St Kilda's Charlie Banfield involved in accident that hospitalised close friend in WA
St Kilda midfielder Charlie Banfield accidentally ran over a close friend with a car on a private property in Western Australia earlier in October.
The friend was taken to hospital with broken bones. Two separate sources told the ABC the incident happened at a party on a rural property at Yallingup, in the state's south-west, according to ABC News.
Emergency services were not called to the scene despite the severity of the injuries. St John Ambulance said it had no record of attending the Yallingup area that night.
St Kilda confirmed the incident took place on a rural private property in Western Australia. The club said it understands the injured person will make a swift and full recovery. The two young men are close friends.
The club said it has already spoken to Banfield and will continue to support him. It also said no legal action would be taken against the player, with the incident treated as an accident.
WA Police said it had not received any reports about the matter. That means police have not investigated the crash.
Banfield is 19 and grew up in Western Australia. He made his debut in the AFL, Australia's top Australian rules football competition, in 2026.
St Kilda recruited him from the Claremont Colts, the under-19 side in the WAFL, the state's senior competition below AFL level. He won the Mel Whinnen Medal as best on ground in the 2025 WAFL Colts Grand Final and was vice-captain at Scotch College in Perth.
He is the son of former West Coast Eagles premiership player Drew Banfield. His mother, Amber Banfield, spent six years on the board of the West Australian Football Commission, which runs the game in the state. St Kilda secured him at last year's national draft, the league's annual recruiting system for young players, after West Coast chose not to match the bid.
