RICHMOND captain Kane Johnson will miss the club’s round-two clash with North Melbourne after being arrested for public drunkenness.
Johnson was caught urinating in front of St Kilda Police Station in the early hours of Sunday morning. Police arrested him and charged him with being drunk in a public place. A further charge of offensive behavior is pending.
The club said Johnson had voluntarily suspended himself for one match, and accepted a club-imposed $5000 fine.
Johnson had been celebrating his 30th birthday with family and friends, but was alone when arrested, the club said.
“I deeply regret my actions,” Johnson said in a club statement.
“I am disappointed that I have let the club, our supporters, and my teammates down.
“As captain I have preached a message that I failed to uphold. Fronting my teammates at the next training session will be the most difficult time I have faced in football.
“I take full responsibility for my behaviour and accept the penalty that the club has imposed. I have reflected on the stupidity of my actions and I plan to work towards educating the community and particularly young kids about the dangers of binge drinking”.
Richmond football manager Greg Miller accepted Johnson’s decision to suspend himself.
“Kane’s behavior, while disappointing, was completely out of character and an aberration,” Miller said.
Johnson's indiscretion comes just a week after a similar act by Carlton forward Brendan Fevola, which resulted in him being sanctioned by his club.
Fevola was spared a suspension by the Blues for urinating outside a nightclub and played in Carlton's opening round loss to the Tigers on Thursday.
But he was fined $10,000, stood down from the club's leadership group, ordered to undergo counselling and warned that another similar incident would result in his sacking.