Footy player’s dream after outrageous 20-year ban overturned
Matt Nean – the Indigenous bush footy player who had a 20-year ban sensationally overturned midway through last year – has won a contract to play again in 2027.
Nean served more than nine years for allegedly man-handling a referee playing for West Tamworth in the 2016 Group 4 grand final, despite vision of the incident appearing to show he barely touched the match official as the two crossed paths.
Matt Nean was banned for 20 years for allegedly making contact with the referee during a grand final in 2016. 9News
Nean was originally suspended for 18 weeks. He appealed the verdict and was promptly slapped with the mammoth 20-year ban.
Following a campaign by nine.com.au, the NSW Rugby League and Group 4 dropped the ban midway through last year.
Nean, now aged 35, played four games at the end of last season for Dungowan Cowboys and showed enough to win a contract with the club for next season.
“I’m over the moon - for nearly a decade I was banned and thought I would never play footy again,” Nean told nine.com.au.
“The thing I’m happiest about is that I will hopefully get to play with my son Kobhan (aged 17).
“He’s a great kid and playing alongside him will make everything I have been through worthwhile.”
Nean, who works for the Aboriginal Land Council, will be very much a part-time footballer.
“This was never about the money because there isn’t much of it in bush footy,” he says.
“I just wanted to play the game I love and this contract means the world to me.”
