SUNBURY Kangaroos full-forward Aaron James has copped a lifetime ban from playing football in Victoria.James, 34, fronted the Riddell District Football League independent tribunal on Tuesday night to answer misconduct and striking charges arising from a round four clash between Sunbury and Diggers Rest.
The brilliant full-forward's career includes being a premiership-winning player with Gisborne and kicking 130 goals for North Bendigo to win the Heathcote District Football League's goalkicking award in the 2009 season.
At Tuesday's hearing, the RDFL tribunal found James guilty on both charges and imposed a 12-week ban for misconduct and six weeks for striking. The penalties are to be served concurrently.
The suspension imposed by the Riddell League tribunal automatically triggered James' deregistration after he contravened his appeal guidelines from 2008.
After surpassing the AFL Victoria 16-weeks suspension threshold in 2008, James was deregistered, but a subsequent appeal led to reregistration being granted, with a clause that any other suspension during his career would mean automatic deregistration without the ability to appeal.
"The RDFL's independent tribunal's decision voices a strong message that interaction of a physical nature between a player and a spectator at any level of football will not be tolerated, and its suspension to James reflects this," the league said.
"While being an ex-AFL player, James might receive extra attention and scrutiny from opposition players and supporters, but retaliation of a physical nature is not justified.
"The RDFL stand by the processes that were put in place leading up to James' tribunal suspension.
"The process included a thorough investigation and independent tribunal hearing."
James kicked 25 goals in a 54-game career in the AFL, which began with Collingwood in 1994 and was followed by a stint at Richmond, 1998 to 2000, and one match for the Western Bulldogs in the 2002 season.
Although he has since left the club, Nic Dyer was close to the action in his role as an assistant coach with the Sunbury Kangaroos in round four.
Dyer said yesterday the abuse James was subjected to was "extreme" and called for football leagues to crack down on spectator behaviour.
"Aaron was on the end of lots of abuse from supporters.
"There is no excuse for his actions, but it was pent-up frustration, not just because of the abuse, but also because he was not playing so well that day against Diggers Rest," Dyer said.
The incident happened with about five minutes to go in the match as James walked around the boundary to the interchange bench.
"Aaron is disappointed in what he did and it's a pity his career in Victoria is over."
A talented reinsman on the harness racing circuit, Dyer has since resigned from the Kangaroos and will line up this Saturday for Bridgewater in the Loddon Valley Football League.
By Nathan Dole
Article first appeared The Bendigo Advertiser, 2 June 2011
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