Rosewater stands behind 300-game veteran after umpire allegedly assaulted
ROSEWATER Football Club has vowed to stand behind former captain Adam Rumbelow as he faces a life ban and possibly police charges for allegedly assaulting an umpire during his 300th senior game.
ROSEWATER Football Club has vowed to stand behind former captain Adam Rumbelow as he faces a life ban and possibly police charges for allegedly assaulting an umpire during his 300th senior game.
Speaking on Triple M’s Roo and Ditts radio show this morning, former club president John Reardon denied reports Rumbelow, 36, had struck veteran umpire Craig Trewartha during a division five contest and suggested “health issues” may have had a part in the incident.
“What was supposed to be a fantastic weekend to celebrate Rumbles’s efforts at Rosewater ... went horribly wrong,” Reardon said.
“After five minutes or 10 minutes into the game, he (Rumbelow) was in a dispute with the umpire and then that turned sour.
“He actually didn’t strike the umpire but he did certainly grab the umpire.
“He grabbed the umpire and he didn’t strike him. The umpire, however, did require a bit of first aid after.”
Reardon said the club accepted that physically confronting an umpire was unacceptable but was concerned about “health issues” confronting Rumbelow.
“We’re like any other club, like we don’t condone that and the club did everything possible to avert the disaster that happened,” he said.
“I’m almost certain that Adam is never going to play football again ... the league will rub him out, there’s probably no question on that one.
“(But) all the A-grade players met yesterday and the coach, and we are going to support him, because there’s a health issue involved here.”
Reardon said Rumbelow’s actions had been out of character.
“Adam is a life member, he’s been best and fairest, he’s captained the club for nine years, he’s a fantastic bloke.
“The amount of effort he’s put into that club is unbelievable.
“There’s a bigger issue involved here in regard to his health, so as a club we’ll have to stand behind him.
“Our first priority is probably to help him through this.
“(But) we support that umpire ... because no one should be assaulted if you are trying to officiate a game.”
Radio show co-host Mark Ricciuto suggested the celebrations surrounding Rumbelow’s 300th game could have been a factor in the incident.
“I spoke to (Crows veteran) Scotty Thompson after the game (Thompson’s 300th) on Saturday night and the week build-up to a 300th game, whether you’re at Rosewater or the Adelaide Crows, is quite similar.
“He (Rumbelow) would have been under a lot of pressure, he’s probably had a lot of family and friends going to the game. He’s probably been thinking about it, probably feeling ... an abnormal lead in to the game and it sounds like perhaps the whole build-up and the actual scene just might have got the better of him.”
Reardon agreed, saying: “We even feel a bit guilty because we’ve organised all these celebrations for Adam.
“We had a big presentation planned, we had photos of him before the game with the members of parliament and stuff like that down at Port Adelaide, so all that apparently … might have been too much for him and if he was probably in a fragile state before, I think that’s what’s happened.”
It is believed the incident occurred when Rumbelow reacted to being yellow-carded, which would have meant being sent off the ground for 10 minutes.
It has been reported that the umpire’s right eye was badly bruised and swollen after the game.
Trewartha reported the incident to the police on Sunday.
Rumbelow must front the Amateur Football League tribunal on Wednesday night and if found guilty, can expect a life ban.
Rumbelow has been a Rosewater member since starting in the under 9s.
He also has played first grade cricket for Port Adelaide and West Torrens, and has five times been named the SACA junior coach of the year.
Trewartha has been a member of the SANFL Umpires Association for 49 years and was awarded life membership in 2014.