Henty footballer Jarrah Maksymows effort to keep out of trouble for two years has saved him from jail over a central Albury brawl.
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The 26-year-old was instead handed a 14-month intensive corrections order in Albury Local Court on Thursday afternoon after an early guilty plea to affray.
But magistrate Rodney Brender made clear to Maksymow that while hed received a degree of leniency, an ICO was still a term of imprisonment that would severely restrict his freedom.
Maksymow got involved in the fight in Dean Street outside Sweethearts pizza restaurant on April 15 about 3.45am, just 12 hours after making his debut for the Hume league club.
Nothing good happens at 3.45am on the streets of Albury, Mr Brender said.
This is completely unacceptable conduct that needs to be strongly denounced.
Maksymows lawyer argued that Maksymow who had served previous jail terms for affray matters, though combined with related assaults had done well to try to clean up his act.
That involved moving to Melbourne two years ago on his release from jail to get away from bad influences.
He came back up here for football and made this error, she said.
Its quite an achievement to stay out of trouble.
The only blemish was Maksymow breaching an apprehended violence order.
But Mr Brender said that because the penalty was a $1000 fine, it was clear that this incident did not involve any violence.
That error was Maksymows decision to throw a left punch, which only managed to knock the hat off the head of a bystander, that his solicitor said was in reaction to a racist comment leveled at his cousin.
Maksymow then threw a right-hand punch to another mans head, knocking him to the ground. After passersby broke up the brawl, Maksymow walked away then returned and threw more punches at another man before he was restrained.
He could be on a journey. Hes a slow learner Mr Brender said of Maksymows rehabilitation.
Im just saying theres some hope.
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