WEST Perth officials are disappointed with prolific midfielder Shane Nelson but they will not sanction him over the Hillarys confrontation that left him with a broken hand.
Nelson (22) was injured in a fight, which he claimed was unprovoked, outside Bar 120 late last month.
Falcons coach Bill Monaghan said the club hierarchy did not think he “fundamentally did a lot wrong”.
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READ NOWBut they were angry he put himself in a vulnerable situation, particularly after events in Leederville last year where West Perth’s Jordan Jones and Max Alexander were injured in a scuffle with multiple Subiaco players including Matt Boland and Kyle Halligan, who were fined in court for assault.
“Players need to not put themselves in a situation where trouble can arise,” Monaghan said.
“But, for want of a better term, he’s pretty much a victim in this.
“He was in Hillarys and confronted by a group of people – it wasn’t his doing.
“I’m disappointed it’s the second year in a row we’ve had to deal with this type of issue, but we learn by it.
“Hopefully it’s a stark reminder to the players.”
Nelson is expected to return to football next month.
Monaghan went on to say the incidents were reflective of a wider issue of violence in the community.
As a father of three, he lamented the fact young people could not let their guard down while out enjoying themselves.
“If I can put my parent hat on… it just disappoints me that this happens on a regular basis,” he said.
West Perth faces South Fremantle at Fremantle Oval for the Garlic Munchers Cup in the opening round of the WAFL season this weekend.
More on West Perth pre-season:
– Excitement builds for WAFL season opener
– Advice from Kevin Sheedy ahead of opener