Fan who touched Richmond star Marlion Pickett banned from AFL matches until at least 2025
A fan who reached over the fence to touch Richmond star Marlion Pickett won’t be seen at an AFL game for a long time. Get the details of the sanctions now.
AFL
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A fan who reached over the fence to touch Richmond star Marlion Pickett last Friday has been banned from attending an AFL game until at least 2025.
The league launched an investigation into the “unacceptable” incident on Saturday morning and tracked down the fan, who has been banned from both AFL and AFLW matches through to October 2024.
It was found that the fan – who was sitting in the front row at Marvel Stadium – was neither an AFL or club member and was instead sitting in general public seating.
The fan touched Pickett on the back as the Richmond player was close to the fence while Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli lined up for goal during the third quarter.
Pickett reacted angrily to the incident at the time and exchanged words with them, with Richmond caretaker coach Andrew McQualter saying after the game that such incidents “shouldn’t happen”.
The AFL released a statement on Monday saying that the sanction sent a clear message to fans that contact with players was unacceptable.
“We have the best fans in the world and more than 6.4 million people have attended the footy this year,” AFL customer and commercial executive general manager Kylie Rogers said.
“We want everyone who comes to the footy to cheer for their team and enjoy the experience of being there, but when you overstep the boundaries, which is what happened on Friday night, then you will lose the privilege of being able to attend the footy.
“Our clear message is this – we love the interactions between players and fans especially in the precious moments pre and post-game – however what we saw on Friday night during the match is not acceptable and never will be.”
Richmond returns to Marvel Stadium to face St Kilda on Sunday.
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