By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
A DANDENONG Thunder Soccer Club executive said it would be “extremely hard” to find the culprits responsible for igniting several flares at this month’s Victorian Premier League grand final.
Detective Senior Constable Jens Bertelsen of Victoria Police’s Melbourne CIU branch publicly called for club supporters to reveal the offenders who threw and fired a variety of flares at the evening game at AAMI Park.
One of the rocket flares fired from among Thunder supporters was “a few millimetres away” from damaging an eye of a 10-year-old girl spectator.
“I’d like the club to assist the Victorian police,” Detective Bertelsen said. “I can’t say [the Thunder’s] board know who it is but I’m certain the supporters do. We need people to identify them to make the game safer for players and supporters.”
The offenders face possible charges of discharging a missile and of conduct endangering persons. The latter charge could lead to “jail time”.
As of mid-last week, police had been unable to identify offenders from inconclusive CCTV footage at the stadium. They had not heard back from Dandenong Thunder since making inquiries, Detective Bertelsen said.
Thunder treasurer Ronnie Mustafai said the club was “still working hard” with its supporters and the Albanian community to dob in the culprits. “If police acted on it at the game there and then, it would have been easier to find the culprit.”
FFV spokesman Gordon Irving said he expected the Thunder could face an independent tribunal within the next two weeks.
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