A witness to an alleged assault in a football game in 2019 heard a noise like a very loud crack when he saw a blow strike a player, the Launceston Magistrates Court heard.
Wian Dekker gave evidence that he saw a Bracknell player swing a round arm punch at Zachary Griffiths during a game on July 6 at Bridgenorth Football Ground.
A Tasmania Police officer Glenn Dawson has pleaded not guilty to common assault.
Mr Dekker gave evidence that Mr Griffiths, playing for Bridgenorth, was attempting to mark when Mr Dawson (Bracknell) ran towards him.
"Mr Griffiths went to mark and the Bracknell player stuck his boot up and pretty much fly kicked him to the stomach," he said.
He said both players went to the ground and Mr Griffiths pushed Mr Dawson to the chest.
He said the Bracknell player swung a closed fist at Mr Griffiths which struck him on the left side of the jaw.
Asked what he heard, Mr Dekker said he heard a very loud crack.
"Zac was on his knees holding his jaw with his hands and blood was pissing out his mouth," he said.
"He said 'my teeth, my teeth'."
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Greg Richardson, Mr Dekker said that after the marking contest Mr Griffiths ignored the ball and moved to confront Mr Dawson.
A Bridgenorth player Luke Duncan said he was only three metres away when he saw Mr Griffiths push Mr Dawson, who was on the ground, two to three times to the chest after a marking contest.
"Glenn Dawson then lent up and struck him with a right hook to the jaw," he said.
He described it as not a high-grade punch but rated it a six out of 10.
A boundary umpire who was 13 years old at the time said he saw Mr Dawson "punch with an upwards hook if that makes sense".
He said he had written what he saw on his phone shortly after the game.
The then Bridgenorth assistant coach Michael Bowden said he saw Mr Griffiths move towards Mr Dawson and push him in the chest.
"As he was coming back up he was struck," he said.
Asked by Crown prosecutor Simon Nicholson, Mr Bowden said it was a clenched fist to the left side of his face.
"Zac went to the ground obviously in a bit of shock and he came off the ground," he said.
Mr Bowden denied a suggestion from Mr Richardson that Mr Dawson was running with the flight of the ball and that there was front on contact.
Bridgenorth assistant coach Robert Beams said the two players wrestled on the ground after the marking contest.
"As they came up Glenn struck Zac with a fist to the face," he said.
The hearing continues.
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Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
