Waterfront Hotel, Bellerive: Video captures wild Sunday night brawl

A witness to a Hobart pub brawl says he ended up covered in another man’s blood when he intervened in the fight, which he claimed started between Geelong and North Melbourne fans.

UPDATED: A witness to Sunday night’s wild brawl at Bellerive’s Waterfront Hotel claims the punch-on was started by mutual antagonism between Geelong and North Melbourne AFL fans who’d kept the night going after the Cats’ victory across the road at Blundstone Arena.

The man, who filmed footage of the brawl before he, two friends and two staff members attempted to break the fracas up, has given a wild account of the incident, involving broken furniture, thrown chairs and tables, and flowing claret.

“Two football idiots from opposing sides started talking crap at each other about the game and it took less than 30 minutes before they started fighting,” the witness, who asked not to be named, said.

“The main people who were involved in the fight I had never seen before, and I’m one of the locals from Bellerive that goes to the venue most nights for a beer.

“There was a female... (who) eventually got punched by one of the football morons.

“These idiots get kicked from the footy ground and wander straight down to the C-Bar only to start more trouble.

“Several pieces of furniture were broken, chairs were thrown as well as tables.”

“I had to grab one of the main idiots and get him in a full nelson just to lead him out of the fight as he was bleeding badly.

“I had other people’s blood on me from intervening in the fight and grabbing people out.”

Remarkably, Tasmania Police said there were “no charges and no injuries” stemming from the melee.

“Police arrived and the group quickly dispersed,” a representative previously told The Mercury.

“The police did not receive any complaints from the public.”

EARLIER: Mercury has obtained footage of the start of a wild brawl at a popular Hobart watering hole on Sunday night, with several groups appearing to be involved in a wider melee which forms and reforms.

Tasmania Police confirmed they attended the Waterfront Hotel, Bellerive, on Sunday night.

“Police arrived and the group quickly dispersed,” a representative said.

“There were no charges and no injuries.

“The police did not receive any complaints from the public.”

Images uploaded to social media suggested at least four police units were dispatched to the hotel’s popular C-Bar, at approximately 7pm.

Footage obtained by The Mercury shows at least three groups of punters grappling in the C-Bar, with a plant at one stage almost knocked over when a man appears to be pushed into it.

About a dozen people appear to be involved at various times in the video, which goes for 30 seconds.

The Mercury has attempted to contact the man who captured the video.

Tasmania Police did not directly respond to questions relating to what they believe started the brawl, what time they were called to the incident and how many units they dispatched to the scene.

The Waterfront Hotel declined to comment.