The police have now charged 13 individuals with offenses related to the mass pitch invasion that occurred during the A-League Men Melbourne derby last weekend. Victoria Police said that vision and images taken during the incident had identified 20 people, but they still want to identify several more.
Four men are accused of serious assaults on the field, and a person who allegedly threw a flare at a cameraman is also charged. Ten males between the ages of 17 and 28 have been charged with riotous behavior, criminal damage, violent disorder, and public nuisance. All of the accused have been granted bail to appear in court on February 27 at the Melbourne Magistrates Court.
According to Victoria Police, more than 80 flares were set off inside the stadium and about 150 fans ran onto the field during the game on Saturday night. The venue sustained approximately $150,000 worth of damage as a result of the bottles and poles that were thrown at police officers.
Two men receive lifetime bans Football Australia has issued lifetime bans to two men as the pitch invasion investigation continues.
Both a 23-year-old Craigieburn man and a 19-year-old Meadow Heights man have been banned from playing football and all other football activities for the rest of their lives. Football Australia said in a statement that the two’s actions had damaged the sport and violated the code of conduct for spectators.
Football Australia Chief James Johnson said he expected the lifetime boycotts would be the “first of many”. Mr. Johnson stated, “Those people and their behaviors will never be welcome in our game.” He added, “The actions of these two, and others who are of interest to us, are completely unacceptable.”
“At its sanctioned events, football has a zero-tolerance policy for disruptive, destructive, violent, and anti-social behavior. It will also not tolerate behavior that has the potential to endanger the safety or security of players, spectators, and officials.”
“This position is supported by these significant prohibitions against these individuals. “Football Australia is working nonstop on this examination to guarantee that the scenes seen at AAMI [Melbourne Rectangular Stadium] Park in Melbourne are at no point ever rehashed in the future.”
Melbourne Victory has responded to the show cause notice issued to the club following the pitch invasion, according to Football Australia. It stated that it “understands the importance of swift action,” but it has not yet established a time frame for determining the possible punishment for the club.
Football Australia said it was working with Victory, Western United FC, the A-League’s governing body, and the owners of Melbourne Rectangular Stadium to make sure that the incident doesn’t happen again at the Boxing Day match.