Eastern Park player Michael Friel avoids second headbutting suspension, a week after initial seven-game ban

A NORTHERN suburbs footballer who received a seven-week suspension for headbutting has escaped sanction over another headbutting incident.

A NORTHERN suburbs footballer who received a seven-game suspension for headbutting has escaped sanction over another headbutting incident.

The Adelaide Footy League tribunal on Wednesday night found Eastern Park player Michael Friel not guilty of headbutting Kilburn’s Scott Galbraith during the clubs’ division four match on May 5.

Galbraith told the tribunal the duo simply “clashed heads” and the matter was later dismissed.

Friel was already serving a seven-week ban for headbutting during the same game, which cost Eastern Park seven premiership points because the club was already on notice with the league.

Demons football director Craig Wilson said the club, which deregistered Friel after his suspension, was glad the investigation was over.

Wilson said the Demons had offered Friel support because the two-week investigation had taken a toll on his mental health.

Former Eastern Park footballer Michael Friel pictured during the May 5 game against Kilburn. Picture: Mathew Long/LongTime Photography.

“He won’t play footy again for our football club,” Wilson said.

“We obviously respect the league and the processes they need to take and I think we demonstrated that with the fact we turned up for three weeks.

“It’s been an ongoing saga and it’s been very stressful for everyone, let alone Michael.”

Eastern Park faces losing one premiership point for every week any of its players get suspended because of previous incidents of bad behaviour.

The Demons are bottom of the fourth-tier ladder on minus one point.

Wilson said the club was doing all it could to clean up its act, including imposing in-house bans.

“We need to make changes to the way we are operating and we are doing that,” Wilson said.

“We aren’t sitting on our hands condoning any inappropriate or anti-social behaviours.”

League chief executive John Kernahan said Galbraith protested to the umpire during the match, claiming he received a headbutt.

Kernahan said the umpire then lodged an incident report but the tribunal had “no choice” but to dismiss the claim.

Kilburn declined to comment.

Friel has been contacted for comment through Eastern Park.