A Warrnambool under 16s assistant coach was last night handed a four-match ban after being found guilty of negligent contact with a player during a fiery Hampden football league grand final.
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Roger Bade pleaded not guilty to intentionally, recklessly or negligently making contact with a South Warrnambool under 16s player following an AFL Western District investigation.
The incident occurred at three-quarter time of the Blues and Roosters' grand final at Mortlake's D.C Farran Oval on August 25.
The Hampden league's independent tribunal found Bade not guilty of intentional or reckless contact but guilty of negligent contact.
He told the tribunal the contact was "not deliberate at all or intentional".
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Bade said he saw a South Warrnambool player coming to his team huddle that was starting to form.
He said the Rooster made contact with two of his players while coming through the huddle and he put himself in between a third Warrnambool player.
He said he turned to put himself in that position and didn't see the contact that was made.
Bade said it was a small distance between him and where the South Warrnambool player made contact with the second Blues player.
He said the contact happened quickly.
"I feel I couldn't have avoided contact," he said.
He wasn't sure who he had made contact with at the time.
Bade was banned from attending four Warrnambool under 16 home and away matches in 2020.
The South Warrnambool player said Bade stepped to the right and intentionally bumped him.
He said he stepped back and didn't go to ground.
He said he wasn't expecting the contact which he rated a five or six out of 10.
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