A pitch invasion from followers triggered the abandonment of the Melbourne derby and noticed goalkeeper Tom Glover being struck within the face with a bin.
The A-League Males’s conflict between Melbourne Metropolis and Melbourne Victory had already seen flares thrown by each units of followers through the first 22 minutes, earlier than issues escalated.
With hosts Metropolis 1-0 up at AAMI Park due to an Eleventh-minute aim from Aiden O’Neill, a flare appeared to hit a pitch-side cameraman earlier than exploding, whereas Metropolis shot stopper Glover threw one other flare again into the gang.
This led to quite a lot of followers storming the pitch, with Glover being hit within the face with a metallic bin that had been used for different flares. The membership later mentioned the 24-year-old “doubtless has a concussion”.
Replace: Tom Glover is receiving medical remedy within the dressing room and sure has a concussion.#MCYvMVC | #MelbDerby
— Melbourne Metropolis FC (@MelbourneCity) December 17, 2022
The referee had been stood subsequent to Glover and was coated in ash, earlier than taking the gamers off the pitch, with the sport later being deserted.
There had already been fan protests earlier this week after each the boys’s and girls’s A-Leagues introduced the sale of the rights to their grand finals to the New South Wales authorities.
Each finals will probably be performed in Sydney for the following three years after a deal reported to be price eight figures was reached, with a number of distinguished people concerned in Australian soccer talking out in opposition to the transfer away from the custom of the highest-placed staff internet hosting the sport.
Protests additionally passed off at different A-League video games, together with Central Coast Mariners followers leaving simply 20 minutes into their conflict with Sydney FC, whereas Newcastle Jets supporters additionally left through the first half of their match in opposition to Brisbane Roar.
APL chief govt Danny Townsend, who has come underneath hearth for the choice, described the deal as “a novel alternative” for a week-long “competition of soccer” across the males’s and girls’s grand finals.