A Channel 10 cameraman has been left bloodied after accidentally copping an AFL ball to the face that was kicked by Peter Dutton.
The incident occurred during Mr Dutton’s visit to Cazalys Arena, a football field located on the Palmerston Campus of the Charles Darwin University, 22km southeast of Darwin.
The Opposition Leader began kicking a Sherrin to a pair of kids in a moment captured by cameras.
As one cameraman, later revealed to be from Channel 10, put himself in a better position to face Mr Dutton, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time as one of the kicks hit him in the head.
While things seemed to be fine initially, the man appeared to begin bleeding with fellow media representatives rushing to help him.
Mr Dutton quickly saw the humour in the mishap, quipping: “That’s your exclusive vision too, mate, you’ve got to hold onto that”.
After hearing confirmation the man was okay, Mr Dutton began trying some hand passes of the ball with the kids.
The cameraman was filmed undergoing further treatment, with the Coalition leader joking “better go and check on our patient” before visiting the man.
He was seen holding a tissue which had blood on it from his head, and was helped by a man who wrapped up the wound with a bandage.
“My apologies, my apologies,” Mr Dutton said as he checked on the injured man.
“That I didn’t kick it out on the full, that’s what I was impressed by.”
The pair then shook hands before Mr Dutton suggested he would buy him a beer later in the day.
The incident is reminiscent of an embarrassing moment endured by former prime minister Scott Morrison on the campaign trail with the Coalition in 2022.
During a visit to a marginal seat in Tasmania, Scomo accidentally tackled a young boy rugby league-style during a soccer match.
While the boy was fine, it was a mortifying incident caught on camera.
Earlier on Saturday, Mr Dutton announced the Port of Darwin will be brought back under the control of the Australian government if the Coalition is elected on May 3.
Mr Dutton stopped short of agreeing the Coalition’s decision to lease the Port to Chinese company Landbridge in 2015 was a massive blunder, but said the circumstances had “deteriorated” under the Labor government.
“Well, this was a decision of the Territory government 10 years ago. I think what’s most important is what circumstances do we find ourselves in now” he said.
“It has deteriorated, just even over the last three years. That’s the advice of the intelligence agencies to me, and it is a necessary response and we’ve been prepared to stand up for our national interests and we are very happy to do that.”
