Sunday’s appalling junior league fight: Don’t condemn the majority who teach right from wrong

Life bans should definitely be given to those at the centre of the appalling brawl at a junior rugby league fixture on Sunday but authorities must be careful not to condemn the majority, writes Andrew Dawson.

Sunday’s appalling, disgraceful fight at the under-13s Division 1 game between Wynnum Manly and Logan Brothers at Wynnum on Sunday is a blight on the reputation of rugby league.

Police were working to identify spectators involved in the wild fight at Kitchener Park, including those responsible for the injuries to Josh Jones who suffered serious injuries during the incident.

After the police and the court system finish dealing with the perpetrators, the Queensland Rugby League need to do its part by banning for life those found guilty of illegalities by our justice system.

RELATED LINKS

WATCH THE FIGHT HERE

LIFE BANS CONSIDERED

I was at Kitchener Park, Wynnum, last Friday for a Langer Cup schoolboy playoff match and saw signage around the ground emphasising spectators needed to display respect and set good examples to children attending the junior league venue.

The behaviour 48 hours later at the same venue was absolutely disgraceful.

How often does this type of incident happen?

“It does not happen as often as you might think,’’ said one leading official with decades of experience behind him. “Maybe every two or so years.’’

But once every 10 or 20 years is too much, let alone “every two or so years’’.

wild footy brawl video art work

Incidents seemed to be quelled these days because the Brisbane Rugby League and Queensland Rugby League introduced a rule that there should be a crowd behaviour official not only from the club hosting matches, but also from the club of the visiting teams.

This seems to have helped short circuit incidents such as the one which happened on Sunday.

Brawling at junior league matches is of course not isolated to the code.

Earlier this month in Sydney there was a violent confrontation between the rivals of two football (soccer) clubs.

The fight has given the club, and the two clubs, a black eye. .

Way back in 1978, I remember a white fence palling from the prestigious Marist College Ashgrove No.1 oval being broken over the head of brawler after a fight broke out between spectators watching a First XV rugby match.

Such violence captured on video on Sunday is a snapshot of society where, these days, a bloke falling to ground seems to be the green light to kick him. That was once rare in Australia – now it seems to be part of a good night out for thugs around the Gold Coast and Valley night spots.

Crowd official, orange, can be seen around the incident.

The irony is Logan Brothers, where the drama during Sunday’s brawl seems to have escalated, is a very well run club.

It is a place where coaches and managers are like father – and mother – figures to youth in a working class district where poverty is too frequent.

The junior club of Queensland legend Cameron Smith, Logan Brothers is both a breeding ground for elite players, but also a place to teach discipline to youth who are confronted between the choice of good and bad.

Most select the path of good.

But it also has an over representation of success stories in sport considering its relatively small population.

The disgraceful incident unfolds.

Corey Allan, Brenko Lee, Jaydn’ Su’a all played in last year’s Origin decider after being educated at Marsden SHS, while Josh Papalii (Woodridge SHS, Logan Brothers) and Moeaki Fotuaika (Logan Brothers) are also Queensland Origin players.

Decathlete Ashley Moloney, 21, is off to his first Olympics this year while Lyvante Su’emai (world junior athletic championships), Jess Wardlaw (Brisbane Lions women’s premiership), Tesi Niu (Broncos), Destiny Brill (Super W rugby), Logan Martin (BMX, Tokyo Olympics), Nathan Colenso (QAFL), Mollie O’Callaghan (swimming) and Jordan Petaia (Wallabies) are just some of the high achieving young sporting people from the city.

Logan City is a place where, if you are in trouble, you are knocked over in the rush to receive assistance. They literally give those who have fallen on hard times the shirts off their own back. Logan people really do that.

Logan City is also a place of great harmony when you consider it is the most multiculturally diverse region in Queensland.

Sadly what happened on Sunday has given the area, and Logan Brothers, a black eye.

Sadly it will also happen again, although thanks to the good people of that club, and the volunteers of league clubs around the state, such incidents do not happen as often as you may think.