Bashed footy player 'had bounty on head'

The Age

Last updated 01:17 08/07/2008

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A Victorian Australian Rules league is investigating claims by a player who was knocked unconscious that he had a bounty on his head.

Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League chief executive officer Stephen Walter confirmed he had appointed an investigator to find out how Seville footballer David Wallace was injured during a game against his former team Yarra Glen on June 21.

"There was an incident behind the play, a player was injured and taken off the ground," Mr Walter said.

"I am waiting on the the investigator's report to determine from interviews what has happened."

Mr Wallace told The Age he was carried from Yarra Glen Reserve unconscious on a stretcher after being knocked to the ground and kicked in the head.

The 25-year-old half-forward said he switched sides from Yarra Glen to Seville about a month ago.

In the week leading up to the match against his former club he said he had received hostile phone calls, during which he was told there was a $350 bounty on his head.

But he said he hadn't taken the threats seriously until he was injured.

"The guy that got me came over and called me a 'trading c-word', I don't want to say it, and punched me heavily in the guts," Mr Wallace alleged.

"After that I threw him to the ground, I'm not a fighter but I knew what I was in for the whole day, after that he got me to the ground into a position he could punch me to the head about six to seven times and kneed me to the head.

"I can still feel it. I collapsed three times, I was gone.

"The trainers got me up the first time I dropped down and then I just dropped down again and then yet again and they had to call for a stretcher."

Mr Wallace said he recovered in the club's rooms before his father was called to drive him home.

He said Seville Football Club had put up a $500 bond for the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League to carry out an investigation.

"If there's nothing done, I will complain to the police," Mr Wallace said.

A Yarra Glen Football Club official said the club not did want to comment about a matter under investigation.

Mr Walter said his investigator would report to him within 21 days. He would then decide if the matter should be referred to the league's tribunal.

He said no player had been reported during the match.

"Any incident that I think is untoward will be fully investigated and I won't stop at anything to eliminate any behaviour that is unbecoming," Mr Walter said.

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"We need to stamp out behaviour that's untoward or thuggish, whatever that may be, and get people focused on playing good football."

Mr Wallace, nicknamed Wally, said the crowd at the game had been "feral" and had chanted 'Where's Wally' before the alleged on-field violence.

"I knew I was going to get a bit of abuse, abuse doesn't worry me ... but I was actually shocked at some of the people saying it," he said.

A Seville supporter and spectator, who did not want to be named, said it was the worst game of football she had ever seen.

"It was just all-in with both teams and the crowd on the sidelines were just going crazy and I thought the crowd was going to get involved," she said.

The spectator said she was sickened when saw Mr Wallace fall to the ground.

"It was terrible, it was just the worst sportsmanship, it was absolutely disgusting," she said.

Victorian footballer Trent Stanimirovitch, 28, was sentenced to two months' jail this week after hitting a former friend and teammate during an Ovens and King Football League match.

Stanimirovitch, who played for Whorouly, pleaded guilty to recklessly causing serious injury after knocking Glenrowan player John Hutton unconscious in the game last July. Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League is part of the Worksafe Victorian Country Football League.