TAMWORTH AFL officials have referred Saturday’s grand final brawl to the NSWAFL.
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TAFL president Adrian Walsh told The Leader yesterday all footage, photographs and reports from players and officials would be forwarded to the state body.
On ABC Radio yesterday morning, Walsh said the game was abandoned at three-quarter time not because of the brawl that erupted from an incident involving Inverell Saint Darren Pithers and New England Nomad Weston Whitby.
Pithers was seriously injured, knocked out and taken to Armidale Hospital.
Inverell player coach Nick Baird was one of the first to reach Pithers and found him unconscious for a “long while”.
While he attended his stricken teammate, the brawl continued around them.
At one stage, Baird had to push players away as he knelt over his player.
Eventually an ambulance arrived and it was then that Walsh and Baird elected to abandon the game, Walsh said.
“The game did not end because of the melee,” Walsh said.
“It ended because an ambulance was on the ground and the game could not resume in a reasonable time.”
Walsh was also disturbed and disappointed by comments in yesterday’s Leader by Baird that Pithers was “kayoed by a cheap shot”.
“They were very serious and inappropriate comments from Nick,” Walsh said.
He said Pithers initiated the incident by running at Whitby and at no time did the Nomad player raise an elbow or perform a cheap shot.
He asked for and got a retraction from Baird.
“I’m happy to retract that cheap shot comment,” Baird said yesterday.
“I wasn’t sure about the contact but all I know was that it was a long way behind play and I had a teammate unconscious and on the ground.
“I probably shouldn’t have made those comments.
“But the brawl was a disappointing way to finish the game and the season.
“There are also two sides to this and I don’t like the way we are being painted.”
Baird apologised to both the TAFL and The Leader for his inappropriate comments.
Pithers, he added, was released from hospital on Sunday with neck and back issues.
“He’s a very sore boy,” Baird said.
Walsh also regretted an interview on ABC radio that might have conveyed the wrong message.
“I must also apologise for any impression that might have been given on this morning’s ABC local radio program that The Northern Daily Leader itself had misrepresented events,” Walsh said.
“My concern was solely with Mr Baird’s comments.
“I appreciate entirely that The Northern Daily Leader relies on accurate commentary being given by club officials and, given that reporters cannot be at every fixture, must take those reports in good faith.
“At no stage did I wish to impugn the integrity of The Northern Daily Leader.
“We at the Nomads (and TAFL) are very grateful for the coverage of the sport given by the paper.”