Shaydon Bloomfield: Red Hill footy player coward-punched man
A former high-flying goalkicking machine, who was once on the radar of AFL clubs, has fallen back down to earth with a bang.
South East
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A Peninsula footy player has faced court after knocking out a fellow drug user in a violent one-punch attack at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting.
Shaydon Bloomfield, who now plays for Red Hill Football Netball Club, was a star at Lara and Albion before his substance abuse issues and a gambling addiction sent him off the rails.
He regularly kicked big bags and was described by the Geelong Advertiser as someone who could have been drafted to the AFL.
They said he was “the ultimate excitement machine”, and there was “no more watchable player in the GFL than Shaydon Bloomfield”.
The 32-year-old, who has a history of violent offending, pleaded guilty to assault at the Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
Several supporters, friends and Red Hill president Graham Sherry were also online at the virtual hearing.
Court documents state on March 23 this year Bloomfield and the victim were attending a Narcotics Anonymous meeting at the Benton Square Community Centre in Mornington.
When they both left the victim was approached by Bloomfield, who threw a punch at him, but it didn’t land.
A second punch did hit the target, striking the man square in the face and knocking him unconscious.
He fell to the ground and Bloomfield left the area, while other people from the meeting helped the man.
He was in a lot of pain, had a bad headache and suffered a depressed fracture of the cheekbone.
Bloomfield was later arrested in Frankston and gave a no comment interview.
The court heard as well as a footballer and a father of a 10-year-old, he is also an indigenous artist and video producer who designed the Red Hill reconciliation jumper.
Defence lawyer Sally Vardy said her client was grieving the loss of his brother, a boxer, who had died of a heart attack a few months prior to the assault.
She said Bloomfield had been provoked by the man but knows he “should have walked away” and punching someone was “not an appropriate way to deal with his emotions”.
She said he had had significant issues in the past with drugs, alcohol and a gambling addiction, but was working hard to try and avoid relapses in the future.
Ms Vardy said he was a talented footballer and someone who was well respected at the Red Hill club.
She tendered a series of references from club officials and his friends, with the main theme being the qualified roof tiler was an “insightful, honest, hardworking, contributing human”.
Magistrate Julian Ayres said it was pleasing to see someone with so much support, and Bloomfield had shown an ability to function as a “positive person” at times.
But the community also needed protection, he said.
“(The victim) was knocked unconscious, it was potentially a fatal one-punch attack,” Mr Ayres said.
“He knows a bit about boxing, he knows how to deliver a blow that’s for sure.
“This was inexplicable; and it occurred in the context of a history of violent offending.”
Mr Ayres said he needed time to read through reports and for an assessment for a community corrections order to be conducted.
Bloomfield, who has already spent 56 days behind bars, was remanded in custody until August 11.
