FORMER AFL star Glenn Archer has been cleared on appeal of an assault conviction nearly two years after hitting a volunteer runner in the face at a junior football game.

The North Melbourne great struck the runner, breaking his glasses, as tensions boiled at the half-time break at his son's Heidelberg oval game in June 2017.

The 45-year-old pleaded guilty to assault but he was shocked when a Heidelberg magistrate convicted him of the crime and fined him $2000 for what she called an "abhorrent thing to do".

Archer believed he was only going to get "a slap on the wrist" and did not get a chance to tell his side of the story, he later said.

He launched an appeal in the County Court in a bid to clear his name and the matter was resolved on Monday after prosecutors accepted a non-conviction sentence.

Judge Mark Dean re-sentenced Archer to a 12-month good behaviour bond without conviction and ordered him to pay $2000 to the Berry Street children's charity.

He said Archer's assault was a "serious" incident given it occurred at a children's sporting game.

"The action performed by Mr Archer is at the lower end of the scale but it is the context which needs to be considered," Judge Dean said.

"Behaviour of this type at sporting events and social gatherings is all too prevalent in our society.

"It is an ugly side of our society and it has no place in the way we conduct ourselves."

However, the judge said Archer had been "arguably provoked" by the victim, who had been pointing at Archer's face.

Archer had been watching his son Jackson play in the under-15s for Park Orchards when a scuffle broke out between two players.

He ran on to the ground in a bid to break up the fight before engaging in a heated exchange with an umpire.

As players left the ground at half-time, Archer clashed with the volunteer runner, who had yelled at him for running on the field.

Archer "fended" the runner in the face, knocking his glasses to the ground.

Archer played 311 games for the Kangaroos, including two premierships, and was named in the club's Team of the Century.

He stepped down from the club's board in January, citing increased business commitments.