EDFL: Avondale Heights assistant coach Robert Forsythe banned for 10 matches
A Melbourne competition’s crackdown on umpire abuse has continued after it handed down its biggest ban of the season to a junior coach.
Essendon
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A local footy competition in Melbourne is continuing to crackdown on umpire abuse after it handed down its biggest ban of the season.
The Essendon District Football League tribunal handed Avondale Heights under 16 boys assistant coach Robert Forsythe a 10-game suspension on Tuesday night.
Forsythe was banned on two different charges including an eight-game suspension for “behaving in an abusive, insulting, threatening or
obscene manner towards or in relation to an umpire”.
While he was suspended for a further two games for “using abusive, insulting, threatening or obscene language towards or in relation to an umpire”.
The suspension saw Forsythe become the third junior coach to be banned for umpire abuse this season.
In previous cases, the other two coaches were handed six-week suspensions.
One senior coach has been banned for two weeks for umpire abuse.
Meanwhile two Aberfeldie under 18.5 women’s players were banned for incidents involving an umpire.
One was suspended for three matches for ““using abusive, insulting, threatening or obscene language towards or in relation to an umpire” while her teammate was given a one-match ban for “intentionally, recklessly or negligently” making contact with an umpire.
A search of the EDFL’s tribunal records, available online, found that 19 people — players, officials or volunteers — have been banned for incidents involving umpires.
A Hadfield under 16 was given the longest ban of any player this season when they were handed an eight-week suspension for making contact with an umpire.
Other incidents have involved team runners and a water boy.
In other cases to face the tribunal earlier this week, Adrian Sebastiano — a trainer for one of Coburg Districts’ under 16s boys sides — was suspended for two weeks for pushing an opposition player.
Moonee Valley’s Billie Lugli was handed a two-game ban for striking.
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