Footy great Sam Newman has taken the law into his own hands in a confrontation with a group of skateboards.

The skateboarders were riding around a flight on stairs in Melbourne’s Docklands, an area where skateboards are banned.

Newman approached the boys to ask them to leave, but they refused.

Sam asked the boys again to move on, and when the boys refused for the second time, he attempted to take one of the boys’ skateboards.

“They are dangerous,” he tells Ben Fordham.

Footy great Sam Newman has been caught on camera roughing up a young skateboard rider during a fiery confrontation. He’s refusing to apologise, claiming the target of his aggression got what he deserved. @CameronBaud7 #7News pic.twitter.com/eWxf53pjRJ

— 7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) January 27, 2019

He says he’s seen the skaters hit two people and a dog.

“I’m not sure why the residents have to put up with it because there is a sign that says, ‘No skateboarding’.

“And they keep taking the sign down.”

Footage filmed by the skateboarders and broadcast on Seven News shows Newman tussling with two young men.

In the report, one of the skaters claims Newman’s elbow made contact with his friend’s head, but there is no video evidence of that and Newman denies the claim.

“I did nothing of the sort.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview