Umpire assaulted in shocking moment during NTFL elimination final

A player has been charged after throwing a teenage umpire to the ground in a minute of absolute madness during the NTFL elimination final. Watch the shocking footage.

Northern Territory footballer Warwick Williams has learned his charges after throwing a young umpire to the ground during his side’s NTFL elimination final.

The PINT recruit, formally of Wanderers, is in his first season back in the NTFL after spending a year in jail for an assault conviction.

However, a minute of madness which involved Williams crashing into a contest and yanking an umpire to the ground by the collar could see him off the ground for a long while.

Video footage shows him getting pushed around by Southern Districts players after he rushed in shoving a player to the ground.

And while caught up in the melee he reaches out and pulls the young umpire, attempting to stop the fracas, to the ground.

Williams was then forced off the field and put on report, and on Tuesday was officially charged with intentionally making contact with an umpire.

The seriousness of the charge means it has been referred directly to the tribunal with the possible sanction still unknown.

However, the PINT Football Club requested the case be deferred for a week with the Tribunal to take place on March 6.

A charge for rough conduct was withdrawn.

Umpire knocked to ground in shocking NTFL finals moment

February 24: A teenage umpire has been hurled to ground by a Northern Territory footballer recently freed from jail during a shocking minute of violence in a Darwin footy game.

One of PINT’s star recruits could face a lengthy stint out of the game - if not be rubbed out of it entirely - after he was booted from the field for throwing a NTFL umpire to the ground.

Warwick Williams, who is in his first season back in the league after spending a year in jail for an assault conviction, was quickly ejected from the final after he threw an umpire to the ground and appeared to shove an opposition player from behind.

Video footage of the incident clearly shows Williams crash into a contest midway through the final quarter of the emotional elimination final between PINT and Southern Districts.

Umpire assault in the NTFL elimination final.

He appears to strike at two Southern Districts opponents with the pair falling to the ground.

Williams is then involved in a melee with several players as a young umpire attempts to break up the commotion, Williams reaches out and grabs the umpire and throws him to the ground.

The rough conduct forced senior umpire Mark Noonan to put Williams on report and send him from the field, not allowed to return for the rest of the match.

The match review panel usually release their charges on the Tuesday following the NTFL round, with Williams expected to be listed after being reported.

Williams was sentenced to three years and four months in jail in 2022 after he broke a man’s jaw during a violent altercation on Darwin’s party strip.

He was released last year after spending 14 months behind bars.

AFLNT released a statement stating the incident had been referred to the Match Review Panel.

“Umpires are integral to our game and like everyone have the right to feel safe and valued at the footy,” the statement read.

“While we acknowledge that this incident must follow due process, we wish to reinforce that AFLNT strongly condemns abuse of any type in our game and has zero tolerance when it comes to umpire abuse in any form.”

Originally published as Umpire assaulted in shocking moment during NTFL elimination final