Nine people now charged over fight at GNFL grand final which escalated into street riot in Spalding

Eight more people have been charged in the brawl at the Great Northern Football League’s grand final last Saturday which escalated into a street riot later that night. It brings the total number of people charged to nine, after a 24-year-old man was charged with disorderly conduct in a police station and obstructing police earlier in the week. The other eight people will be summoned to court in October on a charge of disorderly conduct by fighting at the grand final. The altercation took place on the fringe of the WA Country Builders Stadium. The scrap happened during the women’s grand final game between Chapman Valley and Brigades. Police intervened when the fight broke out, which is alleged to have been between members of the same family. Sen. Sgt Chris Martin said four men and two women were removed from the grounds but another man refused to go, clenched his fists and “violently resisted” arrest. He said the man’s son rushed towards the police officers and was also restrained with handcuffs. Another related man screamed obscenities at police officers from the car park. “There was a number of very intoxicated people at the event, who were subsequently asked to leave by the police. On some occasions, these people failed to leave in a timely manner and were arrested. They fought with police, obstructed arrest and found themselves in the lockup that night,” he said. The same day on Lawley Street in Spalding about 6pm, police suggest the same family attended an address to further fight, throwing rocks and bottles at each other. A woman was struck in the head, causing a 5cm laceration that took four staples to close. Police say the suspect ran back to a white Holden Colorado and drove at excessive speed along Lawley Street in a southerly direction. Sen. Sgt Chris Martin said a blue Toyota Prado pulled out of the driveway at speed, causing the Colorado vehicle to veer to the wrong side of the road on the two right wheels. He said the behaviour over the course of both incidents was “extremely disappointing” and “unacceptable”. Police are still trying to identify people involved in the Spalding street riot.