A champion of the winning Albury Tigers team has appeared to celebrate by urinating in the Ovens and Murray premiership cup.
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Footage from the night shows Brayden O’Hara, still wearing his Tigers jumper and premiership medal, in the Albury Hospital waiting room with two teammates in the early hours of Monday morning.
He appears to urinate in the cup, turning towards the camera to smile at his teammates.
The Snapchat video included the caption “winners piss”.
O’Hara refused to confirm or deny the act, or why he was at the hospital, when contacted by The Border Mail on Wednesday.
“I’m not speaking about it, why are you calling me?” he said.
“I’ll let the footy club explain that.”
Police quickly responded to the footage on Wednesday, issuing O’Hara with a court attendance notice over charges relating to the “offensive incident”.
Andrew Dennis, who did not play during 2016 due to a knee reconstruction, and Joel Mackie were also at the hospital.
Mackie had to be helped from the ground during the day’s grand final after a bone-crunching collision.
The Snapchat footage also showed O’Hara lying with his arm up behind his head among toys in the children’s play area of the hospital.
When one of his teammates calls out “Brayden”, he slowly raises his hand.
In a more coherent moment, he is seen banging the side of the premiership cup.
“We’ve only won six of them,” he says.
An Albury Hospital spokeswoman said the players did not cause any problems and staff did not report any trouble or harassment.
Tigers president Stuart Hodgson had not seen the video before Wednesday and did not return calls to The Border Mail in the afternoon.
LEAGUE SAYS SUCCESS IS TARNISHED
The Ovens and Murray Football Netball League has come out strongly in condemning the Tigers’ celebrations.
General Manager Sean Barrett expressed his disappointment in Brayden O’Hara’s actions.
“We’re communicating with the club, it certainly breaches our bylaws,” he said.
“The conduct of the player featured in the video footage is disrespectful to the entire competition, the league, the Albury Base Hospital and the wider community.
‘It is particularly disappointing for the staff, volunteers and supporters involved at the club.
“So much work goes into winning a premiership and the unacceptable behaviour of the players in the days following the victory has tarnished their success.”
POLICE LAY CHARGES
Police have issued Albury’s Brayden O’Hara with a court attendance notice over charges relating to the “offensive incident”.
Chief Inspector David Cottee said he was “very disappointed” by the choice to urinate in the cup while in the waiting room of Albury Hospital.
“Part of the obscene behaviour was there were other people in the waiting room, not just players, people of a range of ages including women and children,” he said.
“People will draw their own conclusions about it.”
The Border Mail apologised to readers on Wednesday for inadvertently publishing a photo of the Tigers team posing in fancy dress during the team’s “Mad Monday” celebrations in which one player can be seen exposing himself.
Police issued a criminal infringement notice to the 22-year-old player on Wednesday.
In a statement, they said the man allegedly behaved offensively during the photo shoot at the licensed premises on Wilson Street.