Footy junior KO’d

By Russell Bennett
POLICE are investigating a clash that left a 15-year-old Gembrook-Cockatoo footballer in hospital on the weekend.
He was knocked unconscious in a behind-the-play incident against Yarra Glen.
The incident happened during the under-16 sides’ Dandenong Ranges Junior Football League match at Yarra Glen and left Brooker Hunter Wardale, 15, with extensive damage to his teeth.
A scuffle broke out between Hunter and a Yarra Glen opponent which led to a melee between the two sides.
Stephen Walter, CEO of the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League – which administers the Dandenong Ranges junior competition – said the Yarra Glen player received a red card, which led to a scheduled tribunal appearance last night at 7pm.
“As soon as the report was made, a call was put in to me straight away to kickstart the tribunal process,” he said.
“Of course we would prefer to not have any incidents or reports but we’ve got over 4000 members and it only takes one person to do the wrong thing.”
Mr Walter said the league was doing its own investigation in the lead-up to the tribunal hearing.
Yarra Glen Senior Constable Glenn Piper said police were gathering statements for their investigation.
The incident came on the same weekend the police air wing was called to a brawl at an under-17s football game in Lalor.