Ali Fahour has stood down from his job as AFL diversity manager after being handed a 14-week suspension by his local football league for punching an opponent, triggering a lifetime ban from the sport.
The sanction was handed down to Fahour after a two-and-a-half hour Northern Football League tribunal on Wednesday night.
“On the basis of the seriousness of the charge and the tribunal sanction, I’ll be standing down from my position at the AFL,” Fahour said.
“In this time I’ll seek professional help for my behaviours. I’ve played this game for 29 years, it has given me everything.
“I have loved working for the AFL and running programs that have reached out to communities far and wide.”
Fahour was playing for West Preston-Lakeside in the NFL on Saturday when he rushed into a scuffle and punched Whittlesea defender Dale Saddington.
He pleaded guilty to the punch, which was caught on camera.
Together with prior bans, Fahour has now exceeded the career total of 16 weeks of suspension, which results in deregistration from any football league in Australia.
