A lifetime ban has been slapped on a man after he allegedly performed a Nazi salute before an AFL semi-final clash on the weekend.
The 39-year-old man was charged following a tip-off over the incident at the Brisbane Lions’ semi-final with Gold Coast Suns.
A member of the crowd alerted authorities that another spectator was giving a Nazi salute at the Gabba showdown on Saturday night, Queensland Police said.
It is believed the man allegedly gave the salute during the national anthem and Welcome to Country ceremony, and was removed from the ground before the semi-final began.
“Officers in attendance at the event quickly responded and took the man into custody,” Queensland Police said in a statement on Monday.
“The man has also been issued with a lifetime ban from the AFL.”
Ban will ‘apply across all AFL venues’
The AFL confirmed the man would receive a ban extending across all of its venues.
“I’ve only just been made aware of that, but the AFL would have the power to do that,” AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said.
“I would imagine we will follow the lead of the Lions and the Gabba in relation to that, so it will apply across all AFL venues.”
The charged man will be banned from all venues, AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon says. Source: AAP / Joel Carrett
Police believe the man was a “ticket holder” who was at the Gabba to watch the game, but are investigating whether he has any far-right links.
“We haven’t identified any links at this stage, but we will investigate the full background of this person,” acting deputy commissioner Mark Kelly told reporters.
“It was a member in the crowd who did a Nazi salute. He has been charged with that offence.”
The man, from Pratten, was plucked from a 36,628-strong crowd, the biggest Gabba attendance for the AFL season.
He has been charged with one count of public display of giving a Nazi salute and will appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on 29 September.
