Some thought that security were heavy-handed with the female rugby fan
© Bradley Kanaris / Getty Images
A female pitch invader ruthlessly tackled by security during an Australian rugby league game at the weekend has spoken out amid divided debate on the incident.
Javon Johanson interrupted her Gold Coast Titans’ eventual 26-20 loss to the Parramatta Eels on Saturday night by invading the Cbus Super Stadium pitch in her bra, as she had threatened on TikTok.
“So my actual biggest goal in life has been to actually just run on a football field,” the 28-year-old warned. “And yeah, I’m doing this.”
Dodging one security guard trying to halt her, Johanson was then smashed to the turf by a second man in an incident that went viral online and has been seen close to a million times.
The debacle sparked debate as to whether the stadium’s staff had been too rough. But Johanson, who was apparently dumped by her boyfriend who called her a “disgrace”, explained to 7News that she was prepared for such a hit and had no problems with how she was dealt with.
“I got what I deserved. He [the security guard] was doing his job,” Johanson pointed out.
“The tackle was honestly fine. It was more so just how much air I got. That made it look so much worse,” she also told Triple M. “But he could have grabbed me and I would have fallen over.”
Did Trevor Gillmeister make a comeback on the Gold Coast tonight? #theaxe#shewontdoitagain🪓😳🙈😂 pic.twitter.com/BJXrurgBOI
— Michael Charge (@Chargey76) April 9, 2022
“It was such a surreal and out-of-body experience,” Johanson continued. “The adrenaline of the crowd – you just hear this big roar [when you run on the field] and I immediately thought I had to take off my top now.”
“I was so close to doing my bra, but I thought that was a bit far,” Johnson revealed. “I can’t believe how far I got. You can’t even see anyone. It just happened so fast.
“But I used to play AFL, rugby and had three brothers, so getting tackled was not a problem,” she concluded.
© Bradley Kanaris / Getty Images
The Gold Coast Titans revealed to 7news that they are making inquiries about the tackle which their chairman Dennis Watt described as “heavy-handed”.
“There needs to be a review of what happened,” Watt demanded to News Corp. “From where I was sitting it did seem heavy-handed. It could have been handled better.”
“You heard this collective intake of breath around the ground. It did seem over the top and it put the intruder at real physical risk.”
“The Titans are working with Cbus Super Stadium and their security provider to get a full understanding of the incident and we will have a report from the venue in coming days,” vowed the Titans, as former Eels player Eric Groth Jr said that the guard was seeking attention.
“I reckon this bloke didn’t have to do this,” Groth remarked. “He’ll claim ‘It could’ve been a terrorist threat’ but deep down I reckon he wanted the attention that comes with whacking a streaker on national TV.”
Surley the big tough security guy didn’t have to do that to a female?
— Sports Faces (@FacesSports) April 9, 2022
A bit extreme no need to hammer her
— Paul Davidson (@PaulDav09951396) April 10, 2022
Nothing extreme about it. Wasnt high, wasnt dangerous, play on.
— Tofilau Tofilau (@lmtofilau) April 10, 2022
“She could’ve been disarmed with less force. Her fault, but way too hard,” Groth added.
Others, however, such as 7news’ NRL expert Trevor Hillmeister, agreed with Johanson that the guard was just doing his job.
“I thought they probably should have taken her down a little easier than that,” Hillmeister said. “But anyway. You’re on the field, it’s open slather I suppose.”
The incident was the second of its nature in Australia’s hugely-popular NRL championship this weekend after an environmental protestor forced the match between Cronulla Sharks and Wests Tigers to be halted.
Outrageous,and disappointing scenes at Shark Park. Two intruders in the space of a few minutes, one with a flare. 📷 @rtuck17#NRLSharksTigerspic.twitter.com/CQ3pXaNdHq
— ABC SPORT (@abcsport) April 10, 2022
Dressed all-red and brandishing the logo of local climate action protest group Fireproof Australia, the pitch invader entered the game in the second half yielding a red flare and confused the players in the 30-4 win for the Sharks.
While the protestor was also tackled to the ground and taken off the field, the game could not resume for a few minutes until the red smoke from the flare had cleared.
Identified as Andrew George, the protestor has now been jailed for three months and said: “Think of all the games that have been disrupted by drought, by floods, by smoke, by fires.”
“Our way of life is under attack and nothing is happening to protect us.”
