Mawson Lakes footballer Brayden Bennett receives 10-game ban for breaking Central United opponent’s jaw

A league tribunal has handed down its punishment for a player whose punch left an opponent with a broken jaw. And he has only narrowly avoided being deregistered from the competition.

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A suburban footballer has received a 10-game suspension for a punch that has left the victim with a broken jaw.

The Adelaide Footy League on Wednesday night banned Mawson Lakes player Brayden Bennett for 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 and was set to have surgery to repair his jaw on Wednesday.

The competition’s chief executive, John Kernahan, said Bennett’s punch was “exactly the type of incident the league has worked feverishly in the last five years to eradicate from our game”.

Mawson Lakes player Brayden Bennett punches Central United’s Nathan Fenwick, breaking his jaw.

“One of the league’s key pillars is to maximise participation by developing a safe playing environment,” Kernahan said.

“To ignore our responsibility would be at odds with that mission.

“I’d suggest the penalty is consistent with our footy league’s expectations as a community and the challenge is once again at the league’s door to reaffirm the standards expected.”

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

Adelaide Footy League chief executive John Kernahan. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Kernahan said the tribunal’s feedback was that Bennett was genuinely remorseful for his actions.

Bennett can continue playing in the league, which deregisters footballers when they have a career total of 12 games suspended.

“He has a small lifeline of an opportunity to continue with our league once his penalty is served,” Kernahan said.

“But any player who wants to test our resolve by using the league’s platform for anything other than playing footy would do well to realise our tribunal does not bluff.”

Kernahan said this was the league’s first significant incident of bad behaviour so far this season.

In 2018, the competition made headlines several times because of on-field violence, including when Salisbury West captain Adam Jones copped a life ban for committing four offences in a single game, leading to the club being booted from the league.

The life ban of Salisbury West captain Adam Jones (pictured centre) was one of the league’s incidents that made headlines in 2018. Picture: Brad Fleet

Kernahan said implementing a behavioural rating system for every club during the off-season had helped curb reports of this nature.

“What 2019 has highlighted is just how far the majority of our clubs have come and we are a better league for it,” Kernahan said.

Speaking before the hearing, Bennett told The Messenger he did not want sympathy and apologised 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.

“I don’t want to walk on to 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.”

Central United president Lauri Haronen said before the hearing that Fenwick, a line marker by trade, could not work at the moment and might not be able to play again this season.