He just wanted to dress up, but he chose the wrong costume. Now Leigh Haussen has been banned from the AFL.
The party theme was “Characters of the 2000s”, but Leigh Haussen obviously made a mistake in her wardrobe when choosing a costume. Because the referee put on a mask with the face of terrorist Osama bin Laden at an end-of-season party in Melbourne, he was banned from the Australian Football League (AFL).
The league of the football variant, which is extremely popular Down Under, described the costumes as “inappropriate, offensive and tasteless” in a statement. Haussen immediately apologized for his “misjudgment” and asserted that he had not “meant to offend anyone.”
Referee boss Stephen McBurney added that Haussen “understands” that he had behaved incorrectly: “Leigh is a valued member of the refereeing group with an impeccable record throughout his career and since joining the AFL roster in 2017.”
The praise may console Haussen as much as the duration of the ban: the referee was only taken out of action for the first round of games of the coming season.
However, he is in bad company in the AFL: a few weeks ago, six players from the Greater Western Sydney team were suspended and another seven were fined. At a similar event, they wore offensive costumes and, among other things, handled a sex doll and reenacted the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
