Glenroy footballer Walid Chaaban has been handed a life ban from the Essendon District Football League (EDFL) after headbutting an umpire in a match two weeks ago.
The tribunal met last week after Chaaban headbutted the umpire in an u19 Division 1 game against Roxburgh Park on August 5.
EDFL chief Mark Turri said the decision shows everyone just how important umpire safety is, and commended the tribunal for the ban.
“Regardless of the age of the player, anyone who touches an umpire should know better,” Turri told the Leader newspaper.
“We have to protect our umpires at all costs.
“Fortunately the umpire was able to go on and umpire the reserves at a following game, so there were no major injuries, but that is irrelevant in the circumstances.
“Umpires need to be held in the highest regard. If that is not met, the expectation is the tribunal will show their stance towards such ill-discipline.”
Turri also confirmed the Glenroy Football Club has pulled its team from the competition immediately after the incident, and said it was a credit to the club for showing just how seriously they saw the incident.
“Glenroy advised us immediately after the game that they would remove the team voluntarily from the competition as a show of their own levels of expectation to the rest of the club and players within the under-19 team,” Turri said.
“It is a credit to Glenroy for taking such a stance.
“They could immediately see the seriousness of the situation, effectively putting a line in the sand for players and the club for what Glenroy Football Club stands for and what sort of behaviour they expect.”
