SA Footy

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009 ... 587921.htm

Footballer punches 16yo umpire, banned for life

By Sport Online's Nic MacBean

A 29-year-old footballer has been banned for life after punching a 16-year-old umpire in a Victorian country league Australian Rules match.

The Riddell District Football League tribunal last night handed down the life ban to Rockbank player Christian Innella, who pleaded guilty to the level-six offence of "trying to make contact with, or striking an umpire".

The moment of madness by Innella has ended his football career because he is ineligible to play in any league in Australia for the rest of his life.

He could face police action over the attack.

The ABC understands Innella had been verbally abusing umpire Matthew McFarlane throughout the first half and he lost his temper completely during the second quarter of the match against Romsey.

A trainer initially held the angry player back, but he broke free and chased the umpire across the field before hitting him on the side of the head.

The match was called off immediately after the attack.

"No form of verbal or physical abuse of umpires will be tolerated in our league and we stand by the penalty that was handed out tonight,'' RDFL general manager Scott McCartney said.

"Based on the umpire's evidence and the guilty plea, the RDFL independent tribunal determined that a life suspension is applicable."

Innella did not show up to the tribunal hearing, which lasted for around an hour and heard testimony from the umpire and an advocate for Innella.

The win was later awarded to Romsey, despite less than half the match being completed.

The ultimate wanker!

A guy in the Port Lincoln Football League was suspended for 25 years for striking an umpire...

On appeal, it was reduced to seven.

In his return season, he was again reported for striking (4 games), and got 6 games the following year- again for striking.

Don't you think they'd learn?

Swamp Donkey wrote:The ultimate wanker!

Couldn't agree more!

well done RDFL tribunal for setting the standard

His favourite saying in the next 3 years should be: "make the bad man stop"

good work by the RDFL. No-one should hit an umpire. I always made a point to shake hands with an umpire after a game and thank them for umpiring the game. Never got me any extra votes in the league awards though

will always be a recipe for disaster under current saafl system as there are too many biased and down right cheating club umpires and until the league really wants to address the situation and implement a fair system/solution that all clubs have to adhere to, B grade games will remain a huge risk of something major transpiring.

bloody victorians!!

Life is good - it stops this lowlife from making a menace of himself with other leagues too.

Did the umpire report him directly after the incident?

silicone skyline wrote:Did the umpire report him directly after the incident?

I believe that the umpire was very badly injured, So I believe he was not directly reported by him, but heck there would have been 500 others who would have seen it. So Bang gone for life and good riddens!

I am in two minds when it comes to this issue. I agree the guy got what he deserved but surely there has to be something regarding the ages of the umpires in all leagues. After copping an almighty spray from my mother in law about me having a go and nearly coming into contact with an umpire a few weeks back. No before I get a pasting on here. Hear me out and where i go with this thought.

1. The umpire that i had a go at continually had personal and foul sprays at me all game. It started when i had a go at him for a woeful decision. I did threaten him but what was coming out of his mouth towards me was not what you would expect from an umpire. Could this have played a part with the issue at hand. Did the young fella (ump) get a bit too big for his boots?

2. In my oppinion there should not be anyone aged under 20 minnimum umpiring senior grades. We have enough trouble with the umps we have and what goes on asit is. If the league wants new and better tealented umps they should go through the same process as players do. You cant be 16 and play A grade footy. They should come through the ranks and if they perform, show respect for the players and therules then yes bring them up. If they are at an appropriate age. How are players going to show the right respect to someone that one does not have the life skills and conflict res experience and are in some cases 20 years their junior. It just wont work effectively.

I have seen this occur far too often. These young umps trying to prove they are the owners of the game at hand and try to be the big guy on field and the players retaliate for whatever reason. I'm sure everyone can remember what it was like to be 16 and if someone older than you tries to question you.

If the leagues can sort it out and do it properly I dont know it may work. But i'm still not convinced these guys should be umpiring. Its not just player sfety anymore there is a duty of care to everyone involved

Spoke to my mate from Melbourne who had a few friends at this game, and he said the bloke chased the kid down and hit him from behind.

Gutless wanker....

i do midly agree with you marbles to extent that sometimes the younger umpires are thrown in the deep end and have trouble controlling the games but we should be showing more respect to the umpires. Were would we be without them?

Tooting Bec wrote:i do midly agree with you marbles to extent that sometimes the younger umpires are thrown in the deep end and have trouble controlling the games but we should be showing more respect to the umpires. Were would we be without them?

Absolutly. They are like necessary evils. I agree, without them there would be no game at all

Or a shit one. Remember when you umpired yourselves at school? It was awesome.

silicone skyline wrote:Or a s***t one. Remember when you umpired yourselves at school? It was awesome.

yep and if you didnt like the call or got te shites with eachother there was just a big all in blue. owww bring back the old days

marbles wrote:
If the leagues can sort it out and do it properly I dont know it may work. But i'm still not convinced these guys should be umpiring. Its not just player sfety anymore there is a duty of care to everyone involved

I think 16 is a bit too young to be a field umpire. Boundary yep that is fine. I did plenty of boundary umpiring of A grade country footy, it was a good cash cow for a 14 -16 year old. Its not very nice when you cop abuse from either players or spectators but if you stick to your guns you can tell them to shove it where the sun don't shine. Just like the SANFL reserves umpire just this weekend past on the outer wing at Woodville. Bugger all crowd about and gave it as good as he got

I made my 1 and only trip to a tribunal as an umpire/Player at 15. Christ it was horrible as at that point in time I was the youngest official to represent myself before the league (and probably still are) and they weren't entirely sure on how to handle the situation I had brown stains in my pants . Anyway to cut a long story short the bloke pleaded guilty and was given 4 games I think including a inter league match so 3 club games and I was glad it was all over

heater31 wrote:

marbles wrote:
If the leagues can sort it out and do it properly I dont know it may work. But i'm still not convinced these guys should be umpiring. Its not just player sfety anymore there is a duty of care to everyone involved

I think 16 is a bit too young to be a field umpire. Boundary yep that is fine. I did plenty of boundary umpiring of A grade country footy, it was a good cash cow for a 14 -16 year old. Its not very nice when you cop abuse from either players or spectators but if you stick to your guns you can tell them to shove it where the sun don't shine. Just like the SANFL reserves umpire just this weekend past on the outer wing at Woodville. Bugger all crowd about and gave it as good as he got

I made my 1 and only trip to a tribunal as an umpire/Player at 15. Christ it was horrible as at that point in time I was the youngest official to represent myself before the league (and probably still are) and they weren't entirely sure on how to handle the situation I had brown stains in my pants . Anyway to cut a long story short the bloke pleaded guilty and was given 4 games I think including a inter league match so 3 club games and I was glad it was all over

Wow Heater since ive been on here we have never agreed on anything. Nice good to see