Ex-VFL footballer Jonathon Proud charged with threatening to kill woman, assault and harassment

A former talented VFL footballer is back behind bars after he allegedly bashed, harassed and threatened to kill a woman.

Melbourne suburban footballer Jonathon Proud has been charged with violent offending.

A fallen football talent with a history of violence is facing allegations he bashed and threatened to kill a woman.

Jonathon Proud, 33, fronted Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after he was charged with multiple offences including make threat to kill and assault.

Proud allegedly assaulted, harassed and threatened to kill a woman at Williams Landing on June 27 this year.

Proud, a talented former VFL player who recently played in the Western Football Netball League, also allegedly assaulted a person at Laverton on June 30.

It’s also alleged Proud, who appeared on remand via videolink, intentionally caused $500 damage to a mobile phone.

Proud, of Williams Landing, also allegedly assaulted a person at Laverton on March 18.

The fallen footballer also allegedly smashed a window and was caught with a controlled weapon and meth at Laverton the next day.

Proud, who has been on remand since his last alleged violent offending, was set to plead guilty to multiple offences at court today but the matter had to be adjourned due to a legal issue.

Proud was also allegedly caught with meth and a weapon.

The court heard Proud, whose brother Albert played for the Brisbane Lions between 2007 and 2010, has a history of violent offending against multiple victims.

Proud was sentenced in March 2020 to a minimum five-month jail term after pleading guilty to make threat to kill and intentionally causing injury.

Proud went to his victim’s Hoppers Crossing house armed with a machete in November 2019.

Proud, who was released from custody the day before, had been told his victim, a dad, had assaulted a female friend.

Proud smashed up his victim’s car after the dad locked himself and his children inside the house, the Sunshine Magistrates’ Court was told in 2020.

Proud fled but then called the father several hours later.

Proud recently played football in the WFNL.

“I’m going to come and chop your head off,” Proud said.

Proud and two other “unknown” assailants – all armed with machetes – returned to the home just after 6pm.

The machete-wielding trio confronted their victim after waiting for him to come outside.

The man – who yelled out to his children to “lock the door” – armed himself with a brick and a spear.

He clocked Proud with the brick before he was struck by the other offenders.

Proud and his cronies fled but left key evidence at the scene.

The dad was rushed to Sunshine hospital with head and arm injuries.

Proud was arrested at his Truganina house the next day.

Albert Proud in his AFL playing days for the Brisbane Lions.

He told police he was angry and wanted revenge after he heard the victim had assaulted a female friend.

However, Proud only heard about the alleged assault while he was in custody for assaulting a woman.

“It’s ironic that he is accused of slapping a woman the day before (the attack),” Magistrate Mike Wardell said back in 2020.

Mr Wardell said the “vigilante” attack would have been “terrifying for the victim”.

“It was savage, ugly, in a public fashion which was viewed by children in the household,” he said.

“The community views this type of offending as serious … It’s simply not acceptable in today’s society.”

Proud, who was jailed for a maximum 15 months for his prior offending, will front court on the latest allegations at a later date.