Footy fan who threw beer at Essendon players cops lengthy ban
A fan who threw a cup of beer at Essendon and West Coast players during the fiery West Coast v Essendon elimination final has been slapped with a huge penalty from the AFL.
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A fan who threw a cup of beer at Essendon and West Coast players has been banned from attending any AFL match for the next three years.
Tempers flared during the elimination final in Perth when Bomber Zach Merrett yanked Nic Naitanui’s hair outside the boundary line and the furious Eagles star threw him into the fence.
Essendon players including Kyle Langford, Andrew McGrath and Tom Bellchambers then wrestled with Naitanui and several West Coast teammates within touching distance of supporters.
During the melee a cup of beer was flung towards several players and showers a nearby TV camera.
It was hurled by fan and businessman Noel Bridge, who was sitting in an exclusive seating area known as the Locker Room, which boasts a private bar where fans can walk right up to the fence.
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But engaging with players is a line fans cannot cross, and the AFL has come down hard on Bridge, who lives in Adelaide, after he tossed his beer at wrestling Eagles and Bombers players during the third-quarter dust-up.
The three-year ban covers all AFL matches anywhere in the country. It will expire on September 11, 2022.
Naitanui and Merrett each copped $1000 fines for their actions.
Earlier this year four fans involved in a fight at a Carlton v Collingwood game at the MCG were slapped with five-year bans.
Nic Nat was NOT HAPPY 😳
— 7AFL (@7AFL) September 5, 2019
(watch #AFLFinals on 7) pic.twitter.com/Fshst24xp1