Footy captain guilty of assault

A respected, prominent captain of a South West football team has been convicted of grievous bodily harm over an on-field clash that left an opponent with serious, deforming facial injuries.

A District Court jury deliberated in Busselton for 2 1/2 hours today before finding Collie Eagles captain Matthew Drew Blackford guilty of seriously assaulting rival Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault Lions midfielder Aaron Murphy.

Blackford remained emotionless in the dock, while there were gasps and tears from his family, team mates and supporters in the public gallery.

Players and supporters from the club had earlier turned out in team colours and in numbers at the Busselton courthouse to support their respected captain.

Every seat in the public gallery was taken and some of the supporters, many wearing the team's teal and black shirts, were left standing.

Matthew Blackford playing for Collie Eagles. Picture:Dione Davidson/The West Australian

Blackford denied a charge of grievous bodily harm over the on-field clash with Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault midfielder Aaron Murphy at a South West Football League match on August 31, 2013.

Closing the prosecution case this morning, Linda Keane said out of character "brain snaps" were not accepted outside a pub and should similarly not be condoned on a football field.

"The fact that this occurred on a football field provides a context, but it does not provide an excuse," Ms Keane said.

She said the prosecution case did not allege that Blackford's act was premeditated or even intended to cause serious injury, but if the jury accepted evidence that he had deliberately raised his knee to hit his opponent then he was guilty of the offence.

"The State places it no higher than what would appear to be an out of character brain snap," Ms Keane told the jury.

She said there was an acceptance of some level of risk on a football field, but the incident was outside the realms of the rules and the law.

"No player should have to risk or be subject to a deliberate act of violence that is in no way connected to the game," she said.

Ms Keane urged the jury to reject Blackford's version of the events after he gave evidence yesterday that his knee had accidentally made contact with Mr Murphy's head as both players lost their balance in a scuffle.

Members of the Collie Eagles Football Club arrived at Busselton Courthouse today in a show of support for their captain, Matthew Blackford. Picture: Nic Ellis/The West Australian

She said nine witnesses had given evidence that Blackford had raised his knee up and struck his opponent's face, which the jury had been told had caused significant injury and deformity that needed surgery.

She said Blackford had been given a red card after the clash, yet apologised to umpires after the game.

"People don't tend to apologise to umpires when they make the wrong call," she said.

But defence lawyer David Walls said there were "massive inconsistencies" in the evidence of prosecution witnesses.

"Each and every one of those witnesses fell apart," Mr Walls told the jury.

"Mr Blackford testified - it was truthful, it was unmoved.

"There was only one witness in this trial who was impenetrable, there was only one witness who was not contradicted.

"That was Mr Blackford."

Mr Walls pointed to evidence that his client had appeared shocked, not angry, after the clash which injured Mr Murphy.

"People described it as something they had not seen before," he said. "They described it as something weird.

"Why is that? Because it was not intentional."

Mr Walls said Blackford had done the "noble thing" by apologising to umpires for the accidental clash and went to hospital in an attempt to visit Mr Murphy - actions he said were not those of a cold person.

"You wonder why we live in a society where nobody apologises - because lawyers tell people not to apologise because otherwise this is what happens," he said.

Mr Walls also questioned the police investigation into the incident, saying Collie Eagles were not contacted for eight months after the clash.

Directing the jury on the legal issues in the case, Judge Richard Keen said Australian football was a contact sport and players no doubt expected that from time to time there would be breaches of the rules.

"Not every infringement of the rules gives rise to a criminal act," Judge Keen said.

"But there may be breaches of the rules which may be of such a nature as to amount to a criminal act."

Blackford will be sentenced tomorrow.