NT Labor candidate violated standards

A Labor candidate who smashed a window during an Australian Rules game over the weekend doesn't have an anger management issue, the Northern Territory Labor leader says.

Nightcliff Tigers coach and candidate for the seat of Blain, Damian Hale, admitted to breaking a window in the coach's box during an NTFL elimination final on Saturday night.

Opposition Leader Michael Gunner said he had apologised and would pay for repairs.

"It's not the standard I expect of people in my team and he knows that," Mr Gunner told reporters on Monday.

"Damian's a candidate with many strengths and many weaknesses and they're all very, very public and the people of Blain are going to be making a decision about whether they want him as their member of parliament next election."

When asked if Mr Hale's anger management problem would be a liability for Labor in the lead-up to the August 27 poll, Mr Gunner replied: "I don't know if Damian has an anger management issue so much as ... he broke standards on Saturday night and I think we all know that more is expected and better is expected, even if he was in the coach's box, even if he was outside the public eye."

Mr Hale told News Corp Australia he had never broken anything during a 16-year coaching career, and likened the blow to "knocking on a door, it wasn't a full-blooded punch".

Attendees at the game said it was loud enough to draw the crowd's attention and that it sounded like a boom.