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Police are investigating an alleged violent assault that took place during a soccer match in Melbourne’s north earlier this month, which left a player with a fractured spine.
Footage released by police shows a small on-field scuffle taking place between two opposing players in Mill Park on July 6 about 2.30pm, leading to one player being sent off the field.
The player, belonging to Kings Domain football club, was issued with a red card by the umpire after carrying out a two-footed slide tackle on a Uni Hill Eagles football club player.
As the 33-year-old St Kilda man was leaving the pitch, police say multiple spectators assaulted him at the boundary with players and officials rushing to intervene. Police say the man was seriously injured in the assault, and was left with a fractured spine.
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The match, played at Findon Reserve in Mill Park, started at 1pm, but was called off after the violence erupted.
Uni Hill Eagles head of football, Firas Ibrahim, condemned the incident, which he says started following the opposing player’s “reckless tackle”.
Ibrahim said the club immediately contacted Football Victoria after the violence, asking to suspend their own team for the remainder of the competition. They also issued lifetime bans on two of their own players who were involved.
“We don’t condone any violence and are fully committed to upholding the integrity and spirit of the game,” he said.
“As soon as this incident happened we had the whole team removed from the competition. The players involved have also been banned from playing at the club.”
Footage obtained by this masthead shows the red-carded player smoking on the field after the game and laughing with teammates.
“We’ve got footage of the player in question having a smoke on the ground and gloating about how he nearly broke one of our players’ legs,” Ibrahim said.
“We reached out to Kings Domain to see if they needed any help and to offer to pay for the medical treatment.
Ibrahim said the club is working with Victoria Police and Football Victoria.
Ibrahim maintains that no spectators were involved in the incident, stating that only two players, who have since been banned, were responsible.
“The Kings Domain players were fighting back as well. I was the marshall on the day, and I was pulling people off,” he said.
“We are not condoning violence. We’re happy to take responsibility, but also others need to take responsibility … this player almost broke one of our players’ legs.”
Kings Domain president Melad Hana said the incident has no place in football.
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“Credit to the Uni Hill officials who were there on the day and helped protect those that needed it,” he said.
“Furthermore, credit to the Uni Hill officials who have taken a zero tolerance approach by removing the team involved from the club.”
Police are hoping the footage of the assault will help identify the spectators they believe are involved in the incident.
Detectives are urging anyone who witnessed the assault or was a spectator at the match to come forward.
Football Victoria, the governing body responsible for the two clubs, has been contacted for comment.
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