AFL diversity manager Ali Fahour has stood down from the role after being banned from playing football for life over a punch in a local league game.
Fahour was banned for 14 weeks by the Northern Football League on Wednesday night, taking his career total suspensions beyond the 16-week threshold which triggers deregistration from any league in Australia.
"On the basis of the seriousness of the charge and the tribunal's sanction, I'll be standing down from my position at the AFL," he told reporters at the NFL's headquarters after a two and a half hour hearing on Wednesday night.
"In this time, I'll seek professional help for my behaviour."
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Fahour was playing for West Preston-Lakeside in the NFL on Saturday when he rushed into a scuffle and punched Whittlesea defender Dale Saddington, knocking him out.
Fahour said the game he had played for 29 years "has given me everything" and AFL is "the greatest game."
"I am forever grateful for the role it has played in my life," he said.
"I want to thank all those who have offered me support over the past 10 years."
He said he had loved his diversity role.
"I have loved working for the AFL and running programmes that have reached out to communities far and wide," he said
NFL chief executive Peter McDougall told reporters the tribunal found Fahour guilty of striking and suspended him for 14 matches.
"Fahour's career suspensions tally now totals 21 matches, therefore this now activates the AFL de-registration policy," he said.
"This means Fahour will be deregistered and banned from playing and or officiating."
It's not the first time the brother of former Australia Post boss Ahmed Fahour has been in trouble.
Five years ago, Fahour received a severe reprimand for jumping the fence at a local match and becoming involved in an off-field scuffle and he was reported earlier this year.
His punch also came one week after he gave Richmond's Bachar Houli a reference for his AFL tribunal case.
The Tigers backman said in a statement on his Facebook page on Wednesday that while he didn't condone Fahour's action, he was "a person of the highest character" and one he would "trust my life with".
