LILYDALE Football Club president Rob McLelland yesterday described as ridiculous calls for his club to be banned from the North-Eastern Football Union because of a brawl that broke out late in the game against Ringarooma at Lilydale on Saturday.
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Ringarooma Football Club made the call to ban Lilydale after umpires abandoned the game when a wild brawl erupted involving as many as 50 spectators and players.
Both teams tried to patch up their differences after the cancellation.
However, a Ringarooma player said he was assaulted in a separate incident after the game.
"We're very shocked and angry that it happened," Ringarooma Football Club president John Henderson said yesterday about the on-field brawl.
"It was all caused by people outside the game, including Lilydale players who were off the field running on to the field and assaulting our players."
Mr Henderson said the brawl started when a Ringarooma player was hit from behind.
"That's when the main brawl started and then about 30 Lilydale people came running out from their clubrooms with alcohol and bottles and started assaulting our players," he claimed.
Mr Henderson said a big group of Lilydale players who were drinking alcohol behind the coaches box then rushed on to the field and also became involved.
"It was pretty scary," he said.
"I went over there myself to try to just talk and the next thing I know I was surrounded by Lilydale people.
"I was pretty scared myself and didn't know what to do."
Mr Henderson said he received a phone call after he had left the ground to say that one of the Ringarooma players had been assaulted in the Lilydale clubrooms.
"I've seen pictures of him and he is pretty bad. He had to go to hospital," Mr Henderson said.
"We are going to take this to the NEFU and we virtually want Lilydale to be stood down and voted off our union.
"We don't want them to come to our club and play."
Mr Henderson said he tried to contact Lilydale club for an explanation of Saturday's events.
He claimed the amount of alcohol being consumed outside the Lilydale clubrooms was "unbelievable".
"If the police had been there they wouldn't have been allowed to get away with it," he said.
But Lilydale president Rob McLelland said the brawl on the ground was started by a Ringarooma player.
"A group of Ringarooma supporters sitting near the interchange box joined in, causing the melee," Mr McLelland said.
"For Ringarooma to say that we should be banned from the competition is ridiculous.
"All our supporters were on the other side of the football ground outside our clubrooms and the interchange boxes are on the opposite side of the ground.
"Our supporters came then from the other side of the ground and that's when the game was halted."
Mr McLelland denied claims that an excessive amount of alcohol was being consumed around the ground.
"I wouldn't say it was excessive and it was no different to any country football match that's been played in the last 50 years," he said.
NEFU vice-president Lester Rainbow said the union executive was concerned about the incident and would conduct an inquiry as soon as possible.
It has called for written reports from both clubs and the umpires.
"No points will be allocated for the game pending an investigation of all parties," Mr Rainbow said.
"The NEFU will not tolerate these sort of behaviours."
He said the union would call on AFL Tasmania's assistance with the inquiry if necessary.