LALOR Stars’ under-17 coach and captain have been suspended
indefinitely after a football brawl that resulted in the team being ousted for the rest of the season.
The police airwing was called to the match between the Stars and Lalor Bloods at WA Smith Reserve on May 27 after violence erupted and two players were sent to hospital.
Northern Football League chief executive officer Jeremy Bourke said a tribunal hearing on June 19 imposed indefinite suspensions on Lalor Stars coach Fernando Gentile and the team’s captain, Alex Setsiotis, because they did not co-operate with investigators.
He said the Stars had fielded five unregistered players and investigators believed the coach and captain knew who they were but would not reveal their names.
The suspensions would not be lifted until the pair provided the names of the unregistered players, he said.
Mr Bourke said Lalor Stars had twice forfeited matches before the May 27 match and would have been forced to withdraw from the competition had they been unable to field a team that day.
Lalor Stars’ player Scotty Rucco was found guilty of two counts of striking.
He was penalised with six-match and four-match suspensions, effectively sidelining him for the rest of the season.
He was also fined $200 for conduct unbecoming to the league.
Stars player Raif Bokhaazi was found guilty of misconduct and suspended for five matches.
Lalor Bloods coach Jarrod Langbourne was found not guilty of misconduct.
In an interim decision after the brawl, the league suspended the Lalor Stars for the rest of the season.
