Footy stars outnumbered as abuse sparks brawl
Anthony Dowsley, Mark Buttler and Luke Dennehy
Herald-Sun
August 03, 2006 12:00am
COLLINGWOOD stars Chris Tarrant and Ben Johnson were heavily outnumbered in a street fight that has put them under police investigation.
The violent chain of events that left one man in hospital with head injuries began when abuse was hurled at Tarrant from a passing car, a source close to the pair told the Herald Sun.
The two Magpies have told the club they did not start the trouble as they left a Port Melbourne nightspot about 4am on Sunday.
Collingwood fined them $5000 each and refused to rule out sacking them -- but they are expected to play in the vital game against Adelaide on Saturday night.
Three men taunted Tarrant, 25, from the car then climbed out and took him on as others joined in, the source said.
Johnson, also 25, entered the fray to help his teammate with another friend.
Tarrant and Johnson are believed to have told the club they were eventually outnumbered in the fight, six to three.
Electrician Robert Howie, 28, of Bayswater North, was taken to hospital with head injuries after the brawl outside the trendy Ocean Blue nightclub at Station Pier.
Key evidence may come from a security camera in the area.
Tarrant's big night out started about 7.30pm on Saturday at a charity fashion parade in Southbank in support of teammate Brodie Holland.
Collingwood chiefs were furious that he was still partying more than eight hours later.
Asked if Tarrant and Johnson could be sacked, Collingwood chief executive Greg Swann said: "We haven't ruled anything out.
"The investigation will take its course.
"We don't expect all of our players to be monks. There is a group -- I am sure there is at every club -- who, you know, enjoy getting out and being a bit more social than others," he said.
"So we just have to make sure that that is done within the confines of, probably, common sense."
Mr Swann said the club was told of the incident on Sunday but had been unaware of all the circumstances at the time.
Angry Collingwood president Eddie McGuire was only told yesterday morning, after the Herald Sun revealed there had been a brawl involving high-profile footballers.
"There is certainly a level of anger," Mr Swann said. "Different people have different levels.
"There are two sides to the story, so the police, being the arbiter, will determine what actually has occurred.
"We have spoken to our major sponsors this morning about what's happened," he said.
"It is fair to say it is embarrassing. We don't like to do it."
Tarrant and Johnson suffered cuts and bruises in the confrontation, but managed to train with teammates yesterday.
Tarrant kicked off his Saturday night at the fashion parade at Eve nightclub with teammates Heath Shaw and Cameron Cloke.
"He was in a good mood, so I don't know what went wrong," one patron said.
After the parade, Tarrant told a friend he was leaving Eve to go to another party, and would return later.
He then moved on to the Ocean Blue on Station Pier, which has a strong following among footballers.
At some point during the night he met up with Johnson.
It is not the first time the pair have found trouble together.
The day after Collingwood's 2003 Grand Final loss to Brisbane, they clashed with patrons at the Lower Plenty Hotel after being taunted about their courage.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said Collingwood had co-operated with the league over the latest incident.
"There wouldn't be anybody -- and I'm not privy to the information -- who wouldn't be disappointed, including Collingwood, with what has transpired," he said.
"In the main, we get it right. But from time to time one, two, three players transgress -- and you get a situation which has just transpired."
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20000652-661,00.html
