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A semi-professional Aussie rules player has been suspended for two weeks for taking a sip of a fan's beer.
- Tom Baulch has been suspended for two matches for taking a sip of a drink handed to him by a fan
- The incident occurred in the final round of the Northern Territory Premier League on the weekend
- Baulch fears it may impact his ability to secure a contract for the coming winter season
The incident, for which Tom Baulch was charged with serious misconduct, occurred during the fourth quarter of the Northern Territory Premier League final round match between the Darwin Buffaloes and Southern Districts on Saturday.
Baulch's Buffaloes lost the match 173 to 87.
Baulch says the league wanted to suspend him for five weeks and he was happy to have his suspension reduced to two weeks, but he still felt it was harsh.
"I had a few people running out on the field to take photos, taking the mickey a little bit but having a bit of fun, they were trying to hand me beers and I kept saying 'no.'" he said.
"We were getting smashed and in the last quarter we were down by about 100 points, a stranger comes out on the ground and hands me a beer and I said bugger it."
But he says he never intended to bring the game into disrepute.
"I feel like I was just trying to engage with the fans," he said.
"I'd never do anything to harm the AFL because it's my favourite sport."
In a statement, a spokesperson for the AFLNT said drinking alcohol while playing football "puts the game into disrepute and does not align with the game environment the NTFL strives for".
"The NTFL strives to create appropriate, family friendly environments," the spokesperson said.
"As such, we expect everyone involved in footy to display behaviours that are consistent with this."
The NTFL spokesperson said Baulch had pleaded guilty.
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Baulch has previously played VFL and NEAFL football and fears the suspension will jeopardise his chance at a contract this year.
"Unfortunately, my misdemeanour in the NT might affect my chances of signing a nice contract at a down-south club."
Baulch is popular on social media and has over 150,000 followers on TikTok.
Last month, fans applauded tennis player Nick Kyrgios when he took a sip of a fan's beer after a match while on court at the Australian Open.
The AFLNT tribunal ordered Baulch to take down the video from all social media channels and write a letter of apology to AFLNT.