Launceston player William Edmunds was taken to hospital with a concussion as a result of the alleged assault during a Tasmanian State Development League match.

The 18-year-old’s sister Bronte Towns started an online petition, which was directed at AFL Tasmania, and gained almost 2000 signatures in support of Mr Edmunds.

“Being king-hit on a football field, I believe, is almost worse than being hit on the street as there are no drugs or alcohol involved to make a person behave so aggressively,” Ms Towns said.

The incident was not the first time Mr Edmunds had been “knocked in the head” during a footy match and he admitted the game itself was inherently violent.

“Footy is always a game of heavy contact, you always expect to get a good hard hit which is part of the game and what makes it awesome,” he said.

“But I think you should save hitting and all that for other sports like boxing, don’t bring it onto the footy field.”

The offending player was reported by two officiating umpires during the match and found guilty before the judiciary, receiving a three week game suspension.

The incident was investigated by Tasmania Police and the player has since been charged with common assault and is due to appear at the Hobart Magistrates Court at a later date.

AFL Tasmania chief executive Rob Auld said the sport’s governing body did not condone violence in any form. 

“The rules of the game are such that no violent act on the field outside of the rules is permitted,” he said.

“Our rules and regulations provide process and procedures for sanctions in the event that [violence] does occur.

“Our process is per the national rules and regulations and we follow these for all incidences that are reported or referred to us.” 

The incident comes just months after a former East Coast Swans player who assaulted an opponent on the football field was sentenced to a suspended jail term after facing a trial in the Launceston Supreme Court in July.

Gregory John Medcraft, who hit a bridport player across the face from behind during a 2014 game, was sentenced to six months’ jail wholly suspended for two years and ordered to do 175 hours’ community service.

“Australian Rules football involves a lot of physical contact,” Chief Justice Alan Blow said at the sentencing.

“It involves the use of substantial force in certain situations. It is common to see on television assaults by Australian Rules players that could quite appropriately become the subject of criminal charges, but it is not common for prosecutions to be instituted.

“However that is no reason why a player who commits a crime during a game should receive a sentence of less severity than would be appropriate for a similar assault committed in other circumstances.”