Border Mail | WANGARATTA backman Michael Bordignon was handed a six-match suspension, with two of those suspended for 18 months, after being found guilty of making contact with an umpire at the Ovens and Murray tribunal last night.
Bordignon was found to have approached umpire Sean Streat after the siren had sounded to end Saturday’s match against North Albury, patted him on the shoulder and said, “Congratulations, you were the best on ground for North Albury”.
The comment was made in relation to an incident that saw Bordignon’s teammate Matt Kelly reported for striking North Albury’s Kristian Cary.
While that charge was dismissed by the tribunal, Bordignon will miss a spate of crucial games for the Magpies, with tribunal chairman Wayne Taylor saying the protection of umpires was paramount.
“This is not the type of occurrence we want to see at our games,” he said.
“While the tribunal accepts the player in question has a good record and did not mean to threaten the umpire physically, making contact with an umpire at any time in this manner remains unacceptable.”
The tribunal heard two versions of events, with Bordignon, speaking via phone from Melbourne, saying the contact had occurred inadvertently.
“I threw my arms into the air and as I was bringing them down, accidentally glanced off the umpire’s shoulder.” Bordignon said.
“I was frustrated with the way the game had panned out, the way we had lost.”
The tribunal chose to accept umpire Streat’s version of events, in which he said Bordignon approached him from the side and patted him on the shoulder in a “patronising” manner.
Bordignon’s advocate, Felix Gamze, said Wangaratta would undertake an educational program with its players with regards to umpires.
