Former AFL player's jaw broken in sickening local footy incident
Former AFL player Lynden Dunn has had his jaw broken in an absolutely horrific fashion after celebrating a goal in the Essendon District Football League.
Dunn, who played 198 games for Melbourne and Collingwood, was playing for West Coburg last weekend when the sickening incident took place.
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Westmeadows ruckman Ferras Mehri inexplicably struck Dunn as he celebrated the goal, prompting a massive melee on the field.
Mehri was immediately red-carded from the game, and was later handed a seven-game ban for his troubles.
Dunn had to be taken to hospital for treatment and is expected to undergo surgery in the coming days.
The 35-year-old retired from the AFL in 2020.
The incident involving Dunn comes after another former AFL player was targeted while playing in a local league earlier this month.
Former North Melbourne midfielder Ryan Bastinac was left furious after he was headbutted by an opponent while playing for Pearcedale in the Mornington Peninsula league.
Bastinac was left furious after the incident, which left him with a deep gash in his head which required stitches.
Former AFL players targeted in local footy incidents
The ex-Kangaroos star took to social media in the wake of the incident to sharply criticise local players who view former AFL players as targets on the field.
"Coward hits in local footy are not on in this day and age," he wrote.
"The footy field isn't free reign to go out and assault people.
"Put some gloves on and try yourself the right way if that's what you want to do. But that never happens.
"People shouldn't play the game they love and enjoy and have to worry that they are going to get assaulted.
"Footy is a tough, hard and fair game but we need to do more to protect all the players who are playing the right way, the hard and fair way, and stamp out these cowards because there is no place for it."
Bastinac said he was used to copping extra-curriculars while playing local footy as an ex-AFL player, but what had happened last weekend went beyond the pale.
He said the rival player who headbutted him had moments earlier attempted to elbow him.
“This bloke tried to elbow me and missed me there and then I gave him a shove in the back and he turned around and we grabbed each other’s jumpers and had a good little tussle, which is fine," he said.
“Then he just went the massive headbutt and they are the things that I am not going to put up with at local level. It’s just a coward act and you can’t have people getting away with stuff like that.”
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