The ugliest parts of junior sport are again in the spotlight following another violent brawl. SEE THE FOOTAGE
The ugliest parts of junior sport are again in the spotlight following a violent brawl between a coach and a touch judge at an under-11s rugby league match in Redcliffe.
The April 30 incident occurred during the game between the Redcliffe Dolphins and North Devils, and is likely to lead to sanctions for those involved.
Footage of the incident only adds to Queensland’s growing list of junior sporting incidents – here is the fallout from some moments of madness.
MAY 2008
A junior rugby league coach quit in disgust following a shocking junior footy brawl in a Cairns District Junior Rugby League under-15s match between Brothers and Mossman.
The fight, which occurred during a regular season match at Mossman, started between opposing wingers but quickly escalated into an ugly melee involving several players and even water carriers. A Mossman player reportedly left the field bleeding from his face.
Officials called off the match and awarded the points to Mossman due to a Brothers’ bench player running on to the field to join the fray.
Roy Zammataro quit as coach over the ugly incident.
Mossman coach Roy Zammataro, who had coached local juniors for eight years, resigned in the wake of the incident, citing unacceptable violence.
Two Brothers players were suspended for seven and five weeks, while the injured Mossman player was found guilty but discharged without penalty.
No one was charged over the incident.
MAY 2008
Two footy mums were banned from attending junior rugby league games after the parents got into a punch-up at a game between Edmonton Storm and Central Scorpions.
League officials slammed the women’s behaviour following the 2008 incident.
“It was just amazing, punches were thrown,” an Edmonton rugby league official, who declined to be named, said at the time.
“They were both Edmonton Storm parents. It is just a ridiculous situation that should never have occurred.”
A brawl at an Edmonton Storm match led to bans for two mothers.
The official said the parents had carried over an argument from the week before and while they did leave the grounds, children followed them to witness the fracas.
“It is just not acceptable in junior sport, we point that out all of the time,” the official said. “We have zero tolerance for violence.”
No one was charged over the incident.
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JULY 2013
A Logan Brothers under-18 rugby league player, whose team was involved in an all-in-brawl against Browns Plains, claimed a spectator attacking a player sparked a fight involving dozens.
Benjamin Kelly said an on-field fight escalated to involve the public after a spectator attacked one of three players sent from the field following a brawl in the opening minutes of the Logan Brothers-Browns Plains clash in Logan.
“After three players were sent off, they proceeded to niggle and taunt each other as tensions were high,’’ Kelly said at the time.
“A stare-off for dominance turned violent quickly as a spectator, that I believe has remained unnamed, ran into the mix and punched one of the Logan Brothers sent off players in the back of the head, then proceeded to punch into him.’’
Logan Brothers against Browns Plains led to a brawl.
Kelly said it was not long before more spectators than players were fighting.
“We arrived hoping to turn our season around with a victory over rivals Browns Plains,’’ he said.
“ … I don’t understand how this could of started such a heartbreaking thing to watch and experience, yet it did.’’
No one was charged over the incident.
SEPTEMBER 2016
The Queensland Rugby League came down hard on Wests and Burrum after a brawl in the under-15 preliminary final.
The QRL handed down 12 charges after a completing its investigation.
Six players from Burrum and three from Wests were suspended for between six and 12 matches in all competitions.
A brawl at a game between Burrum and Wests led to bans.
The QRL also forced every player suspended to complete an anti-social education program before being able to play in the following season’s competition.
The association handed a notice to each club and coach telling them that they would be kicked out of the competition if there was a repeat.
Bundaberg Junior Rugby League chairman Wayne Bender said there was a zero tolerance policy and those in the wrong had now been punished.
“While some processes and decisions are yet to be finalised the Bundaberg Junior Rugby League focus has now shifted to the weekend grand finals and ensuring this is a positive experience for all those that attend,” he said.
No one was charged over the incident.
SEPTEMBER 2018
Police were called to a Gold Coast junior football grand final after an ugly stoush between former Brisbane Lions star Marcus Ashcroft and the brother of AFL legend Tony “Plugger” Lockett.
Officers attended the Ormeau football ground on the northern Gold Coast after an altercation between Ashcroft and Neil Lockett became physical.
The pair had been cheering on their sons who were playing for the Southport Sharks in the under-16s grand final against Palm Beach-Currumbin.
Sources said Lockett allegedly abused Ashcroft’s son and Ashcroft took exception and a confrontation erupted.
Neil Lockett got into a scuffle.
Marcus Ashcroft.
“They had a go at each other in front of the change rooms and another go up in the carpark,” a parent who was at the game said.
“It was the Sharks turning on each other. It’s not the sort of behaviour you expect at a junior footy game.”
Police confirmed they were called to the Ormeau football ground about 2pm after reports two men were “physically fighting”.
No one was charged over the incident.
JULY 2019
A Townsville schoolboy was knocked out in a violent brawl during an Aussie rules game, leaving his mother to demand AFL Queensland crack down on player behaviour.
Sixteen-year-old Northern Suns player Tayten Norris suffered concussion, a black eye, back and neck pain after he was injured when a fight broke out during the under-17s AFL Townsville match against the Garbutt Bombers.
His mum, Kaylah Steven, said after a controversial call, someone yelled out “shots on” and the violence erupted.
Under-17s Northern Beaches Suns and Garbutt Bombers: football fight.
“I was on the sideline and it happened very quickly,” she said.
“There was another boy on our team nowhere near the fight and someone came up behind and punched him in the face.
“My son was punched in the face, then he was dragged to the ground and had four of them on him, punching him, kicking him, stomping on him.”
Tayten had to take time off school to recover and has been told not to wear his club colours in public because another Northern Suns player was allegedly targeted after the incident.
The game was called off and the incident was referred to AFL Queensland.
“The way that the whole thing has been handled is a shambles,” Ms Steven said.
No one was charged over the incident.
FEBRUARY 2023
One of the men responsible for a violent gang bashing of a spectator in front of children at an under-13s football match narrowly avoided jail and deportation.
Talapuse Tuiali leaves the Supreme Court in Brisbane. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard
Father of five Talapuse Tuiali was one of four men charged over the wild public brawl which left another father who had been at the game to cheer on his son with a broken nose, cheekbones and eye sockets.
Four men, including 38-year-old Tuiali’s 19-year-old brother, were captured on film chasing the man from the grandstands and on to the football field where he was punched, kicked and stomped on in front of horrified onlookers.
Watch the moment a junior footy fight erupts between spectators with one dad now left with horrific injuries.
“You exposed children to extreme violence which was no doubt distressing for them and their parents,” Judge Vicki Loury KC told Tuiali in sentencing him in the Brisbane District Court.
Tuiali had been at a rugby league Division 1 Under 13s football match between his son’s team the Logan Brothers, who were playing Wynnum Manly at Kitchener Park in May 2021.
What started as some “friendly banter” between opposing team supporters in the grandstands sparked tension when Tuiali and his group began calling out to the referee and other officials, who urged them to “calm down”.
A screenshot of the brawl.
Tuiali, his brother Griffith Lilomaiava and two other men Solomona Solomona, and Barry Vailoa Sepulona chased the man onto the field.
The court heard Tuiali’s involvement was less than his co-offenders, all of whom had already been sentenced.
Judge Loury said but for the non-custodial sentences handed to his co-offenders, Tuiali would have been facing a term of imprisonment.
He pleaded guilty to one charge of assault causing bodily harm in company and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment wholly suspended for two years and ordered to pay $1500 restitution to his victim.
APRIL 2023
A football club president called for lifetime bans for spectators involved in a late-game brawl in a Rockhampton Rugby League fixture.
Several people were allegedly involved in the incident, which happened in the closing stages of the A-grade men’s game between the Yeppoon Seagulls and the Emu Park Emus.
Video was released which showed that it was spectators, not players involved.
The game ended in a 20-20 draw.
Yeppoon president Steven Stafford said he was “extremely disappointed” about what happened, and that the club would be looking to ramp up security on game days.
“It was very, very poor behaviour on their behalf,” he said.
“If I find out – and I will – these people will be banned from coming to games altogether.
“They won’t come through these gates again.
“This behaviour is certainly not condoned. It was just a case of a few idiots.
“It looks like we have to play hardball on those people who think they can do whatever they wish.”
No one was charged over the incident.
APRIL 2023
Footage of a violent brawl between a coach and a touch judge at an under-11s rugby league match was circulated online, with parents at the match labelling the punch-up “disgusting behaviour”.
The incident occurred on April 30 following a game between the Redcliffe Dolphins and the North Devils at the Dolphins’ home ground.
A parent of one of the players who wished to remain anonymous said the tension between the Redcliffe Dolphins coach and the North Devils touch judge was “building” throughout the game.
“I was bringing back the tee when I look to my left and see the coach and the touch judge going blow for blow, they were just having a real punch-up,” he said.
“Once it started going everyone was getting involved and I just remembered thinking ‘what is going on?’.
“My 11-year-old son was watching it and it first he said to me that the touch judge deserved, like kids, do but come the Monday he was a bit rattled and shaken up.
“As a coach you learn to block out the noise, it’s just a disgusting act. So unacceptable.”
The men involved in the incident can be heard screaming profanities at each other while bystanders attempt to pull them apart.
The video also captures others screaming, “this is a f***ing kids game.”
A spokesman from the Queensland Rugby League confirmed an investigation into the circumstances of the brawl had been commenced.
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