Port Adelaide Football Club chairman David Koch has promised a lifetime ban for the fan who threw a banana at Indigenous Adelaide Crows player Eddie Betts during last night’s match, if the incident is found to have been racially motivated.
In a press conference this afternoon, Koch said the club has identified the fan, but have not yet been able to make contact. Regardless, her membership has already been revoked for the remainder of 2016, and for the entirety of the 2017 Premiership season.
Discussing the incident, which quickly made the rounds on social media, Koch said “it’s absolutely unacceptable to throw any object onto the field of play at any time, we have a code of conduct that expressly forbids that crowd behaviour.”
While his statement this afternoon avoided referring to the “object” as a banana, he said “any further action will be decided on the outcome of the motivation” behind the incident, which would bring the “incredibly severe” punishment of a lifetime ban.
Earlier, Adelaide Football Club said it is “both disappointed and disgusted at the behaviour of some members of the crowd during tonight’s Showdown at Adelaide Oval.”
In no uncertain terms, the Crows also said they “expect significant action to be taken against any person found guilty of anti-social behaviour.” TBH, if the actions of a single fan can unite the Adelaide rivals, you know somebody has just fucked up.
Koch also said he spoke to Betts earlier this morning; according to him, the footballer said “I hope you’re not taking it personally, it’s across every club in the AFL.“
Of course, this regressive stain on the game comes after torrents of racial abuse hurled at former Sydney Swans talisman Adam Goodes influenced his decision to retire.
Hopefully we can go the full 2017 season without some idiot ruining it for the rest of us.
