Crowds boos Mitch Creek after assault charge

Basketball star Mitch Creek has been booed while returning to the court as he faces charges over the alleged assault of a woman.

Mitch Creek was booed in his first game back.

Basketball star Mitchell Creek has been booed while returning to the court as he faces criminal charges over the alleged assault of a woman.

The South East Melbourne Phoenix forward was met with boos from the crowd in Thursday night’s game against the Illawarra Hawks.

The boos followed him with each early touch.

Anti-violence advocates have urged the Phoenix and the NBL to sideline the 28-year-old while he faces court for charges of intentionally causing injury, recklessly causing injury and unlawful assault.

The charges relate to an incident in Melbourne’s west on November 22 last year.

Mitch Creek during the round 12 NBL match between the Illawarra Hawks and the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Relationships Australia state spokeswoman Anastasia Panayiotidis said clearing players to play amid criminal proceedings “minimised” the charges while showing impressionable young boys a lack of accountability for violence against women.

“On one level you have potential criminal charges and allegations, and on the other level you have someone going ahead and playing without being cleared and without consequences,” she said.

“To allow someone to continue their sporting prowess when there’s a serious criminal situation going ahead gets the double message to young people in our society that somehow they can behave badly ... and get away with it.”

Creek was stood down by the NBL in mid March when the charges were laid.

But, he was granted permission to play in Thursday night’s game against the Illawarra Hawks when his first court appearance was adjourned to April 21.

Victorian Women’s Trust executive director Mary Crooks said the team’s decision to clear someone like Creek to play “sends a message that people are not totally dead set serious about these issues in our society”.

Creek of the Phoenix drives to the basket during NBL match.

“These are not issues to be half-hearted about,” Ms Crooks said.

“Every time this happens it’s a signal to the broad community that their heart is not in it.”

Ms Crooks said the rise in the number of police call-outs to incidents of violence against women to around 90,000 a year showed that people in positions of power “needed to get serious”.

While the NRL has adopted a ‘no-fault stand down policy’ for players who are charged with serious criminal offences, it is understood the NBL and Basketball Australia have not adopted a similar policy.

A South East Melbourne Phoenix spokesman told the Herald Sun Creek’s charges were under constant review by the club but refused to comment on the matter further.

Creek is unable to compete at the next Olympic Games because of the charges against him.

Originally published as Crowds boos Mitch Creek after assault charge