Evicted Carlton fan engages top law firm to clear name and demand apology from AFL

The Carlton fan accused of running across two bays at Marvel Stadium to hurl abuse at an umpire at a Carlton game has followed through on his legal threat against the AFL, engaging a top law firm to act on his behalf.

Frankie was back at the footy on Saturday night. Picture: Michael Klein

Lawyers for footy’s flog man have fired a legal letter to the AFL demanding a formal apology and retraction of claims he “ran across two bays of seats” to abuse umpire Mathew Nicholls.

Top law firm Holding Redlich have been engaged by “Frankie”, the Carlton member evicted from Marvel Stadium two weeks ago for calling Nicholls a “bald-headed flog”.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan claimed on 3AW last Friday that Frankie had run in an aggressive and intimidating manner towards Nicholls during the clash against the Brisbane Lions.

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The Blues supporter is adamant he never left his seat on Level 1. He believes he has been vilified and defamed.

Asked on Tuesday whether he maintained that Frankie had run across two bays, McLachlan said: “That was my advice at the time”.

Citing the AFL on June 11, The Age newspaper said the Carlton fan was “evicted for ‘spooking’ (the) umpire by running, screaming, waving his arms”.

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Frankie was back at the footy on Saturday night. Picture: Michael Klein

The claims were used to help justify the actions taken against him as the fan security crisis engulfed the game.

Holding Redlich partner Kyle Siebel told the Herald Sun: “Frankie did not run across two bays of seats as has been alleged.

“Holding Redlich has written to the AFL requesting that the incorrect statements on the public record be corrected and an apology be issued.”

Frankie’s lawyers are also seeking the removal of the first and final warning slapped on him by the AFL integrity department.

Mr Siebel said Frankie was willing to sit down and apologise to umpire Nichols for calling him a “bald-headed flog” as part of the retraction process.

Asked by 3AW’s Neil Mitchell about Frankie’s eviction last Friday, McLachlan said: “I don’t reckon it was just because of those words.

“Mathew Nicholls is a very experienced umpire, I got the notes about it, I followed it up, he said it was the most intimidated he’s been in his hundreds of games of football.

He wants an apology from the AFL.

Frankie is accused of running at umpire Mathew Nicholls. Picture: Michael Klein

Pressed again on whether Frankie had run at the umpire, McLachlan said: “Yes, that was the assessment in the briefing I had, absolutely, across two bays, and the umpire felt intimidated.”

Fallout from the incident led to Frankie taking stress leave from work, while his heavily pregnant fiance was distressed by the publication of images of his face on TV and in the newspapers.

“They’ve thrown me under the bus,” Frankie said last week.

“Go and get the footage. They (the AFL) own the ground, so it shouldn’t be that hard for them to get the footage of me running across the two bays. But it didn’t happen.

“I’m disappointed with the AFL that they think they can bully their way out of situations and make up their own stories.

“The normal fan has no right of reply.”

Broadcaster Gerard Whateley weighed into the Frankie furore last week by criticising 3AW for “championing him in a bizarre and inappropriate way” after he called in to tell his side of the story.