A MAN who behaved like a "drunken yobbo" and king-hit an umpire at a country football match has been sentenced to seven months in jail.

Jeffrey John Hunter, 36, hit Paul Fitzgerald at the grand final of the Spencer Gulf Football League in September last year, fracturing his right eye socket and nose.

In his victim impact statement yesterday, Mr Fitzgerald told the Port Pirie Magistrates Court he asked himself why it had happened.

"I didn't deserve this. It shouldn't have happened to me," he said.

"I loved to be part of the game and now this bloke has taken it away from me with his actions," he said.

Mr Fitzgerald said the attack had affected him mentally, emotionally, physically and financially. He requires ongoing medical treatment, including an operation today.

The prosecution said witnesses reported that Hunter approached a group of umpires on the field and said "are you Fitzy?" before hitting him.

Hunter's lawyer, Katherine Eaton, told the court it was an act of "senseless violence".

"(Mr Fitzgerald) did not deserve to be assaulted. Mr Fitzgerald did not deserve to be hurt," she said.

Ms Eaton told the court that Hunter was not a football fan and had attended the match with a friend.

She said Hunter drank about 10 beers and was feeling "uptight" and "stressed" about family issues.

She told the court Hunter was surrounded by aggravated fans who said Mr Fitzgerald had made bad calls and someone should "have a go" at him.

"At that moment, his anger exploded," Ms Eaton said.

"It's ridiculous, your Honour, because he wasn't even following the game. He was out of control."

Magistrate Peter Snopek said there was no "rational basis" for why Hunter attacked Mr Fitzgerald but he could have made different decisions, including not drinking.

"He acted like a drunken yobbo," Mr Snopek said.

He said the consequences of Hunter's actions would be far-reaching.

"They (football clubs) need to think about how to keep the umpires safe, otherwise they won't have football games because no one will want to do the job," he said.

Mr Snopek said that having played football himself for many years, he knew that for one good umpiring decision there would be a bad decision.

"One thing I always had firmly fixed in my mind - you don't have an umpire, you don't have a game."

Mr Snopek said he gave Hunter credit for wanting to apologise to Mr Fitzgerald and for his guilty plea but there was a need for his sentence to serve as a deterrent to people who would attack people in vulnerable positions like umpires and taxi drivers.

"These attacks cannot be sanctioned by the law," he said.

Hunter, 36, pleaded guilty to recklessly causing harm to Paul Fitzgerald during the Spencer Gulf Football League grand final in September 2012.

Originally published as 'Drunken yobbo' jailed for king-hitting umpire