge wound up with a suspected broken jaw after an alleged hit from behind by an opposition player.
Moments later, a spectator is alleged to have engaged physically with Aldridge while he was nursing the initial injury.
The incident was short-lived but is unlikely to escape attention from WRFL headquarters.
Falcons football manager Nathan Evans commended the actions of players and officials from both clubs who quelled the incident and emotions.
“Obviously being the three-quarter-time break, there were spectators from both sides on the field and it took a couple of us from both clubs to split them up and for it to calm down,” Evans said.
“The league will want to do something about it, but there really wasn’t much involved after the first incident; it was just a lot of people milling around.
“It was really well handled after that and there certainly was no spite in the game following that moment.”
Manor Lakes coach Heath Hunter confirmed an incident had taken place.
He said he didn’t see how it unfolded as he was rearranging his magnets on the team whiteboard at the time.
“I looked up to see one Wyndhamvale player in our huddle and I couldn’t understand why he was there,” Hunter said.
“I don’t know if he got hit and that’s why he was in there, or what he was doing in there.
“If it was the case that one of our spectators handled one of their players, that’s very disappointing and we don’t want that in football at all.
“I’m not sure who the spectator was … hopefully it wasn’t one of ours.”
Aldridge’s finals campaign remains in doubt.
The Falcons moved a game and percentage clear of third-placed West Footscray Roosters, who lost at the weekend.
The Roosters are still a slight chance of wrenching second spot from the Falcons claws.
But they will have to beat Sunshine Heights by a margin that will make up 14 per cent in for and against, and hope the Falcons lose their match against Caroline Springs.
Forget about what’s at stake, Evans says its just important for the Falcons to enter the finals on a winning note.
“It’s important for us to be playing well heading into the finals,” he said.
O’Shea was the talk of the league on Saturday night. He’s one of two players to notch a century of goals this season, along with Caroline Springs’ Shaun Buttigieg-Clarke.
O’Shea was a force with six goals for the game, his 100th coming late in the third term.
“It’s the first time he’s ever kicked 100 goals,” Evans said.
“He was basically a backman-cum-ruckman and played forward when he needed to in his previous football. He’s had an amazing year and he’s kicked goals against
the really good sides, so he’s not just a cellar dweller basher.”
The ever-reliable Daniel Bunworth and speedy Tito Nyawela were the other standouts for the Falcons.
For Manor Lakes, the loss means it will play no part in the finals. The club is fifth in the first season of finals being cut back from five teams to four to accommodate a third division.
