Southern league player hit with life ban for abusing umpire

A Division 1 reserves player has copped a 20-match suspension over an incident at Highett Reserve last Saturday.

A Southern league player copped a 20-match suspension for abusing an umpire.

A Southern league footballer has been banned from playing for life after copping a 20-match suspension for abusing a young field umpire.

St Kilda City’s Elijah Salesui did not appear before the SFNL tribunal last night to answer charges of abusing, insulting and using a gesture towards an umpire, and refusing to leave the ground.

He faced four reports and was suspended for a total of 20 games, which immediately brought him a life ban under AFL Victoria’s 16-match deregistration rule.

The league said Salesui was sitting on 14 weeks before Saturday’s incident, which occurred in a Division 1 reserve grade game against Highett at Turner Rd Reserve last Saturday.

“It was very unsavoury and something that shocked us at the league, shocked the umpire himself and definitely shocked the (umpires’) association,’’ SFNL chief executive officer Lee Hartman said this afternoon.

Southern league CEO Lee Hartman

“Even other umpires have been affected by it.

“We’ve dealt with it but we’re still supporting the umpire and the association as well. There’s fallout every time something like this happens.

“It’s terrible it gets to this stage. At the end of the day we’re playing sport. Yes, we play to win but at all times we want to have an inclusive environment that’s safe for everyone participating, whether it’s players, umpires or spectators.’’

The reports were for “behaving in an abusive, insulting, threatening or obscene manner towards or in relation to an umpire; using abusive, insulting, threatening or obscene language; for use of an obscene gesture; and for failing to leave the playing surface when directed to do so by an umpire’’.

Hartman said the tribunal had sent a “clear and strong message’’ that abuse of umpires would not be tolerated.

Umpire numbers are down in all leagues this year, largely because of COVID, and Hartman said it was difficult to recruit and retain umpires if they were abused and even threatened.

He said the league had to support them by handing out penalties that would deter other players.

“We’ve got to take a strong stand,’’ he said.

“We’ve already taken a strong stand with other incidents this year, that we’re not going to tolerate it going forward.

“We need to support our umpires, and our clubs are all on notice that such behaviour won’t be tolerated and if you transgress, you’ll be sitting out of football for a long period of time.

“We’re going to lose umpires hand over fist if behaviour like this continues. Like I said, it was very unsavoury and very uncalled for. We’ll support umpires pulling out the report book and pulling out their red and yellow cards. I don’t care if 100 players a week are getting booked.’’

Last night’s penalty for umpire abuse followed two other lengthy suspensions this year.

Doveton Eagles player Zakk Johns copped five matches for using “abusive, insulting or obscene language towards or in relation to an umpire’’.

And Bentleigh Under 19s player Joshua Whittle received a six-game ban for the same offence.