Former AFL player and 2008 NAB Rising Star winner Rhys Palmer is facing a life ban from racetracks after an ugly incident during race 6 at Gloucester Park in Perth on Friday night.
During the race, a shoe can be seen tossed onto the track, narrowly missing both horses and jockeys, with the shoe landing underneath the seat of one jockey.
It was alleged the shoe came from Palmer, who played 123 AFL games with Fremantle, GWS and Carlton over a nine-year career.
“The first shoe just missed leaders and the second shoe landed among midfield runners,” Acting chief steward Rhys Chappell told news.com.au.
“We’ve never seen anything like this.”
Police were called to the track after the vision was seen, with Palmer now set to face a lengthy suspension from race meets, if not a lifetime ban.