The robbery trial of a North Melbourne AFL midfielder has been abandoned with a judge questioning how the case ever got to court.
Trent Dumont and a co-accused Joshua Lomas were accused of robbing a taxi driver of $70 in Adelaide more than two years ago.
But on the third day of a scheduled week-long trial in the South Australian District Court the prosecution on Wednesday dropped the charges.
A clearly delighted Dumont hugged Lomas after the decision and the Kangaroos said he now just wanted to get back to playing football.
"Trent and the football club are obviously very happy with the outcome of today," North Melbourne's general manager of football Cameron Joyce said.
"This obviously gives Trent the opportunity to put everything behind him and focus on his football and the great opportunity he will have at the North Melbourne football club this year."
Dumont offered no comment but Lomas said he was also very happy with the decision.
Trial judge Paul Muscat said he wasn't surprised by the decision from the Director of Public Prosecutions to bring the prosecution to an end.
"What is surprising is that it got this far," he said.
"It's the right decision but ... it comes about two years too late."
Dumont's lawyer Tony Burns said it was "scandalous" that the case had proceeded to trial.
"It has cost the state and the parties a lot of money," he said.
Dumont and Lomas were charged with aggravated robbery and were accused of pinning down cab driver Malusi Ketse and stealing from him at the end of a taxi ride from the city to suburban Banksia Park in the early hours of October 12, 2014.
But the 21-year-olds denied the allegations, saying the driver dragged Dumont out of the cab and fell to the ground after an argument about correct change.
During his evidence Mr Ketse at one stage refused to answer defence questions and his evidence appeared to contradict what was captured on the CCTV in his cab.
Dumont has played 20 AFL games for the Kangaroos after being drafted from South Australian club Norwood in 2013, including 12 last year.
AAP