The Interlake Thunder Football Club has filed formal complaints of sexual harassment and assault over an incident after a game last month in the Midget Football League of Manitoba.

The team alleges one of its female players became the target of sexist comments and that a second girl was hit on her backside by members of an opposing team after the game had ended.

The league and Football Manitoba are investigating, and the RCMP is also involved.

The game was played on Sept. 24 in Stonewall.

Isabelle McDonald, 15, plays on the boys midget Thunder football team. She said she was putting away equipment when a group of players from the opposing Winnipeg-based Falcons Football Club approached her off the field.

“The four Falcon players were walking by me and as they were walking by me, they started to talk to me and catcall me,” said McDonald. “They said ‘Hey 34 you coming over’ and they said ‘nice a**’.”

McDonald said a female teammate saw this and walked over. She said that’s when the opposing players turned their attention to her teammate.

“They obviously hit her on the butt, and one of our players saw this and chased them to the parking lot towards their bus,” said McDonald.

Mitch Obach, past-president for the Thunder, said parents and coaches saw what was happening and split up the players.

Isabelle has played football for five years. This is her third year playing in a boys league, and she said nothing like this has ever happened to her before.

“It made me really uncomfortable and really nervous and after they said it, I was really upset,” said McDonald. “I didn’t expect they would say anything of that nature towards me.”

Her father, Joel McDonald, said his daughter was prepared to take some flak for being a girl playing in a boys league, but he said this goes beyond anything she expected.

“She accepts that there’s going to be some chirping during a football game because there is chirping during a football game,” said Joel McDonald. “Even in girls football, there is and she understands that. This is well beyond chirping. This was very aggressive towards her verbally and the other girl, physically.”

A police report was filed over the alleged assault by the girl who says she was hit, but she has requested privacy.

The RCMP confirmed it’s investigating the incident to see what, if any, offences occurred.

Joel McDonald said he’s disappointed with the Midget Football League of Manitoba and Football Manitoba because no one immediately followed up with the girls or their families after the complaint was filed.

“It’s the league and Football Manitoba’s inaction that’s really disturbing to us.”

In an email to CTV News, Football Manitoba said it has been made aware of the allegations.

“Football Manitoba is assisting the Midget Football League of Manitoba in reviewing allegations from both teams,” said Football Manitoba president Brett Lesperance. “We take these allegations very seriously as we believe in a fair, safe and fun football environment for all of our membership.”

“It would be inappropriate to comment any further on these allegations at this time.”

Yvonne Hansen, president of the Falcons Football Club, said the team is aware of the allegations and has met with its players to discuss the issue. Hansen said members of the team also met with Football Manitoba. She said two Falcons players each served one game suspensions for a verbal altercation which occurred at the end of the Sept. 24 game.

“Right through this whole process the Falcons have complied with the league, with Football Manitoba and the RCMP,” said Hansen. “This happens in every sport, you’re going to have these situations.”

Hansen said she wasn’t at the game but heard it was a heated match which resulted in head coaches from both the Falcons and the Thunder getting suspended for failing to keep their players under control.

The Falcons have also made allegations to the league. Out of respect for the process, Hansen said she won’t elaborate on those allegations.

She said there’s only so much she can say because of the ongoing RCMP investigation and that the team won’t comment any further until Football Manitoba’s review is complete.