NORTH Melbourne board member Glenn Archer only pleaded guilty to punching a volunteer runner at his son's junior football game because he thought he'd get away with a "slap on the wrist".
He's won the right to appeal his conviction and says he wants to tell his side of the story.
The ex-North Melbourne great pleaded guilty in September to punching Jamie Chilcot at a football ground in suburban Heidelberg in June.
A magistrate convicted Archer of assault, fined him $2000 and ordered him to pay nearly $1000 to replace the victim's broken glasses.
But Archer faced the Victorian County Court on Tuesday seeking permission to appeal the conviction as he didn't get to tell his side of the story.
"I thought I was walking in to get a slap on the wrist," Archer said in his sworn evidence.
"They put it to me as plead guilty, pay for the guy's glasses, go home and go to bed."
He told police he acted in self defence, but chose to plead guilty as he thought it was the "easiest way to go".
He was watching his son Jackson play in the under-15s for Park Orchards when he ran onto the field to break up a scuffle and then later clashed with Mr Chilcot.
"The accused punched Chilcot, striking the right side of his face," prosecutor Matt Toohey said in the agreed summary.
"The force of the blow caused the arm of the glasses he was wearing to break off."
But Archer said the summary did not reflect what happened that day.
"The way it was read out made me sound horrible," he said.
His lawyer Sam Norton on Tuesday said witnesses believed Archer acted in self defence.
Judge Paul Grant granted Archer permission to appeal, despite the application coming after the usual 28-day time limit from the date of conviction.
"Mr Archer acted on a belief that the matter would be resolved in a particular way," the judge said.
"He felt that an injustice had occurred."
A three-day appeal hearing was scheduled for March 2018.
A famously fearless defender, Archer played 311 games for the Kangaroos and was named in the club's Team of the Century.
