Local footy player hit with suspension for off-the-ball elbow on rival

A metropolitan football league tribunal has dished out a six-week suspension to a player for an off-the-ball elbow to an unsuspecting rival.

Mernda’s Riley Black has been slapped with a six-week ban for a cowardly hit on Laurimar captain Mitch Thompson on Saturday.

Black was red carded for an elbow to the back of Thompson’s head mid-way through the final quarter of the Power’s 51-point win at Laurimar Reserve.

The Demons player fronted the Northern Football League tribunal on Tuesday night and will be able to return in Round 10 against Lalor.

Match vision shows Thompson confronting Mernda’s Matthew Golledge after Golledge gave away a 50m penalty before Black hits him from behind.

The pair had clashed just seconds before at a boundary throw-in with Black running in from outside the contest to hip and shoulder Thompson.

Mernda's Riley Black hits Laurimar's Mitch Thompson.

Thompson was felled by the hit, remaining on the ground while Laurimar teammates remonstrated, causing a minor melee.

Mernda football manager Sean Mills said the club was disappointed in Black’s actions.

“He’ll learn from this,” Mills said.

“He was very remorseful on the day and he tried to apologise to the player but they waved him away and he accepted that.

“We don’t condone violence in football and we’ll have some discussions internally.

“There was a hearing last night, they went through the evidence and the video, he was apologetic and remorseful and we’re obviously disappointed by his actions.”

It’s not the first incident of violence at Mernda in the past few seasons.

A player was banned for life in 2019 after a off-the-ball coward hit against Old Eltham Collegians, while Demons captain Josh Delaney was handed a 12-week ban – later reduced to six – for a crude hit also against the Turtles.

Mills said the club did not condone violence.

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“The last couple of years we’ve had a couple of incidents that are out of the control of the club and it’s not something we condone,” he said.

“We’re disappointed across the board, that’s it in a nutshell.”

Thompson suffered a delayed concussion after the match and will miss next week’s clash against Old Eltham Collegians at Eltham College.

Mernda will look to bounce back against Lalor at Lalor Reserve.