AFL legend Nick Riewoldt found himself at the centre of dramatic scenes at a country music concert in Melbourne, where he restrained an unruly fan who threw a mobile phone at singer Riley Green, causing a head injury that required stitches.
Concert Chaos Unfolds
The St Kilda great, a lifelong country music enthusiast, was attending Riley Green's Cowboy As It Gets tour at Margaret Court Arena over the weekend. Riewoldt had positioned himself near the front of the crowd to enjoy the performance when the incident occurred late in Green's set.
"I saw this happen; it unfolded right in front of me," Riewoldt revealed on Triple M's Mick in the Morning show. "We wanted to be as close to the stage as possible."
The Phone Throw That Stopped the Show
The concert was briefly paused when a fan launched their phone directly at Green's head, striking him in the ear and drawing blood. The impact created an audible gasp from the shocked audience.
"It was an amazing throw," Riewoldt described. "I reckon we were 10-15 metres away. He smashed him in the side of the head and took everyone by surprise."
Riewoldt's Immediate Response
Standing directly behind the perpetrator, Riewoldt quickly took action. "I was standing right behind him, so I grabbed him," the five-time All Australian explained. "He's done it and everyone was a bit shocked."
Riewoldt had already identified the individual as problematic earlier in the evening. "I pegged this bloke early on – the bloke who has eventually thrown his phone - as being a real wanker," he told host Mick Molloy. "He was a loose cannon, he was real 'big energy' vibes."
Security Swiftly Intervenes
Riley Green handled the situation with remarkable composure, asking for the house lights to be turned on. Riewoldt immediately pointed out the culprit to security personnel.
"I pointed the guy out and within three seconds security came and grabbed him," Riewoldt said. "Security whisked him off." Green responded by telling security to "get his fat a** out of here."
Aftermath and Injury Details
The American singer required five stitches backstage to close the wound on his ear. Despite the painful injury, Green maintained his sense of humour, joking with the crowd about "how tough I am" as a stagehand mopped up blood streaming down his neck.
Green later shared an image of the aftermath on his Instagram, revealing the extent of the injury that necessitated medical attention.
Previous Fan Encounters
This is not the first time Riewoldt has encountered unruly fans in public settings. In 2025, the Channel 7 commentator was involved in a brief altercation with a supporter outside Adelaide Oval before an AFL qualifying final.
A fan approached from behind on a footbridge and grabbed Riewoldt while he was preparing to go on air with Bruce McAvaney. Startled by the unexpected contact, Riewoldt instinctively pushed the fan away to protect himself and those nearby.
The incident occurred after the fan had been taunting him about Heath Shaw's famous 2010 Grand Final smother moments earlier.
Concert Experience Marred
Riewoldt had been enjoying a weekend of country music, having recently taken his entire family to see American star Lainey Wilson at Rod Laver Arena. His experience at the Riley Green concert was unfortunately disrupted by the violent incident.
The AFL legend described the fan's behaviour as inappropriate even before the phone throwing incident, noting that the individual had been filming him during the concert without permission while "saying some pretty ordinary stuff."
The quick actions of Riewoldt and security ensured the perpetrator was removed from the venue, allowing the concert to continue despite the shocking interruption.
