Thomastown reserves footballer Simon Harraka to appeal 17-week penalty from Northern Football League tribunal which triggered life ban

UPDATE: A SUBURBAN footballer handed a life ban for striking an opponent who will miss the next month as a result of his injuries will fight for his career at an appeals board.

A suburban footballer has been handed a life ban for striking.

UPDATE: A SUBURBAN footballer handed a life ban for striking an opponent who will miss the next month as a result of his injuries will fight for his career at an appeals board.

Thomastown reserves player Simon Harraka was found guilty of striking at a Northern Football League tribunal hearing on Monday and given a 17-week suspension, which automatically triggers a lifetime ban.

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The league confirmed Thomastown had lodged an appeal by the 5pm deadline on Thursday, with a hearing likely to take place next week.

NFL by-laws indicate Harraka will be unable to play while waiting for his appeal to be heard.

The incident was the third time in the past two years the league has handed down a life ban as a result of a striking incident.

“Any inappropriate acts, we are not going to mess around with them,” NFL boss Peter McDougall said.

“We are going to take them seriously, which historically we have shown that by the numbers that have been put out there.”

In May, former Reservoir player Ashley Cluney was deregistered after he was given a 16-week ban for striking a South Morang player.

Last year, ex-AFL diversity manager Ali Fahour was given a 14-week penalty for punching Whittlesea’s Dale Saddington while playing for West Preston-Lakeside, which tipped him over the 16-week deregistration threshold for players and officials.

Fahour was spared a criminal conviction in February after pleading guilty to recklessly causing injury.

Harraka was reported after an incident at quarter-time of a reserves match between Thomastown and Watsonia on Saturday.

The Leader has been told Harraka left the bench and was involved in a scuffle between opposing players, striking Watsonia player Kyle Page in full view of match officials.

Page has been advised not to play for at least four weeks, after sustaining a black eye and concussion.

He had scans in hospital on Tuesday which have ruled out further damage.

Harraka has played for Thomastown in seven of the past eight seasons, predominantly in the club’s reserves and under-19 sides.

The club declined to comment when contacted on Wednesday.

Watsonia said it could not comment, due to the league’s media policy prohibiting discussion of individual tribunal decisions.

McDougall confirmed video of the incident had been used during Harraka’s hearing.

“There’s probably other incidences around the traps where they haven’t been dealt with as severely as what we have,” he said.

“Maybe that is the positive to come out of a negative.

“We won’t tolerate it and if it does come before us it will be dealt with appropriately rather than not.

“Not ideal to have these incidences, especially in this day and age with the amount of awareness in regards to striking incidents.”

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