Country football veteran sues club over alleged drunken spectator assault

Key points

• Country football veteran Perry Meka is taking legal action against the Hoppers Crossing Football Club and spectator Darrin John McDonald.
• Meka, a prominent regional football coach and player, was assaulted after attempting to dissuade spectators from hurling drunken racial abuse towards one of his players, court documents say.
• Meka has over 20 years of coaching experience, as well as over 500 games and 2000 goals in his country football playing career.
• As a result of the assault, Meka claims, he’s suffered ongoing injuries including flashbacks, chronic headaches, depression, emotional disturbance, severe post-concussion syndrome, PTSD, hypervigilance, anxiety and nightmares.

A prominent regional football player and coach who was assaulted after attempting to dissuade spectators from hurling drunken racial abuse towards one of his players is taking legal action against the club and his assailant.

Country football veteran Perry Meka, 56, was hospitalised after being ‘king hit’ following a tense football match at the Hoppers Crossing Football Club (HCFC), in Melbourne’s outer southwest, and is claiming the incident left him with permanent injuries and impeded his ability to work.

Perry Meka providing a game update to football fans on Facebook.Credit:Facebook

Ugly scenes followed a football match between St Albans Football Club, formerly Meka’s team, and rival Hoppers Crossing on July 6, 2019, which resulted in an alteration in the parking lot.

A spectator, who Meka claims was drunk, approached him from behind and struck him to the head after he “remonstrated” with fans who were hurling racial abuse, court documents say.

Meka has over 20 years of coaching experience, as well as over 500 games and 2000 goals in his country football playing career.

Court documents filed in the Supreme Court in early July this year allege that HCFC was serving alcohol at the game and failed to comply with liquor laws when dispensing drinks to spectators, some of whom became intoxicated.

It was in the midst of this intoxication that the racial abuse began, the documents say.

During the course of the day, intoxicated patrons from within the marquee racially abused an Aboriginal footballer playing with the St Albans Club.

“At the conclusion of the game of football, [Meka] was departing the said premises in the company of an Aboriginal footballer, when intoxicated patrons from within the said marquee again racially abused the Aboriginal footballer.

“At which time [Meka] attempted to remonstrate with those patrons to cause them to desist from participating in racial abuse.”

It was then, court documents allege, that spectator Darrin John McDonald, who Meka claims was drunk and also engaging in racial abuse, “came from behind [Meka] and punched him in the head, thereby causing [Meka] to suffer severe injury”.

The action is brought against HCFC, Hoppers Crossing Sporting Club, and McDonald.

Perry Meka in 2004, during his playing days.Credit:Melanie Faith Dove

As a result of the assault, Meka claims, he’s suffered ongoing injuries including flashbacks, chronic headaches, depression, emotional disturbance, severe post-concussion syndrome, PTSD, hypervigilance, anxiety and nightmares, court documents say.

His traffic management business has been closed and he has lost income, documents also say.

McDonald was charged with intentionally causing injury the same day, but the charges were withdrawn by police in August last year.

A video taken of the incident shows Meka engaged in conflict with a group of people shortly after St Albans’ loss to Hoppers Crossing, the Herald Sun reported.

Meka, a two-time premiership coach and three-time premiership player at country level, was formerly operations and relationships manager at VFL club, the Northern Bullants. He declined to comment through his lawyers.

Hoppers Crossing Football Club, Hoppers Crossing Sporting Club, and McDonald have not filed defences yet, and no court date has been set down. They all did not respond to requests for comment.

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