AFLW star alleges spitting during suburban Grand Final; league finds no substantiation

Former AFLW star Ashleigh Guest alleges she was spat at by a group of men during the Western Football Netball League women's Grand Final, a suburban decider in which her team, the Yarraville Seddon Eagles, lost 68-51 to the Caroline Springs Lakers.

Guest told ABC Sport that while attempting to retrieve the ball behind the goals late in the match, she heard someone spit at her and asked, 'Did you f***ing spit at me?' The group reportedly laughed in response.

The Western Football Netball League said there was no visual evidence of spitting and no witnesses in the immediate vicinity, including the WFNL goal umpire, observed the alleged act. Following a timely and thorough investigation, the league stated that the allegation could not be substantiated.

Yarraville Seddon Eagles released a statement saying they fully support their player and acknowledge that in community football it is difficult to determine all facts with the tools available. They added that they will continue to advocate for a safe and respectful game environment and will work with the league and all member clubs. Caroline Springs Lakers conducted their own investigation and told ABC that individuals in the vicinity deny that any player was spat at, or that any spitting had taken place.

Guest said she would not be playing for Yarraville next season and described feeling disgusted and upset with how the club handled the incident. 'The actual incident itself, I feel really degraded. I'm not even sure why someone would spit, [it's] a pretty horrific act,' she said. 'Is it because I was an opposition player, or I'm a woman, or because I'm a lesbian? For what reason would someone spit? It has made me feel really gross; it's just an awful thing to have experienced.' 'My teammates have been nothing but supportive. And I think our president and the committee were trying to be supportive in their own way, [it] just hasn't come off,' she added. 'So it is sad, they've been a great club. I've been there for the last two seasons and was looking forward to playing there next year, but yeah, I can't justify [playing there and] won't support the WFNL at all.'

Guest also noted that she would be cautious about returning to the WFNL and said the broader issue of safety in community football remains a priority for players and clubs alike.

The case sits in the context of ongoing concerns about former professional players facing targeting in lower leagues. Rod Brown, the stepfather of late former AFL player Adam Hunter, told ABC in August that Hunter was targeted when he moved to local footy after his AFL career. 'The grand final he played in down here for South Bunbury, the first five minutes he was taken off the field with a gash over his eye that required about eight stitches,' Brown said, describing a climate in which prominent players can attract negative attention. 'There's a bit of tall poppy syndrome. You always get that one person who just wants to say: "I punched Adam Hunter".' Former Collingwood forward Jason Cloke has also discussed enduring concussions and other injuries after being attacked in 2024, underscoring concerns about on-field violence and crowd behavior in the amateur game.