Eleven players cited after ugly grand final brawl between Beacon Hill and Avalon

Eleven junior rugby league players face NSW Rugby League charges following a disgraceful grand final brawl on Sunday.

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ELEVEN teenage rugby league players have been cited to appear before a NSW Rugby League judiciary following the disgraceful brawl that marred the end of Sunday’s under-17 grand final between Avalon and Beacon Hill at Brookvale Oval.

That was the outcome of a meeting of the Manly-Warringah Junior Rugby League board on Monday night where members painstakingly went through vision of the game for several hours.

A screenshot of footage taken of part of the brawl. Picture: Fox Sports

It is believed 10 Beacon Hill players and one from Avalon will face charges on Thursday night.

Video emerged yesterday of what appeared to show an Avalon player being kicked as he lay on the ground while being treated by medical staff and that is one of the matters that will looked at by the judiciary.

NSWRL chief executive David Trodden said violent incidents needed to be eradicated from the game. Picture: Gregg Porteous

NSWRL chief executive David Trodden said his organisation was aware of what had allegedly occurred on Sunday..

“Incidents of the type which has been alleged need to be eradicated from our game,” Trodden said.

“Junior sport is to be enjoyed by its young participants, not spoilt by inappropriate behaviour. If there is even just one incident of this type, then it is one too many.

“Our sport does not and will not tolerate it.”

Manly junior rugby league president Michael Covey was at the game won by Avalon 21-20.

“My thoughts haven’t changed and I was disgusted when it happened,” Covey said.

“I didn’t see how it started but I was on the field at the end of it and went to see if I could try and calm it down as did a couple of the other ground managers.

The brawl happened at the ned of the junior grand final held at Brookvale Oval.

Covey has subsequently watched a replay of the entire game.

“I didn’t see any niggling, cheap shots or anything like that.- it was a good, fast, hard game,’ he said.

“The incident occurred right at end of the game. The reality is it’s happened, we have to deal with it and we will deal with it.”

The judiciary will chaired by a solicitor appointed by the NSW Rugby League with representatives from the Manly and North Sydney junior rugby league also be on the panel.

Penalities for any players found guilty of charges relating to brawl could range from cautions to lengthy suspensions.

Northern Beaches crime manager Insp Craig Wonders Picture: Braden Fastier

Northern Beaches crime manager Insp Craig Wonders said police are reviewing footage of the incident and speaking to representatives from the teams and from the governing body.

“Then we’ll make an assessment as to whether we take action or leave it to the governing body to take action,” he said.

EARLIER

Matty Johns.

Media personality and former NRL star Matt Johns was at the game where his son Cooper was playing for Avalon.

“It resulted in a young player laying on the ground for 10-15 minutes with the ambulance called,” Johns told Triple M this morning.

“There is every chance this won’t be a junior league matter, it will be a police matter.

“It will be an ongoing story.”

Another witness to the fracas, who has a long association with rugby league, described it as the worst incident he has seen in junior football on the northern beaches.

“It was just thuggery,” the witness told the Manly Daily.

“There were two or three onto one.

“I didn’t see any kicking but apparently a lot of other people did.”

An Avalon player was knocked in the melee but he was reportedly fine.

The witness said none of the reserve players from either team had got involved in the melee nor did any spectators.

A Beacon Hill supporter also came out strongly to refute suggestions on social media that the team was made up of players who had been bussed in from the western suburbs each weekend.

“Only four players in the squad come from outside the area and the others have been playing together for years,” he said.

“There is no bus for any Beacon Hill side and the club is not involved in any of that, and neither is Manly.

“It is a total load of rubbish.”

“We will review the video before any formal charge sheets will be issued in relation to that game,” Mr Covey added.