Former West Coast Eagles rookie Tony Olango has been handed a seven-month prison sentence, fully suspended, for hitting a teenager at a Darwin house party in 2017.
The verdict, handed down in the Darwin Local Court, came after Olango, 20, was found guilty of aggravated assault over the attack which left a fracture under Dwyn Rynski's eye.
Olango was drafted by the AFL club West Coast a day after the incident.
During sentencing, judge Therese Austin said Olango — a first-time offender — had shown "exceptional character" before and since the attack, citing his long-standing community and coaching work.
"[He is] someone who had an exemplary record before the community," she said.
"He was not just a nice young man or a good young man, he was someone who was contributing over and above for a man of his age."
'This was a mismatch between two men'
During sentencing submissions, prosecutor Hamish Riley said Olango deserved jail time for the harm he caused Mr Rynski.
"Mr Olango pursued to continue altercation … He could have let Mr Rynski walk away," Mr Riley said.
"His moral culpability is high."
The judge described the attack as a "serious example of this type of offence".
"He [Mr Rynski] didn't just suffer a fractured face, he suffered pain, and ongoing pain," she said.
"Mr Olango is tall, he is very strong, he is a powerful athlete — this was a mismatch between the two men."
The court heard that since the assault, Mr Rynski had trouble putting his lips over his teeth, had been forced to take time off work, and his ability to function normally had been impeded.
Assault charge saw Olango delisted from Eagles
The court heard that as a result of his assault charges, Olango had been delisted from the Eagles.
The charges were laid against Mr Olango just days after then-teammate and star West Coast midfielder Andrew Gaff was suspended for eight matches for breaking another player's jaw in an ugly on-field strike in 2018.
Earlier, the court heard seven character references for Mr Olango, including statements from his mother, father and the principal of Darwin private school O'Loughlin Catholic College.
Mr Olango's lawyer Mary Chalmers said Mr Olango was "demonstrably a person of exceptional character" whose "remorse" and unlikelihood to reoffend should be considered before sentencing.
Before he was delisted by West Coast at the end of the 2018 season, Olango excited AFL recruiters with a rare set of athletic capabilities.
Olango now plays for East Perth in the West Australian Football League.
