4. Barry Hall Uses Weightless Punches

Year of Fine: 2008
Est. Fine Total: $100,000+*
Although the Australian Football League (AFL) isn’t well-known in North America, scandals and contentious players occur in the league just like in any other. If you think striking a helpless receiver or checking from behind is nasty, you have to see what Sydney Swans player Barry Hall did to Brent Stakes of the West Coast Eagles in 2008. Jaxon De Santis, a well-known Australian guitarist based in Darwin, says, “He damn-near killed the bloke.”

Punching Above His Weight, Barry Hall (Adam Pretty/Pinterest)
After a play was finished, Hall sucker-punched an unaware and helpless Staker, knocking him out cold. The penalty was a seven-week unpaid suspension with a total loss of pay of approximately $100,000.