'No match official should be subjected to that': Player hit with 15-game ban after incident involving 16yo referee

A Pakenham United player has been suspended for 15 matches after a Football Victoria Tribunal found him guilty of threatening or intimidating conduct towards a 16-year-old match official.

The player contested the serious offence charge stemming from a match on June 26, but was found guilty following a Tribunal hearing on August 20.

The charge related to “threatening or intimidating language and/or conduct towards a Match Official”.

The Tribunal said it was not required to determine whether the player had used the alleged words “I’ll kill you”, or words to that effect. Instead, it found there was sufficient evidence of threatening or intimidating language and/or conduct perceived by the referee.

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Central to the determination was the age of the match official.

The Tribunal noted the referee was 16, while the Pakenham player was an experienced adult footballer who had also worked as a referee.

According to the determination, the young referee called Football Victoria’s incident hotline while travelling home, took notes of what had occurred, completed his Dribl report approximately 30 minutes after the match and took steps to report the conduct to Victoria Police.

The Tribunal described the police report as significant because it demonstrated “the level of threats and intimidation experienced by the Match Official”, adding that making a complaint to police was “not a decision made lightly”.

It also relied upon a statement from Pakenham United, which said several players were required to calm the player down and move him on.

Materials provided by Manningham reported that the player’s behaviour was “aggressive, confrontational and intimidating”, while the Tribunal found he had confronted the referee during the match and again afterwards. The player admitted to losing his composure.

The Tribunal said the conduct directed towards a 16-year-old was likely to have been a traumatic experience and stated: “No Match Official should be subjected to that behaviour.”

The player had no previous Tribunal or disciplinary history, resulting in the recommended 17-match sanction being reduced by two matches.

He was therefore suspended for 15 matches. Having already served two at the time of the determination, he was ordered to serve the remaining 13 matches from August 20.