Osborne Park Football Club has been suspended from the Perth Football League for two years following an end-of-season costume stunt that league officials described as a severe breach of integrity standards. The incident occurred during a 'silly Sunday' celebration in August, where a player wore a costume depicting the late physicist Stephen Hawking, who had motor neuron disease.
City of Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin said the costume included a gaming chair setup with screens displaying images he described as child pornography. City staff who inspected the clubrooms the next day were left distressed by what they found. Western Australia Police investigated but found no criminality.
Perth Football League head Andrew Dawe stated that the incident exposed deep governance and leadership failures at the club. He noted that senior club officials were present at the event but failed to act. The club refused to disclose the identity of the player involved.
The league's board considered expulsion but opted for a two-year suspension, giving the club time to rebuild governance capability and re-engage with the City of Stirling. Dawe emphasized that the decision was not taken lightly and that the club must uphold community standards.
