Former North East football player Shawn Clark recently had the charges dealt with in court, a little shy of five years after the offending.

"He admits he was severely intoxicated at the time," lawyer Sally Wilson told the Wodonga Magistrates Court.

"It's no excuse.

"He knows that.

"He has some recollection your honour, little recollection."

Clark had been at a football function before attending the Blazing Stump on August 9, 2015.

The court heard he'd had more than 20 drinks, mostly before attending the pub, and called a taxi about 7.30pm or 8pm.

He got into the vehicle, told the driver the address, but told him to take another route as they travelled.

The pair got into an argument.

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The driver took him to High Street and asked Clark to leave, telling him he wouldn't be charged for the journey, but he refused to get out.

The victim called another taxi driver who attended the scene.

Clark punched the victim in the face and his fingers became stuck as Clark shut the car door.

Clark left the area but police caught up with him three days later and he was interviewed.

"I done it to get away," he said.

"I thought nup, I just wanna get outta here."

A summons was issued the following year but Clark had by then moved over to Tasmania.

He recently returned to Wodonga and called police to have a warrant executed.

Ms Wilson said Clark had no intention of slamming the victim's fingers in the taxi door.

She said Clark thinks he fell asleep and perceived the second driver to be aggressive when he arrived at the scene.

He was in a taxi with the victim a few weeks after the incident and there were no issues between the pair.

In handing down his sentence, Magistrate Ian Watkins said a famous quote from a football coach came to mind.

"When the beer goes in, brains go out," he said.

"Wherever your brains were, they weren't between your ears that night."

He placed Clark on a 12-month undertaking and ordered he donate $500 to the court fund.