A DOCKERS fan who admitted hitting a woman in the jaw after being asked to tone down his language at an AFL match has been jailed for eight months.

Cody Luke Yarran, 24, struck the 38-year-old woman, who was reportedly an off-duty policewoman, with an open palm in front of her children during Fremantle's preliminary final loss to Hawthorn at Domain Stadium on September 25.

Yarran appeared on Monday in the Perth Magistrates Court where his lawyer said her client was drunk and in a highly emotional state because it was the first match he'd attended without his father, who died earlier this year.

"It was a particularly emotional day for him," she told the court.

The prosecutor said Yarran had been swearing and using threatening verbal and body language towards other spectators as the Dockers began to lose ground against Hawthorn, and some nearby families had left the game or moved away out of fear.

When Yarran struck the victim, who only wants to be known as Jody, she reeled backwards onto other spectators.

He then pushed past the crowd, trying to flee police as they tried to apprehend him, knocking more people over, inflicting minor injuries.

When police caught up with him, he resisted and hurled abuse at them, requiring more officers to subdue him.

Yarran's defence lawyer said the drama started when he directed abuse at the Dockers for losing the game then decided to leave as tensions escalated.

Still swearing, he tried to get past Jody but she told him to tone it down.

"He wasn't going to let anything stand in his way," the lawyer said.

"He told her 'I just want to get the hell out of here'.

"It was simply that she was the person who stood up to Yarran while he was in an emotional state."

After the assault, other spectators jumped on him and he briefly lost consciousness after being put in a choke hold.

The lawyer said her client had received hate mail and threats on social media, and faced the prospect of a lifetime ban by the AFL, so would likely be deprived of going with his children to football matches.

The magistrate said Yarran's offending was serious and his reaction to the request to quieten down was "completely uncalled for".

Attending AFL matches was an Australian tradition, he said, and friendly rivalries usually stopped at that.

"It was up to you to control your drinking and your behaviour," he said.

Outside court, the victim told reporters it was sad that her 13-year-old son felt he should have done more to help her.

"We've been affected by it terribly, particularly my children," she said.

"My eight-year-old stepdaughter feels that she can't go in public into larger crowds. She's very nervous and anxious."