SHORTLY, prior to half-time of the Under-19 Division 2 match between Newport Power and Albion at Langshaw Reserve on Saturday, April 23 a melee broke out between the two sides.
The melee continued for a brief period after the siren sounded.
The closest officiating umpire was observing the melee and instructed players to back away when he dropped his whistle. As he went to pick up the whistle from the ground, he received accidental contact from an unknown player.
The umpire stated that he experienced some mild bruising, but was not injured in this incident and did not require any treatment. Due to the nature of the melee, the umpires couldn’t determine which player contacted the umpire.
The game continued after the half-time break with no further incident and both umpires and the coaches of both teams reporting that the game was played in good spirits with the result determined in the last minute of play.
WRFL by-laws mandate that both Newport Power and Albion Football Clubs will be charged for taking part in the melee. The charges carry automatic fines.
Incident reports from the match are being reviewed, to determine whether any further action is warranted on behalf of the league.
The WRFL is disappointed with the media coverage on this incident, some of which has exaggerated its seriousness.
Last Modified on 26/04/2016 15:17