THE Brisbane Lions have confirmed Daniel Rich as the player at the centre of allegation from a disabled man that he was assaulted on the eve of Mad Monday celebrations.

It is alleged the accomplished midfielder and 2009 Rising Star winner insulted and assaulted a man in a wheelchair waiting for a taxi in Brisbane's inner west.

Robert Partridge, 41, of Woolloongabba, told The Courier-Mail he had finished work for the evening on Sunday evening and was rolling down the hill at Toowong to the taxi rank when Rich ran towards him screaming, "Wheelchair, wheelchair, wheelchair."

"My car had broken down the previous week so I was catching public transport, which isn't easy being in a wheelchair. I had had a tough day at work so I decided to shout myself a cab home," Mr Partridge said.

"I was in the process of rolling down the hill to the cab rank and as I came down the corner there is a particular rough surface, that's when I hit (came across) this idiot and he was running at me screaming 'wheelchair, wheelchair, wheelchair'."

Recognising the man as a Brisbane Lions player, Mr Partridge said he braced in his chair before being pushed.

"I had my hands fully extended forward to the ground holding the chair like in a brace position, (I was) pretty vulnerable," he said.

"He ended up coming behind me and launching forward, pushing me.

"I had the chance to brace, turned around and said, 'What the f--- are you doing, you c---?' Then all his mates chipped in with, 'in your face, wheelchair'."

Late this afternoon, Brisbane Lions management posted a statement on its website identifying Rich as the player in question, but claiming "significant discrepancies" between media accounts of the incident and those given to police and the club.

However it confirmed Rich had "wheeled the gentleman some metres towards a taxi rank, however, at no stage was this action intended to cause the gentleman any distress or harm".

Despite earlier comments from his lawyer, Mr Partridge clarified he had not been "tipped out of his wheelchair" and had not fallen to the ground, due to his actions to brace himself.

Mr Partridge claimed he had a kebab thrown at him after he challenged the group when they jumped the taxi queue ahead of him and others.

A keen sports fan, Mr Partridge said he had watched numerous AFL games and the alleged player involved was "pretty distinctive".

"I wanted him to know I recognised who he was so I put my arms in a macho-pose, flexing the biceps ... and he did it back at me," he said.

While he said he suffered no serious injuries, Mr Partridge said he sought medical assistance before making a formal complaint to the police yesterday.

"My main concern was keeping my head together and thought everything would take care of itself after that," he said.

"I wanted to make some sort of complaint. I was supposed to meet up with them (police) on Tuesday and then didn't see them until yesterday."

"They (the police) said they would investigate and then get back to me."

The office worker said it was the first incident of its kind to happen to him.

"I've been in and out of a wheelchair for a couple of years and full-time only the last four or five months, and I've had nothing but good things from the public," he said.

"I want someone to take responsibility for this, it's cr--. You can't do this to people."

A statement released by a police spokesperson at 1.30pm said: "Police received a complaint at Indooroopilly Police Station yesterday in relation to an alleged incident at Toowong on Sunday night."

"Information supplied to police suggests around 6.30pm a 41-year-old Woolloongabba man was travelling on Sherwood Road at Toowong when another man approached him from behind and started pushing his wheelchair.

"Police investigations are continuing."

Earlier, solicitor Adam Magill, for Mr Partridge, said his client made a formal complaint to the Indooroopilly Criminal Investigation Branch on Thursday about the incident.

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He said his client had been forced into a wheelchair after falling from a roof in recent years.

"I was contacted by Mr Partridge in the wake of this alleged attack and he is obviously very shocked and distressed about the whole ordeal,'' Mr Magill said.

The Brisbane Lions responded with a statement at 9.30am Friday saying they "are aware of serious allegations made against one of its players regarding an alleged incident on Sunday night.".

"The club has launched an immediate investigation into the matter as it had not previously been made aware of the allegations.

"The club will make further comment once it is in a position to do so."

AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou said on Melbourne radio this morning: "We're aware of it (the allegation) and we've spoken to Brisbane this morning."

"We're taking the matter seriously, but we're not jumping to any conclusions."

The AFL boss reiterated his thoughts on Mad Monday celebrations to 3AW's Neil Mitchell.

"You know my views on Mad Monday, I don't get it."

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