Collingwood fan left a 'broken man' as AFL lifts ban for attack on West Coast's Harvey Johnston

A Collingwood fan who reached over the fence to grab West Coast’s Harvey Johnston at the weekend has been banned from attending games for the rest of the year.

The incident occurred in the fourth quarter of Collingwood’s 66-point win over West Coast at Docklands Stadium on Sunday when the fan grabbed Johnston, then slapped him on the head and took the football from him as Johnston chased a ball over the boundary line.

After investigating the incident, the AFL handed the fan a 12-month ban, suspended for six months. Collingwood has also suspended the man’s membership.

“While we recognize the harmless nature of the incident that day, such interactions should not occur. Grabbing a player over the fence could have potentially escalated had Eagles player Harvey not responded so professionally,” said Stephen Meade, general counsel for the AFL.

“We also acknowledge that the affected fan proactively reported security and police and apologized to both Collingwood, West Coast and the AFL, and acknowledge that he immediately understands that his actions are unacceptable.”

“We have the best fans in sport and more than 3.1 million people attended the football tournament this year and we want everyone who comes to the games to cash in for their club and enjoy the experience, but if you have the If something happens over the weekend, you lose the privilege of being at the football game.

“We reiterate what we communicated last year – we love the interactions between players and fans, especially in the moments before and after the game, and the in-game occasion when a player celebrates with his club’s fans – but also that, “What we saw on Sunday during the match is not acceptable.”

After the ban, the fan, apparently Collingwood member Justin Witcombe, expressed regret over the incident.

“I just saw the ball hit the fence, I just stood up and it just happened,” he told Nine News Melbourne.

“It was just a knee-jerk reaction and it was just a slap on the head and the ball came loose and I handballed it to the referee.”

“I look into the camera and say I’m very sorry. That won’t happen again. I will learn from it and become a better person because of it.”

“At no point did he give me permission to get my hands on him and that is inappropriate and unacceptable in today’s world.”

“I’m really sorry for my family, I embarrassed myself and them. I was there as a family man and left her a broken man.”

The incident is not without precedent in the AFL. Last year, a fan was banned from attending games until the end of 2024 after he reached over the fence to grab Richmond’s Marlion Pickett.

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