A Portland runner is suspended from official club duties for six weeks after pleading guilty to a serious misconduct charge at the AFL Western District independent tribunal on Wednesday night.
Tex Mitchell, a senior player recovering from an ACL injury, was cited following an incident on the sidelines on Saturday.
Advertisement
Video footage presented to the panel showed Mitchell swinging Warrnambool footballer Luke Cody to the ground when play spilled across the boundary line near the Portland bench during the Hampden league round one senior match at Reid Oval.
Mitchell said he was remorseful and described it as "a silly action".
"I knew I shouldn't have done it, I knew straight away," he said.
"'Holty' (senior coach Jarrod Holt) told me straight away it was not on."
Cody said the incident happened quickly and was "unexpected".
"When I realised it was a runner, I walked away," he said.
The tribunal was told Holt, in his role as coach, went into the Blues' change room post-game and apologised to Cody.
Portland's advocate cited Mitchell's youth, inexperience and volunteer work at working bees and Auskick in his character report and asked for a good behaviour bond.
The panel, while considering Mitchell's guilty plea, said it needed to send "a clear message the act can't be tolerated".
MORE SPORT:
