By David Nagel
NARRE Warren Football Club has been fined $1,000 and senior runner Glenn Hamilton has been deregistered after a South East Football Netball League independent tribunal suspended Hamilton for four weeks on Tuesday night.
Hamilton was found guilty of a charge of ‘engaging in an act of serious misconduct’ after becoming involved in a pre-half-time fracas between Narre Warren and Beaconsfield players during the SEFNL first semi-final at Edwin Flack Reserve on Sunday.
Hamilton’s suspension stems from an altercation with Beaconsfield youngster Nathan Hopwood.
Hamilton’s suspension pushes him beyond the 16-game threshold which triggers an automatic deregistration, banning him from having any official involvement with any club or league in Victoria.
He will serve his four-match ban at the start of the 2017 season, and will then be de-registered by AFL Victoria. Hamilton will then have to wait a minimum of 12 months before he can apply to be re-registered, and that can only happen after an involved reintegration program has taken place.
SEFNL sent Hamilton a letter, after a recent infringement in August, explaining he would be deregistered if a further suspension was added to his then total of 15 weeks.
One of his previous infringements was of a significant nature, with three offences attached.
The incident took place just prior to the half-time siren, with Hamilton escorted by four security guards to the centre circle of Edwin Flack Reserve, where he received a red card from the umpires prior to the start of the third term.
The start of the second half was delayed for at least three to four minutes while the red card was shown and Hamilton was escorted from the playing field.
Narre Warren president Tim Allan said the situation should have been handled better.
“I think the whole incident was handled appallingly,” he said.
“The team managers should have been called together at half time and the situation defused before all the theatrics that took place after half time.”
Narre Warren is also facing the prospect of losing a $3,000 bond, imposed on both the Narre Warren and Cranbourne Football Clubs after an ugly incident between the clubs in round 11 last year.
SEFNL Leagues Manager, and Board member, Liz Triffitt, confirmed the issue of Narre Warren’s bond would be tabled at the next meeting of the SEFNL Board.
