Australian A-League: Melbourne derby abandoned after violent pitch invasion - ESPN

Australian A-Leagues nine Melbourne Victory has said that it is "devastated" and issued a ceremonial apology aft its fans forced the abandonment of a clash with section rivals Melbourne City by staging a convulsive transportation invasion, an incidental which Football Australia has promised volition pb to "strong sanctions."

Planning connected staging a joint-walkout successful the 20th infinitesimal to protestation league administrators the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) determination to merchantability hosting rights to the leagues' men's and women's expansive finals to Sydney for the adjacent 3 years, some City and Victory fans began throwing flares onto the AAMI Park playing aboveground earlier they made their exits, with 1 appearing to deed a camera relation for broadcaster Network Ten.

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Fans had already ignited flares and tiny fireworks passim the preceding 20 minutes, with City fans hurling a fig of projectiles onto the transportation successful solemnisation of Aiden O'Neill's 11th-minute opener.

The missiles hurled successful the 20th minute, however, kick-started a spiralling bid of events that saw City goalkeeper Tom Glover, attempting to wide a projectile that had landed adjacent him disconnected the field, propulsion a flare disconnected the transportation and backmost into the Victory supporters. This past led to a big of fans storming onto the transportation successful scenes reminiscent of the unit betwixt Nice and Marseille successful 2021.

As fans converged connected his position, Glover was deed successful the caput by a metallic bucket filled with soil designed to extinguish flares hurled successful his direction. He was rushed from the transportation by teammates with humor coming from the broadside of his head.

Referee Alex King besides suffered a gash to the caput from the thrown bucket, portion the game's referee manager was pushed into the fence. A Football Australia spokesperson described King arsenic being much shaken than hurt, and helium and his chap officials were escorted to their cars by information to exit the stadium.

City officials said that Glover needed stitches and had a suspected concussion aft the incident.

In a statement, Victory said that it was devastated by the incidental and that it unequivocally condemned the actions of its supporters that invaded the pitch.

"The nine would similar to formally apologise to Tom Glover, lucifer official, Alex King and the camera relation arsenic good arsenic each players, officials and those who witnessed the appalling behaviour," it said.

Both sets of players and coaching staffs, arsenic good arsenic the lucifer officials, rapidly made their mode disconnected the tract arsenic the transportation penetration continued; the fans who remained connected the aboveground turning their absorption to attacking the sponsor boards and goals earlier being marshalled disconnected the tract by members of Victoria Police's Public Order Response Team.

After a lengthy delay, the lucifer was abandoned to guarantee subordinate safety, the archetypal clip that an A-Leagues fixture has been called disconnected for specified a reason.

In a statement, Victoria Police said that astir 150-200 Victory supporters stormed the field, and confirmed the injuries to Glover and King, arsenic good arsenic the injuries suffered by the Network Ten cameraman erstwhile helium was deed by a flare.

Police said that astatine this signifier nary arrests had been made, but investigations were ongoing.

"The Melbourne Victory fans who stormed the pitch, resulting successful the battle of a player, a referee and a subordinate of lucifer time broadcast staff, should beryllium subjected to the strongest imaginable sanctions," a connection from player's national Professional Footballers Australia said.

"We admit the courageousness of players, nine unit and referees who came to the assistance of each different successful circumstances that nary 1 should ever beryllium exposed to."

Demonstrations against the APL's determination had already occurred astatine the A-League Men and A-League Women games that had already taken spot crossed the weekend, but each were of a peaceful nature.

Socceroo goalkeeper Danny Vukovic, who was a subordinate of the squad successful Qatar that made it to the World Cup circular of 16, said connected societal media that Australian shot was experiencing its "darkest day" successful airy of the events.

The A-Leagues are tally independently from Football Australia, but the nationalist federation remains the game's regulator and enforced a nationalist codification of behaviour and referees; meaning that they volition pb the probe into and resulting sanctions from the transportation invasion. Its CEO James Johnson is acceptable to code the media connected Sunday morning.

"Such behaviour has nary spot successful Australian Football, with a afloat Football Australia probe to commence immediately, wherever beardown sanctions to beryllium handed down," a connection from the Federation read.

Speaking to ESPN, a Football Australia authoritative confirmed that the organisation would usage the "full force" of its regulatory and disciplinary powers regarding the incidental and that members of the nationalist had already travel guardant to assistance them and Victoria Police with their investigation.