Disturbing moment teenagers brawl in public as illegal fight club spreads across Adelaide and violent videos emerge of organised bouts
Disturbing footage is being shared online of teenage boys and girls brawling on ovals across Adelaide, with the illegal fight club leaving the community in fear.
The official TikTok account for the fight club advertises the upcoming bouts, which have been divided into weight classes ranging from 40kg to 65kg, with the violent videos shared on YouTube.
All fights began with a referee outlining the rules before offering encouragement and advice to the fighters throughout the contest.
A clip of a fight between two teenage boys at Broadmeadows Oval at Elizabeth North ended with a message on screen claiming a ‘knife got pulled’.
In a separate video showing a bout between two teenage girls, the pair could be seen grappling on the ground before one of them said, ‘My dad’s here’.
She then rolled over and said ‘I’m sorry, I really don’t want to hurt you,’ before punching her opponent’s face.
The referee then stepped in and urged them to continue inflicting blows.
‘What are you saying sorry for?’ he said.
Disturbing footage is being shared online of teenage boys and girls brawling in parks across Adelaide, with the illegal fight club leaving the community in fear
‘This is amazing, dude, this is peak.’
Later in the fight, one of the girls complained that her nose ring was causing her pain, but the referee dismissed her concerns and told her it was ‘too bad’.
She then regained control and wrapped her arm around her opponent’s neck, prompting the referee to repeatedly urge her to ‘squeeze’ and ‘squeeze harder’.
While it is unclear whether anyone suffered any injuries, one teenage boy complained of a chipped tooth following his fight.
A South Australia Police spokesman told Daily Mail that officers were aware of the group and were investigating the matter.
‘Police are attempting to identify juveniles involved in organised fights and subsequent posting to social media,’ he said.
‘Those involved in this activity will be reported for any identified offences.’
Two northern suburbs boys, 14 and 17, were arrested on Tuesday night and are due to appear in court at a later date.
The South Australian Fight Club uploaded seven planned fights filmed at suburban parks across Adelaide to YouTube , with its first video published on February 23
Parents and local sporting groups have raised concerns about the activity, with some fights taking place on public ovals like Ridley Reserve.
Kay Benger from the Central Districts Softball Association, which uses the park, told 7News she didn’t feel safe using the facility anymore.
‘This is the home of where we play and it’s not a safe activity for us to be around,’ she said.
‘What’s stopping them from coming over here and starting a fight with us?’
Parents have tried to prevent the fight themselves, but said the teens would just change locations.
‘We moved them on and they went over to the other oval,’ a witness said.
‘They hid behind two sheds until the cops left and then kept going.’
Pat Cronin Foundation founding director Matt Cronin told Daily Mail the consequences of the unsanctioned fights could be devastating.
Parents and local sporting groups have also raised concerns about the activity, with some fights taking place on public ovals like Ridley Reserve
‘Once a punch gets thrown, what happens next is totally beyond the person who threw that punch, especially when it’s in an unsupervised environment,’ he said.
‘All it takes is one punch and the worst possible consequence from this is death.’
Mr Cronin’s son Patrick died after the 19-year-old was punched in the head during a brawl in a pub ten years ago.
He urged those involved in the illegal activity to consider not only the potential harm to others, but also the lifelong consequences they could face.
‘One of our messages for anyone involved in any sort of violence like this is that even if you don’t think about the victim, think about the consequence,’ he said.
‘All that needs to happen is someone to get injured or killed and all of sudden, you’re up on criminal charges that will follow you for the rest of your days.’
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said he was ‘absolutely appalled’ by reports of the fight club.
‘It is completely unsafe and perpetuates raw violence in a way that cannot be tolerated, particularly amongst children,’ he said.
Founding director of the Pat Cronin Foundation Matt Cronin told Daily Mail the consequences of the unsanctioned fights could be devastating
‘This morning I have asked the Attorney General and Police Minister to do anything required to crack down on this behaviour.
‘Our kids should be taught how to respect one another, rather than violence to be displayed on social media.’
Police Minister Michael Brown told ABC Adelaide ‘the danger of the whole thing is absolutely extraordinary’.
‘Just think for a second, what would happen if one of these young people hit someone else and they fell over and hit their head and died?’ he said.
‘We’d be talking about two lives completely ruined because of this stupid activity.’
Mr Brown said he had also requested social media platforms to remove the videos.
The fight club responded to the Premier’s comments on its Instagram story, saying: ‘Dude, it’s not that serious.’
Alongside posts celebrating its newfound attention from major news outlets, the group also assured followers the fights would continue regardless of any backlash.
