Mawson Lakes footballer Brayden Bennett ‘ashamed’, set to front tribunal after breaking Central United opponent’s jaw

As he gets set to front the league’s tribunal tonight on a striking charge, a footballer has apologised for breaking an opponent’s jaw, saying “it’s not how I want to conduct myself as a person”.

• League introduces new system to tackle bad behaviour
• Henley, Broadview in hot water over suspensions
• Which clubs were suspended the most in 2018?
• Salisbury West to sit out 2019 due to violent incidents

A suburban footballer whose punch has left an opponent in hospital with a broken jaw says he is “ashamed” by his actions.

Mawson Lakes player Brayden Bennett will front the Adelaide Footy League’s tribunal tonight charged with striking Central United’s Nathan Fenwick during the clubs’ division seven game at Mawson Lakes Oval on Saturday.

Fenwick, a 300-game Bulldogs veteran who is also the club’s football director, has been in the Royal Adelaide Hospital since yesterday afternoon and is undergoing surgery to repair his jaw today.

Bennett told Messenger Community News he did not want sympathy and was sorry to Fenwick and his family.

“I’m ashamed by it, to be honest,” Bennett said.

“It’s not how I want to conduct myself as a person.

“I just want to apologise to Nathan and his family.

“I spoke to him after the game and apologised to him then as well.

“He said he was sore and I didn’t realise that he was as bad as he was.

“I don’t want to walk onto a footy field and do that to a bloke — it’s not the reason I play footy.

“I just hope he’s able to get back to work and his family life as quickly as he can, and also get back to playing footy as soon as possible.”

Bennett struck Fenwick early in the fourth quarter of the match during a marking contest.

Umpires did not report Bennett on the day but Central United brought the incident, which was captured on video, to the league’s attention today.

Central United president Lauri Haronen would not comment about the matter but said Fenwick was feeling “hungry” because he had been unable to eat solids.

Haronen said Fenwick, a line marker by trade, could not work at the moment and might not be able to play again this season.

League chief executive John Kernahan did not want to comment before tonight’s tribunal hearing.