Boy, 10, has nose broken in footy fight
A 10-year-old boy had his nose broken and needed scans on his cheekbone after being punched in the face during a junior football game in Midvale at the weekend.
The Upper Swan Junior Football Club player is believed to have been involved in a fight with a 10-year-old opponent from Midvale Junior Football Club at Ron Jose Oval on Sunday morning.
_The West Australian _understands at least one parent from Upper Swan saw the off-the-ball incident. The injured boy was taken to hospital for treatment.
A spokesman for the WA Football Commission last night confirmed an Upper Swan JFC player was injured in the Year 5 fixture and the Swan Districts junior competition council was investigating.
Upper Swan JFC president Keith Hannah said the club was preparing an incident report for the competition council.
Mr Hannah was not at the game but said he and the club were furious. "It just shouldn't happen in junior football," he said.
"It's the last thing that you want and you don't want to turn parents and other kids off playing the sport because of one bad incident like this.
"Whoever threw the punches, maybe they shouldn't be playing football . . . because if they're doing that at this age, when they get older it might be even more serious than this."
_The West _understands the game was umpired by a parent of one of the Midvale JFC players.
Mr Hannah admitted players "probably" thought they could get away with more with no official umpire on the field.
The WAFC spokesman said it was not uncommon to have parents of players umpire football at junior level.
The spokesman said breaking the laws of the game was "unacceptable" and appropriate penalties were in place for those found guilty. "The laws of the game are designed to protect participants and a player's welfare is always the number one priority," he said.
Swan Districts JCC competition director Trevor Gosatti said a mediation session between the two clubs would be held once all information had been collected.
Midvale JFC president Terry Goodacre did not want to comment.
The Midvale club has produced a host of AFL stars, including West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui, Fremantle forward Michael Walters and Carlton's Chris Yarran and Jeff Garlett.
