A futsal goalkeeper "wasn't thinking" when he punched a player from an opposing team in the face during a brawl at a hotly-contested game at the Australian National University, a court has heard.
The heated first grade match turned violent when a verbal exchange between players and spectators escalated into an all-in fight at the university's indoor sports centre in December 2015.
Rising tensions had prompted the referee to call off the match between the Big Ball and Kolo FC teams shortly before the end of the second half.
The alleged victim, who was on the Big Ball team, ran into the fight to help a friend who he said was on the ground and getting kicked in the back of the head.
He grabbed the alleged attacker from behind before he was struck in the face with such force he suffered two fractures to the bone around his eye and lasting damage to his vision, prosecutors say.
Kolo FC's goalkeeper, Kerim Hidic, 22, is on trial in the ACT Supreme Court, fighting a charge of recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm.
Mr Hidic admits he threw the punch but says he acted in self defence.
In a police interview, played to the jury on Tuesday, Mr Hidic said he got upset as the match grew heated because the other team "was a bit dirty".
After the game was called off, he was approached by a man who was screaming at him. Mr Hidic said he was being "a smart arse" and had said to the man: "What are you gonna do?"
Mr Hidic then copped several blows to the face as the fight broke out. He saw the alleged victim with his arms around his friend and, as he tried to leave the brawl, hit him above the eye.
"He dropped to the ground and everyone spread out," Mr Hidic said.
He saw the alleged victim on his knees with blood dripping from him before he left with his friends, saying he had been scared and didn't know what would happen.
"I wasn't thinking to be honest," he told police of the moment he lashed out. "I was just in the adrenaline, in the moment. I just wanted to get out."
He said he didn't throw the first punch in the fight and had sustained scratches, a swollen lip, black eye and a knuckle imprint.
The match referee told the court the teams were playing for "bragging rights" and "to walk away with the victory" because it was the final match of the year.
He said he called off the game in the second half because two spectators were sledging players on the Big Ball team and the match became "essentially uncontrollable".
A couple of players had a verbal exchange before the spectators ran down to the court and the brawl began, he said.
"The melee formed into a physical ball of players who were interlocked," the referee said.
The trial heard evidence from several players, including one Big Ball player who said the match had turned into "a very scary situation".
"The spectators said they were going to kill us," he said.
Another player told the court he went to help the alleged victim after he was hit and noticed blood coming from his eye and "a big pool of blood on the floor".
"He was in a very, very poor state. We were very worried."
The witness said the man appeared concussed and said he was worried about his wife, job and health.
"He told me he couldn't see from his eye and he was in some pain."
The trial continues.