A former AFLW player claims she was heckled and spat at by a group of young men while playing in her local league’s senior women’s grand final.
It comes as former AFL men’s and women’s players say they are being targeted at local levels, with many choosing to step away from the sport because of it.
Ashleigh Guest — who played for GWS, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs — said a group of three jeered and taunted her from the sidelines through the decider.
Then, as she went to pick up the ball from behind the goals near the end of the final quarter, Guest says she heard one of them spit at her.
“I jumped up straight away and was like, ‘Did you f***ing spit at me?’ and they just laughed,” Guest told ABC Sport.
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Guest’s club, Yarraville Seddon Eagles, and Western Football Netball League (WFNL) confirmed in independent statements that an incident was reported in the official match-day report and was investigated by the league.
But the WFNL concluded there was not enough evidence to substantiate the claim.
“Following a timely and thorough investigation, including a detailed review of available video footage, the player is observed collecting the ball and turning toward the group,” the WFNL said in a statement.
“However, there is no visual evidence of any individual spitting and no witnesses in the immediate vicinity — including the WFNL goal umpire — that observed the alleged act.”
![A Bulldogs AFLW player smiles as she stands behind a group of fans holding signs saying "We [heart] you Ash".](https://www.newsbeep.com/au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2830c48961f4eceef2c6be5d97bf563b)
Ashleigh Guest retired from the AFLW in 2022 after stints with the Giants, Demons and Bulldogs.
 (Getty Images: AFL Photos/Dylan Burns)
The opposition club also released a statement that said it conducted a thorough internal investigation in conjunction with the league, which concluded “individuals in the vicinity of the area deny that any player was spat at, or that any spitting took place”.
Guest said she was never spoken to by anyone from the league during the investigation process and is disappointed with the handling of the incident.
“The actual incident itself, I feel really degraded. I’m not even sure why someone would spit, [it’s] a pretty horrific act,” Guest said.
“Is it because I was an opposition player, or I’m a woman, or because I’m a lesbian? For what reason would someone spit? It has made me feel really gross; it’s just an awful thing to have experienced.”
Guest said she will not be returning to play for Yarraville next season after being disappointed with the handling of the alleged incident from the league.
“I love the girls; my teammates are great,” she said.
“My teammates have been nothing but supportive. And I think our president and the committee were trying to be supportive in their own way, [it] just hasn’t come off.
“So it is sad, they’ve been a great club. I’ve been there for the last two seasons and was looking forward to playing there next year, but yeah, I can’t justify [playing there and] won’t support the WFNL at all.”
Yarraville said it “respected” the statements from the WFNL and the opposing club.
“But [we] fully support our player and believe that the incident occurred,” the club statement read.
“We acknowledge, however, that in the world of community football, it is difficult to determine all of the facts with the tools available to us.
“We will continue to advocate for a safe and respectful game environment and will work with the league and all member clubs to achieve this outcome.”
The league added that it treats all such matters with the utmost seriousness, and respectful behaviour is a “non-negotiable” standard at all sporting events.
Former AFL and AFLW players targeted at local leagues
Earlier this year, former AFLW star Moana Hope called out the “vile and disgusting” verbal abuse she received at a local football game.
The former Collingwood and North Melbourne forward alleged an opposition player threatened her with physical violence during an Essendon Districts Football League qualifying final.
Former AFLW star Hope details ‘vile’ abuse at local footy game
“The ball was nowhere in sight, by the way, not that that would make a difference. It wouldn’t. It was just a really horrible experience, and really unwarranted, unacceptable and embarrassing,” the 37-year-old posted to her Instagram.
“The things that he was saying were vile and disgusting, and nothing short of just a personal attack on me, for absolutely no reason. I spoke to my mum after the game, and she said she felt completely and utterly uncomfortable about it.”
The ABC recently uncovered that ex-AFL players are also routinely targeted at lower leagues, including former West Coast premiership player Adam Hunter and ex-Collingwood defender Jason Cloke.
Cloke, after being hospitalised over a dozen times and suffering countless concussions, dropped out of community football due to unnecessary on-field aggression.
“They think you’re entitled to cop it and you should be able to cop it because you’re an ex-AFL footballer,” Cloke told ABC Sport.
Guest said players like her and Hope come back from the elite level and try to support local footy, but it can come at a cost: “Why would AFLW players or AFL men’s players come back to play local footy if they’re going to be either targeted physically on the ground or targeted off-field with incidents like this?”