'Heavy, blunt force' fractured footballer's cheek

A heavy, blunt force would have been needed to cause the fractured cheek bone which left a South West footballer with significant facial deformity, a specialist surgeon told a jury this morning.

Giving evidence in the grievous bodily harm trial of Collie Eagles captain Matthew Drew Blackford, doctor Paul Sillifant told the court that a decision had been made to operate on Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault Lions midfielder Aaron Murphy to put his cheek bone back in place.

"His fracture was significantly distorted, the bone had been pushed in a long way, which was causing a large facial deformity, that side of his face was significantly collapsed," Mr Sillifant said on a video link from Perth to the District Court in Busselton.

Football game assault was 'like a cage fight'

Mr Sillifant said a heavy blunt force, such as a heavy blow with a fist or knee or a fall at speed onto a hard object, would be consistent with causing the type of injury suffered by Mr Murphy.

Under cross-examination by defence lawyer David Walls, Mr Sillifant agreed it was possible the type of injury could be consistent with a fall from a lower level onto an object if a football player had been carrying a ball in one hand and was pushing with a second arm which had given way.

Earlier today, field umpires Aaron Andrews and Peter Franklin said they had witnessed Mr Blackford knee Mr Murphy in the face in the second quarter of the game on August 31, 2013.

Mr Andrews said he had awarded Mr Murphy a free kick after a high tackle involving a pack of players, which had included Mr Blackford.

He was about 20m away and running towards the players when he saw Mr Blackford's knee connect with Mr Murphy's cheek.

Matthew Blackford leaves the Bunbury Courthouse in September 2013. Picture: Clare Negus

Mr Andrews said it had appeared to him that the kneeing had been a "malicious strike".

"It was a sharp drawing back and deliberate," Mr Andrews told the jury.

He had given Mr Blackford a red card which sent the captain off the ground.

Cross-examined by defence lawyer David Walls, Mr Andrews said he recalled a look of shock on Mr Blackford's face after the incident and he had later visited the umpires' change rooms and apologised for his actions.

Peter Franklin, the second field umpire during the match in Collie, said he had seen Mr Blackford push his hands across Mr Murphy's back and then his right knee was forced into his opponent's face.

"It was quite fast," Mr Franklin said."It was all probably in one motion."

Mr Franklin said Mr Murphy's face had been bloody and swollen after the incident.

He said later in the umpires' change rooms, Mr Blackford had said he was sorry about what had happened and it was "out of character".

The trial continues.