Police investigating footy hit that shattered player’s jaw, leaving him unable to eat solids
A POLICE report has been made ahead of tonight’s footy tribunal hearing to determine the fate of Salisbury West Football Club and its captain — as the club’s history of horror on-field incidents is revealed.
- Salisbury West player Adam Jones reported four times in one game
- Salisbury West docked premiership point for striking ban
- Northern club turfed from Adelaide Footy League
- Player avoids life ban after striking suspension is reduced
A POLICE report has been made ahead of tonight’s Adelaide Footy League tribunal hearing to determine the fate of division six club Salisbury West and its captain Adam Jones.
Trinity Old Scholars full-back Carl Teusner is in surgery today after making a statement to police about a hit from Jones, which shattered his jaw during a qualifying final against the Tigers on Saturday.
It is one of four violent incidents – all captured on video – that Jones will front the tribunal over.
If found guilty of any of the intentional striking, kicking or undue rough play charges, Jones faces a life ban and Salisbury West may be booted from the competition.
Jones has previously been banned for seven games and will be deregistered from the competition if he reaches the league’s 12-game suspension threshold.
Teusner believed Jones’ act had clear intent.
“The deciding factor was that I thought it was intentional in the first place and this guy has shown no remorse,” Teusner, 29, told Messenger Community News.
“If it was a bump that went wrong or something like that, you can understand it – it’s still not right but that’s part of football sometimes.
“But this is, in my opinion, is a pretty clear act to clean me up.”
Teusner had surgery to repair his broken jaw this morning.
He has not been able to eat solid foods since the incident.
The Trinity committee member, who has played at the club since 2007, said he has not been contacted by Salisbury West.
It was not until Teusner’s father called Salisbury West president Frank Timpano, who said Jones was sorry, that they heard an apology.
“But without him saying it to me himself, you can’t take it too seriously,” Teusner said.
Salisbury West is on notice with the league due to previous incidents of bad behaviour.
It is under the same conditions with the league as fellow northern suburbs club Salisbury North, which has been kicked out of the competition after a player’s five-week intentional striking suspension in June.
Last year four Salisbury West players – two seniors and two under-18s – were suspended for a total of 31 weeks across the season from five separate reports.
In 2005, the 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.
Salisbury West was also fined $2000 and was not promoted to division three for the next season.
Payneham won the lopsided match by 125 points.
Salisbury West has not responded to any requests for comment.
It is scheduled to play Rosewater in the division six second semi-final this Saturday.
Salisbury West president Frank Timpano told Messenger Community News in July the club had made “great strides”.
It came after the club was stripped of one premiership point because player Darrell McIntyre received a one-week ban for sriking a Trinity opponent in their round 14 match.
“At the end of the day we abide by the league and the conditions that we are under,” Timpano told Messenger Community News in July.
“We had a meeting last night and everyone – players, coaches, officials, support staff – is on the same page.
“We’ve made some great strides at the club and have our own sanctions and rules, which we stick by and have followed.
“It (the July incident) is a slight hiccup, which will give us a reminder that we can’t slip up.”
The Adelaide Footy League tribunal will sit at its Thebarton headquarters tonight.