A MAN who tried to strike another person's head with a glass bottle during a wild Hunter rugby league grand final brawl has been jailed.
Blake Christie, 26, was sentenced in Newcastle Local Court this week to 12 months behind bars, with six months non-parole, after pleading guilty to affray.
Christie was one of between 50 and 100 men - and one of several charged - who engaged in a mass brawl during the Hunter Community Rugby League A-grade match at Raymond Terrace on September 9.
About 2000 spectators had flocked to the Lakeside sporting complex for a day packed with nine football finals, culminating in the showdown between Waratah and Dora Creek.
A set of agreed facts tendered in court reveal tensions mounted in the final five minutes of the game.
A verbal clash between a handful of Waratah and Dora Creek supporters quickly escalated into a full-blown fist fight.
"Throughout the brawl, men, women and children can be seen trying to flee the vicinity," the facts state.
"Such was the extent of the melee that the football match was stopped, with players and officials running to the grandstand to try and stop the fighting."
The ugly brawl broke out in front of cameras set up at the sporting complex and was filmed on phones.
The court heard Christie, a Shortland labourer, was shown in the footage with a glass bottle, which he used to attempt to strike an opposing supporter over the head.
His shirt came off in the violent clash.
"He only stops fighting when restrained by one of his own supporters," the facts said.
The brawl was eventually brought to an end and a large group of men were seen to be "heavily bloodied", though no one was seriously injured.
Port Stephens Hunter police launched an investigation and alleged Christie actively avoided arrest for almost two weeks.
Detectives found him at a Mayfield address on October 8 and he was taken into custody.
Christie was hit with a 20-month jail sentence in Newcastle Local Court at the same time for separate offences of affray and common assault.
On those charges, he will be eligible for parole in October next year.
Stevie Lewis-Johnson, 28, fronted Raymond Terrace Local Court this week for his involvement in the rugby league final brawl.
He was handed a two-year good behaviour order and must do 80 hours of community service.
A third co-accused, 23-year-old Jacob Frank Payne, was sentenced to a two-year good behaviour order in Raymond Terrace Local Court last month.
Magistrate Justin Peach told Payne at the time that he had made a "foolish, drunken mistake" getting involved in the melee.
