SA Police investigating Crow Matt Crouch for hitting Port Adelaide fan’s hat from head at Showdown

Police would be far better advised to target the scourge of racist fan behaviour or a mascot’s assault, than the removal of a fan’s hat, writes the editor.

The police investigation into Adelaide player Matt Crouch for allegedly knocking off a Port Adelaide supporter’s hat after a fiery Showdown is a farce worthy of a Keystone Cops episode.

An altercation happened when the Crows were leaving the field, when Crouch approached the Port fan before flinging the spectator’s hat from his head.

SA Police on Tuesday said the matter was under investigation by Eastern District Police, after they received a report at the end of Saturday night’s Showdown.

This is the same police force that The Advertiser in April revealed was cutting back on the types of call-outs they attend in a bid to free up resources so they can focus on more serious jobs.

This was part of a trial aimed at weeding out unnecessary welfare checks, which was expected to lead to police considering tightening triage polices for other types of call-outs.

Unless there is some yet-to-be-revealed extreme allegation in the Crouch hat-tipping saga, this triage process should have been applied in this case.

Instead, police should apply resources to investigating the vicious assault of the Port Adelaide Football Club’s mascot, Thunda, or the disgraceful racial abuse levelled at Power forward Willie Rioli.

The person inside the mascot costume was left with a bloodied nose and was treated by medical staff at Adelaide Oval, before returning to the ground.

Front page of The Advertiser on August 20.

The video showing the alleged incident of Matt Crouch knocking off a football fan’s hat after the Showdown. Picture: 7NEWS

The Adelaide and Port Adelaide football clubs, not the police, are investigating reports of a racial slur directed at Rioli and, appropriately, have condemned the behaviour.

By contrast, NSW Police in June sanctioned a 61-year-old man from Sydney’s southern suburbs over allegations of racial abuse directed during a game towards South Sydney rugby league players Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell.

Isolated outbreaks of racism from a tiny, warped minority continue to mar the AFL, despite the admirable and courageous efforts of people, including former Crows champion Eddie Betts.

Police would be far better advised to target this scourge, along with the mascot’s assault, than the removal of a fan’s hat.

Unless there is a more substantial allegation, it looks like police have missed the wood for the trees in this case.