Police officers and a teenage Australian rules football umpire were attacked Saturday as up to 100 spectators invaded the field in Australia’s Northern Territory during a season-deciding junior game.
A riot exploded on the field when fans were displeased with a yellow card issued by the 16-year-old umpire, and the brawl spilled into the parking lot where police say three officers were "viciously assaulted."
A team from Hermannsburg was battling the Alice Springs Rovers at Traeger Park, Alice Springs, in the under-17 Central Australian Football League junior grand final when the violence erupted at around 2:45pm.
Police said the boundary umpire yellow-carded a Hermannsburg player, prompting adult fans to storm the field and attack him.
"He was knocked to the ground and was punched, but we're not sure at this stage if he was kicked as well," said Alice Springs police officer Darrell Kerr. The teenager apparently needed X-rays after the fight and had a swollen face.
At the time the brawl broke out, police were actually being briefed in preparation for violence expected at the senior grand final, which was to be played later in the afternoon.
Once police arrived on the scene, the riot moved into the parking lot, where one officer was struck in the neck with a wooden flagpole, another was bitten on the upper thigh and the third was punched to the chest before his shirt was ripped off.
Police were forced to escort players to their cars as members of the crowd threw cans, rocks and bottles at them.
Four people were arrested in relation to the violence and seven heavily intoxicated spectators were taken into protective custody.
