Kara Jung: Violence on the footy field isn’t OK just because it’s a sporting match
ON Saturday, a man assaulted four people. One ended up in hospital with a broken jaw. It was all caught on video. It’s just one of many examples of violence over which no one was immediately arrested — because it was on the footy field.
- Salisbury West captain banned for life, club suspended
- Salisbury North junior being investigated for punch behind play
- Gaff behind play punch fractures jaw and displaces teeth
- Salisbury West player reported four times in one game
- Police report against Salisbury West’s Adam Jones
ON Saturday, a man assaulted several people.
He kicked, kneed and elbowed.
One of his victims, Carl Teusner, ended up with broken jaw leaving him unable to eat solids. As I write he’s in surgery; doctors working out whether to wire his jaw shut.
His mate was left concussed.
It was all caught on video.
But he was not imediately arrested.
Why? Because it all happened on the footy field.
Salisbury West Captain Adam Jones — yes, captain — was reported four times during the club’s division six qualifying final against Trinity Old Scholars at Salisbury Downs Oval on Saturday.
UPDATE : Adam Jones has been banned for life and his club suspended from competition.
Jones has previously been suspended for seven games for violent incidents. And Teusner said he believed Jones’ actions on Saturday had clear intent. Neither the club or Jones has reached out to apologise to Teusner.
Last year four Salisbury West players, two senior and two under-18s, were suspended for a total of 31 weeks across the season from five separate reports.
The 2005 division four grand final between Salisbury West and Payneham Norwood Union turned violent and five Tigers players were suspended for a total of 38 games.
A Salisbury North 13-year-old player received a 13-week ban last week for punching an opponent behind play during a SANFL junior game.
Salisbury North was kicked out of the senior competition in June after a string of on-field incidents.
These incidents come just weeks after the West Coast Eagles’ Andrew Gaff punched opponent Andrew Brayshaw behind play, leaving the Fremantle player to eat his food through a tube through the side of his mouth because his lips had to be stitched up after his teeth were surgically repositioned.
Gaff said he didn’t mean to smash Brayshaw’s jaw, but I reckon if you’re going to throw a punch at someone, it’s not unreasonable to expect they might get hurt.
Indeed, people have died from violent one-punch attacks in recent years.
Jones was found guilty of intentional striking, kicking and undue rough play charges tonight and been banned for life, while Salisbury West has been booted from the competition.
Police are now investigating after Teusner made a complaint.
But the football community needs to look at why it took so many charges to get to this point.
And why incidents of assault are becoming an all too regular part of the football narrative — from juniors to the very top of our game.
Sport serves society by showing examples of hard work, leadership, perseverance, teamwork and strength of character.
It’s why we sit in the stands and get so emotionally invested in our team.
It’s why little boys and girls want to pull on their guernseys and play the game.
But when I think of my son, who is developing a love for cricket and footy, I’m wondering what kind of community he’ll be introduced to when he joins a local team; what life lessons he’ll learn.
I’m wondering whether, as he grows, I will fear for him as much on the footy field as when he heads into Hindley St for a night out.
I loved my sport as a kid. I was injured and caused injury a few times in the rough and tumble of the game. But I didn’t have any trouble differentiating from contact during play and intentional assault.
As Teusner said of the hit that has left him unable to eat solids: “If it was a bump that went wrong or something like that, you can understand it … but this is, in my opinion, is a pretty clear act to clean me up.”
Everyone loves a win. But it should always be secondary to the way you play the game. Being a good sport is what makes our national obsession a noble pursuit.
We need to come down hard and fast when players are assaulted — on the players and any club that allows that behaviour to permeate their culture.
Assault is assault. And it’s time our sporting communities send a clear message that it has as much of a place on the field as it does off. Which is none at all.
