The number of people charged over a violent pitch invasion at a Melbourne A-League match has increased to 13, police said Wednesday. (More Football News)
An additional 18 people have also been identified following public appeals with more charges expected to be filed in the coming days.
More than 150 spectators stormed the AAMI Park match between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City on Saturday, injuring goalkeeper Tom Glover, referee Alex King, a TV cameraman and two security guards. It came at the 20-minute mark of the match.
All four men allegedly responsible for those attacks have been charged or identified.
The new charges include two men aged 23 and 26, charged with violent disorder, criminal damage, unlawful assault and a string of other offenses. A 17-year-old boy was charged on summons with reckless conduct endangering serious injury and discharging a lit distress signal, over an incident that saw the cameraman hit by a flare.
About $100,000 worth of damage was caused to the venue and about 80 flares or fireworks were set off, according to police. Poles and bottles were thrown at police on the field when they responded.
All those charged over the pitch invasion have been bailed out and will appear in court in February.
Video on social media showed a man throwing a metal bucket of sand at Glover during the melee. He was taken off the field dazed and bleeding and later received stitches to a facial laceration. He was back at practice with the club on Monday.
City led the Victory 1-0 when the match was first suspended and then abandoned.
Football Australia has vowed to impose heavy punishments against those found responsible and has ordered the Victory to show cause why it should not face severe sanctions for the conduct of its supporters.
The Victory could face a financial penalty, points deduction or possibly have fans locked out of stadiums.
The incident has blighted an otherwise upbeat time for soccer in the country, coming two weeks after Australia's strong World Cup showing in reaching the round of 16 before a narrow 2-1 loss to eventual champion Argentina.
