- Junior referee Niklas Gaal was hit by a player while trying to red-card him
- Maitland player Mark Meafua had performed a lifting tackle during grand final
- He struck the referee so hard Gaal stumbled backwards and almost fell
- Meafua was charged with common assault that night and will face local court
A junior referee was hit by a fired-up rugby player during a grand final game on Saturday in a confrontation which saw the player banned from playing for 10 years.
Jaw-dropping footage from BarTV shows referee Niklas Gaal speaking with player Mark Meafua, as another Maitland player watches on.
When he begins to pull out a card, the player immediately strikes him in the neck.
Niklas Gaal (left) was struck with force after trying to red-card Mark Meafua (right) for a lifting tackle during a grand final game on Saturday
The strike caused Gaal to stumble backwards and almost fall to the ground
The strike was of such force that 19-year-old Gaal is seen stumbling a fair distance away, nearly falling to the ground.
Meafua faced a judiciary hearing over the hit, where the Newcastle Herald reports he read a three-page apology letter.
He told the judiciary he was deeply sorry for his actions, but it wasn’t enough to save him – the 18-year-old was handed a 10-year suspension for physical abuse of an official.
The player was also given a 10-match ban for the lifting tackle Gaal had attempted to red card him for before he was hit.
The 18-year-old was arrested from his home in Rutherford about 10pm on Saturday night and charged with common assault.
He will face Maitland Local Court on October 4.
Meafua was charged with common assault after being arrested the night of the hit and will face local court next month