Dumped former Raiders centre Curtis Scott will claim he was acting in self-defence when he punched a fellow patron at a Canberra nightclub.
"There's two sides to every story of course," Scott's lawyer, Sam Macedone, told The Canberra Times on Monday.
"It will be up to the magistrate to decide."
Scott, 23, was charged earlier this month with assault occasioning actual bodily harm over a May 30 incident at Kokomo's in Civic.
The Canberra Times had earlier published CCTV footage of the relevant events, revealing Scott had punched another man a few minutes before midnight.
That man, whose lawyers have served Scott with legal papers indicating an intention to sue for personal injury, is understood to have sustained a broken nose in the clash.
Scott is listed to make his first appearance in the ACT Magistrates Court next Monday, when Mr Macedone indicated a plea of not guilty would be formally entered.
"I've asked my agent to do that and get it adjourned so we can get a brief of evidence," the Sydney-based solicitor said.
Mr Macedone confirmed the plea would be entered on the basis of self-defence, with Scott set to claim he reacted reasonably after being "harassed and threatened".
The Raiders board resolved on Monday to sack Scott, saying in a statement he had brought the club into disrepute.
The 23-year-old was less than halfway through a four-year deal.
