Club cleared of brawl charge

By Shaun Inguanzo
A TRIBUNAL has cleared Dandenong Thunder Soccer Club of sparking a brawl with North Geelong Warriors that prematurely ended a league match in May.
Victoria’s peak soccer body, Football Federation Victoria, followed up the verdict with praise for Thunder’s security measures.
A match on Saturday, 13 May, under lights at George Andrews Reserve, Dandenong South, was called to an end by the referee after a North Geelong player allegedly grabbed a spectator by the throat, sparking the brawl.
A tribunal hearing last week cleared Dandenong Thunder of its only charge, failing to control spectators, after the tribunal found the North Geelong guilty of man-handling.
Football Federation Victoria operations manager Tony Persoglia said North Geelong was fined $1000 and did not lodge an appeal within the 36-hour time frame it was permitted.
Mr Persoglia said he was impressed by both teams’ cooperation during the hearing, and he praised Dandenong Thunder’s level of security at the match, despite the brawl.
“I give credit to Dandenong Thunder in terms of its security measures – they can’t be questioned,” he said.
“As a club with a newly committed group of people on board. it has been very pro-active this season by getting tighter on security.”