Nathan Troy Lawrence and Luke Woodrow Lewis were ordered to pay $300 fines while opposing team player Daniel Robert Braithwaite was given a $150 fine because his involvement in the incident was deemed “lesser” than the other men.

The court was told that the alleged fight occurred at the car park at McDonald’s on September 4, leaving one of the accused with two black eyes, concussion and six stiches.

The solicitor representing Lawrence, 24, said his client had gone out to celebrate a successful grand final win when someone “came from nowhere and king hit him”, knocking him down.

Lawrence received six stiches, the court heard, in what was dubbed an “alcohol-fuelled” incident.

His solicitor described Lawrence as a “very good Rugby League player” who was a role model for younger players.

Local Court magistrate Howard Hamilton said that police had intervened during the incident on two prior occasions before laying charges.

“If it had happened after the first intervention, the court would have considered not recording a criminal conviction, but police intervened on two occasions and tried to get you to leave and didn’t charge you until the third occasion,” he said.

Lewis, who appeared without legal representation, also said he was provoked but conceded, “that’s no excuse”.

“I can assure it won’t happen again,” he said.

Lewis admitted he had been drinking excessively to celebrate the grand final win.

“The fact that you had played in a grand final does not provide an excuse for you to behave in the manner you did,” Magistrate Hamilton said before issuing Lewis with a $300 fine.

The third party in the incident, 20-year-old Braithwaite, was also the final person involved to face the court.

The court was told that Braithwaite was from the opposing team to the other defendants and was on his way home when he allegedly became involved in the incident outside McDonald’s.

“He was diagnosed with concussion the next day and had two black eyes,” his solicitor said.

Magistrate Hamilton found that Braithwaite’s involvment in the altercation was “lesser than the other people convicted here”, and ordered him to pay a fine of $150.

All three young men pleaded guilty to the charges.