- Oztag player is facing a lifetime ban for punching a referee during the match
- Trevor James Riley, 22, punched a referee after he was ordered off the field
- Referee Travis Kelley, 19, suffered a suspected broken jaw from the altercation
- Riley fled the scene but was later arrested and charged with assault by police
An Oztag player who allegedly knocked out a teenage referee during a social match in Sydney’s west could be barred from the sport for life.
Trevor Riley, 22, allegedly punched the referee after he was ordered off the field for making inappropriate comments during the match at St Mary’s on Thursday night.
He took to Facebook the next day to brag about the alleged assault, writing: ‘I hit the ref last night lol’.
Riley is now facing a lifetime ban from the sport, says NSW Oztag tournament director Bill Harrigan.
Trevor Riley, 22, allegedly punched a teenage referee during a social Oztag match after he was ordered off the field
The 19-year-old referee Travis Kelly (pictured, left) was left with a suspected broken jaw
‘Australian Oztag will be banning him for life,’ Mr Harrigan told News Corp Australia on Friday.
‘This bloke will never play Oztag again. A life ban in Oztag is a life ban. It’s not 10 years – it’s life.’
However, this isn’t the first sports ban Riley has been slapped with.
He was banished from rugby league in 2013 following his involvement in an incident and is unable to return to the sport until 2024.
News Corp reports Riley was banned for his part in a vicious brawl at an under-19s match between West City Tigers and the Penrith Waratahs
The post was later removed with his Facebook page subsequently deactivated for good
Riley deleted the controversial post on social media after it raised attention, and his page was subsequently deactivated.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old referee Travis Kelly was left with a suspected broken jaw, a spokeswoman for NSW Ambulance told AAP.
Riley fled the scene after the incident but was later arrested and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, NSW police said.
NSW Oztag tournament director Bill Harrigan (pictured) says Riley is facing a lifetime ban