Father of WNBL Star Involved in Ugly Confrontation During Semi-Final
Disturbing footage has emerged showing Marco Rocci, the father of Southside Melbourne Flyers player Maddy Rocci, embroiled in a furious confrontation with another spectator during Sunday's WNBL semi-final clash against Townsville Fire. The ugly scenes erupted as the Fire claimed a hard-fought 84-75 victory to secure their place in the WNBL Grand Final against Perth Lynx.
Heated Exchange in the Stands
In video obtained by The Townsville Bulletin, an argument broke out in the stands between Mr Rocci and another spectator. The footage shows Mr Rocci walking away from his seat before turning around to confront the other fan directly. He was overheard shouting 'you're a f***ing mol' toward what appeared to be a group of Townsville supporters.
Mr Rocci began walking down the stairs toward the court side before turning back to confront the fan once more. Marco Rocci had traveled from Melbourne to Queensland specifically to watch his daughter play in the crucial semi-final decider.
'It's not worth it, mate,' another person was heard saying as Mr Rocci made his way back up the stairs. The situation escalated further when he appeared to yell furiously in the face of a Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre steward, prompting someone to shout 'Marco stop.'
Escorted from the Arena
After walking back down the steps and momentarily turning back to perform a crude gesture, Mr Rocci was escorted out of the arena by security personnel. The Herald Sun reports that Basketball Australia's Integrity Unit has launched an investigation into the matter.
Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre management released a statement expressing disappointment: 'On behalf of the Townsville Entertainment & Convention Centre, we are disappointed in the behaviour of travelling fans at the last match. We are providing support to our team members who responded to the situation and will manage the outcomes accordingly.'
Daughter Also Involved in Courtside Incident
The controversy extended to the court as well, with Maddy Rocci becoming involved in a tense incident with a spectator following the match. In what was her 200th WNBL appearance, the 27-year-old guard appeared incensed by something in the crowd after the final buzzer.
Rocci rushed to the side of the court, stood on a chair, and exchanged heated words with a spectator before her teammates pulled her away. She later claimed that a Townsville fan had been 'targeting players' throughout the semi-finals series, including her teammates Cayla George and Hayley Peters.
Rocci told The Herald Sun that she had walked over to the sidelines to try to call out to her father during the commotion. 'I was going over there because I saw my dad there, and obviously I couldn't go and grab him because there was a barrier,' she explained. 'I was like: "Dad, Dad." Obviously, he couldn't hear me because of what was happening.'
She added that the Townsville fan had looked at her during the exchange, prompting her to say: 'All I did was say: "It's always you."'
WNBL Official Response
The WNBL released an official statement addressing the incident: 'The WNBL is aware of an incident that occurred at the conclusion of the Townsville Fire vs Southside Melbourne Flyers game on Sunday, 22 February involving two spectators. The WNBL Match Day manager immediately referred the matter to venue security and the spectators were subsequently asked to leave the venue. The matter has been referred to Basketball Australia's Integrity Unit and remains under review.'
Social media posts captured the tense atmosphere, with one observer noting: 'Hoping this isn't anything bad. In her 200th WNBL game (which she starred in), Southside's Maddy Rocci reacted to something from the crowd after Townsville won to make the GF and had to be pulled away. There are young kids very close to whatever happened.'
Daily Mail has approached both the Southside Melbourne Flyers and Townsville Fire for additional comment regarding the incidents that marred an otherwise thrilling semi-final decider.
