The court heard that while celebrating a goal by teammate Jonathan Brown, Fevola ran towards the boundary fence directly behind the goal posts and started verbally abusing Bulldogs fans. Other Lions players had retired towards the centre of the field. The court heard Davey threw "a small amount of beer'' on Fevola. The AFL player then told police and security officials who had thrown the beer and Davey was arrested. He spent the weekend since his arrest in the watchhouse and missed his flight home.

Magistrate Tina Previtera noted two nights in custody was more than sufficient penalty and Davey was released from custody immediately. Voss told reporters in Brisbane the AFL should investigate the incident, and consider banning spectators involved in such behaviour. "Spectators can't touch players and players can't touch spectators, it's pretty clear,'' he said. "I don't think you can put up with that sort of behaviour. "The AFL has a strong stance about that and if the AFL haven't got involved they should, because you can't have that and it should be eliminated.

"It's one of the attractions of our game, that we can go there and enjoy football without idiots carrying on.'' Western Bulldogs chief executive Campbell Rose said in a statement this afternoon the club expected fans to behave properly. "While the individual arrested was not a Western Bulldogs member, we expect all of our fans to carry themselves in a manner befitting our club,'' he said. "This sort of behaviour is totally unacceptable and we are happy to see that the offender was quickly apprehended.'' Outside the court, Davey said he was stranded in Brisbane because friends had taken all his identity papers when he was arrested.

"Mr Fevola came over to the fence and started abusing the Bulldogs' supporters,'' Davey said. "Jonathan Brown had just kicked a goal ... and instead of running back down the ground Mr Fevola ran over and started gobbing off at the Western Bulldogs' (fans). "I shouldn't have done what I did, I accept that.'' Davey said he could not remember what was said, but some fans were ribbing Fevola about his admitted gambling addiction. "I got a lot of beer tipped over me by Brisbane supporters, but the police didn't seem to worry about that,'' Davey said.

Police had told him Fevola had pointed him out as the beer-thrower. "I actually thought they were just going to throw me out of the ground, I didn't think I'd be strip-searched and thrown in the cells and all that,'' he said. As to an apology to Fevola, Davey declined the opportunity. "He gobbed off at me and I threw some beer at him, I think that's a fair exchange,'' he said. Loading

"I don't talk to idiots.'' With the Bulldogs losing the game it had been a pretty tough, and expensive, weekend.

With a loud "Fire up, Dogs'' Davey left, dressed in his Bulldogs gear, smelling vaguely of beer, without his ID, and hoping to make his way home.