Boy given 4wk ban for footy punch

A boy who punched another boy in the face during a football match last weekend has been suspended for four weeks.

The opponents, both aged 10, were accompanied by their parents and club representatives at a mediation hearing before the Swan Districts Junior Competition Council on Thursday night.

The Midvale Junior Football Club player was accused of breaking the nose of his Upper Swan Junior Football Club opponent during an onfield fight at Midvale on Sunday morning.

The injured boy was treated in hospital and is expected to miss more than a month of football.

Midvale JFC banned its player for four weeks and pledged to introduce a mentoring program for the player and his teammates.

WA Football Commission manager of junior football Troy Kirkham commended the club and said he was confident the mentoring program would have a positive impact on the team. Upper Swan JFC president Keith Hannah said he was satisfied with the penalty.

"It's pointless giving four weeks suspension if he's going to do it again later on," he said.

Mr Kirkham said a range of initiatives, including the awarding of “E points” for good behaviour, had resulted in a 54 per cent decline in the number of yellow cards and 70 per cent decline in red cards issued in junior metropolitan games over the past five years.

“The focus has been to place an emphasis on behaviour being just as important as the result of the game,” Mr Kirkham said.

Available figures from three of the nine junior districts show that a total of 98 yellow cards — a 15 minute send off — and 29 red cards – which saw the player sent off for the remainder of the game — were handed out last year. This was down from 214 yellow cards and 96 red cards in 2009.

The figures also showed a 68 per cent decline in tribunal hearings across the junior metropolitan games.

"That's why the mentor program has been put forward to work with the individual and that team."