Fight mars netball

By Stuart Teather
AN under 15 netball game between Longwarry and Lang Lang turned ugly on Saturday, when a fight broke out between two players.
According to witnesses, two players were involved in a verbal stoush, before a player from Longwarry allegedly punched her Lang Lang opponent in the face.
Play was suspended as outraged parents rushed onto the court to break the pair up, and the two girls played no further part in the game.
Ellinbank and District Netball Association president Karen Porter, who is also the president of the Longwarry Netball Club, said no reports were laid from the fight because the umpire missed it.
“(The umpire) was unaware there was anything going on, she didn’t see the incident, the ball was in the mid-court when it happened,” she said. “It is being dealt with between the two clubs at the moment.
“We’ve contacted the girl’s mother and we’re organising a meeting with them later this week. I spoke to the Lang Lang president on Saturday after it happened, she was going to address their side of it.”
Porter said she believed the two girls had “a bit of a history”, and said the Longwarry player may have been aggravated.
“I don’t condone what she did in any way, shape or form, but she was provoked.
“I think it had been brewing, it happened in the third quarter, I don’t know whether it had been going on all game or what, but there was history between the two girls.”
Porter was keen to emphasise that the rest of the game was played in good spirits, and the incident calmed down quickly after the two players were taken off the court.
Representatives of the two clubs are meeting this week, and Porter said the Longwarry player would be punished accordingly.
“At the beginning of the year we have all our juniors, senior and players, coaches and everyone all read and sign the code of conduct. Basically she’s breached the code of conduct and there will be consequences.”