- A wild brawl broke out during a soccer match in the countryside
- Spectators entered the field and threw punches
- An investigation has been launched
An investigation has been launched after a rural football match descended into chaos on Saturday.
Video footage has circulated on social media showing supporters storming the pitch and punching each other during a wild brawl following the Under-19s match between Panton Hill and Bundoora at Cracknell Reserve.
The commotion broke out after the last signal and the bystanders decided to intervene. They rushed to the scene and caused an escalation of the violence.
The footage showed at least three of the criminals getting involved in the brawl, with one of them throwing multiple punches and knocking a Panton Hill player to the ground.
The fight ended when fellow players, referees and officials separated the opponents.
The Northern Football Netball League has launched an investigation and it is not yet clear whether the spectators involved are registered players with the league.
Jeff Downes, operations manager of the NFNL football team, and Scott Walker, president of the league, were on the scene when the ugly incident occurred.
“The NFNL is aware of an incident that occurred towards the end of the Panton Hill and Bundoora under 19.5 match on Saturday morning,” a statement from the league said.
“The league has launched an investigation into the matter and will not comment further at this time.”
An ugly post-match brawl took place on Saturday during a rural soccer match
The incident also put an end to Panton Hill’s celebrations after the under-19s team secured its first win since its re-establishment in 2023.
Panton Hill chairman Jayson Burleigh said the club is preparing witness statements and intends to fully cooperate with the league’s investigation.
He also revealed that the player hit by the intruder did not suffer any serious injuries.
His Bundoora colleague Paul King also confirmed that the club is taking the shocking matter seriously.
“The league is investigating the matter and Bundoora FNC will fully cooperate with the process,” he said.