More charges over A-League pitch invasion
Police are seeking to identify several people over a pitch invasion at the A-League derby.
The number of people charged over a violent pitch invasion at Melbourne’s A-League Derby has grown to 13.
An additional 18 people have also been identified following public appeals with more charges expected to be laid in coming days.
More than 150 spectators stormed the AAMI Park clash between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City on Saturday, injuring goalkeeper Tom Glover, referee Alex King, a TV cameraman and two security guards.
All four men allegedly responsible for those attacks have been charged or identified.
By Wednesday morning, 10 more people had been charged.
They included two men aged 23 and 26, charged with violent disorder, criminal damage, unlawful assault and a string of other offences.
A 17-year-old boy was charged on summons with reckless conduct endangering serious injury and discharging a lit distress signal, over an incident in which a cameraman was hit by a flare.
Five other men aged in their 20s and an 18-year-old were charged with entry to competition space, riotous behaviour, disrupting a match and public nuisance, while another man in his 20s was charged with discharging a lit distress signal.
Investigators also released images of another six men they need to speak to.
About $150,000 worth of damage was caused to the venue and about 80 flares or fireworks were set off, according to police.
Poles and bottles were thrown at police on the field as they responded to the chaos.
Earlier, a 23-year-old Craigieburn man was charged after allegedly striking the goalkeeper in the head with a full bucket of sand.
An 18-year-old man from Alphington was charged over an alleged separate assault on the goalkeeper, while a 19-year-old man from Meadow Heights allegedly assaulted a security guard as well as the goalkeeper.
All those charged over the pitch invasion have been bailed and will appear at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in February.
Premier Daniel Andrews on Monday warned the “cowardly” pitch invaders yet to hand themselves in would feel the full force of the law and soccer authorities.
-AAP
