Parramatta Eels centre Kate Fallon, 22, faced Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Friday after pleading not guilty to assaulting her 17-year-old neighbour in July 2024.
The teenager claimed she was knocking on doors in a unit block in Sydney's eastern suburbs in search of a missing $70 food delivery when Fallon attacked her.
"I wasn't right, I couldn't even walk up the stairs, they had to carry me up the stairs," she previously told the court.
But Fallon's barrister Thomas Skinner argued the assault claims weren't supported by evidence, pointing to the teen's later testimony that she ran up the stairs.
The accounts provided by the 17-year-old and her sister were markedly different, he said, with the sister telling the court she saw the teen held against a wall by her throat.
The claim was not confirmed by the complainant, who had also identified only one altercation where her sister had suggested there were two, Mr Skinner noted.
He pushed for the charges to be dismissed, telling the court: "The allegation on its face is implausible."
While the prosecutor argued the witnesses had not been deliberately untruthful, he conceded the court might not find the assault had been proven.
Magistrate Lucas Swan said he had difficulty accepting the teenager's account given the inconsistencies and her evasive approach to simple questions.
"I had serious questions about her reliability as a witness of truth," he said.
The complainant initially said she didn't strike Fallon at all during the altercation but, when pressed, maintained she had acted in self-defence.
"Clearly, there can be no confusion about a person punching an individual," Mr Swan said.
The demeanour of the teenager and her sister didn't help, with the magistrate noting contempt of court proceedings had been raised after they left court without permission during the hearing.
He dismissed the charges against Fallon and declined to make an apprehended violence order.
Fallon, who was flanked by her family, did not comment as she left court.
She has remained on the roster with the Parramatta Eels since her arrest and the club has supported her throughout the court proceedings. She played seven games in the 2024 season.
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