Matthew Richardson's boozy night
Megan McNaught | June 09, 2008 12:00am
BROWNLOW Medal fancy Matthew Richardson is the latest AFL player to be involved in a boozy nightclub incident.
The Richmond star was escorted from South Melbourne nightspot Motel about 3am yesterday.
Onlookers said Richardson was being "very loud" and appeared drunk before security asked him to leave.
A reveller said Richardson stayed in the front bar for most of the night and had been drinking heavily.
"He looked very messy and was very unsteady on his feet," she said.
She had also seen him drinking at Prahran nightspot Electric Ladyland earlier in the night.
Richmond spokeswoman Judith Donnelly confirmed Richardson and a group of friends were asked to leave the Motel nightclub.
"He'd had a few drinks but that was it . . . he wasn't doing anything crazy. I don't think that was really being kicked out -- it was just time to go," she said.
"He (Richardson) doesn't think it's an issue."
The incident comes a week after Hawthorn star Lance Franklin was evicted from city club CQ Bar.
The Richardson incident happened on the first Saturday night test of the Brumby Government's controversial 2am liquor licence lockout.
Police spokesman David Fitzgerald said the night passed smoothly.
"We had officers checking all night and everyone seemed to be following the rules.
"The venues which had won exemptions were complying with all the regulations regarding security."
Police arrested 17 people for being drunk, four for assault and one for possessing the drug ecstasy.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23832639-19742,00.html
