On Wednesday November 23, AFL General Counsel Andrew Dillon charged the GWS Giants under AFL Rule 2.3: ‘… conduct which is unbecoming or likely to prejudice the interests or reputation of the AFL or to bring the game of football into disrepute’.
This charge was laid following an investigation involving listed-player Lachlan Whitfield and former club officials Graeme Allan and Craig Lambert.
A sub-committee of the AFL Commission, comprising Chairman Mike Fitzpatrick, Jason Ball and Paul Bassat met today and heard submissions from the Club and from Counsel Assisting the AFL.
The sub-committee has upheld the charge.
The sub-committee found that the club is responsible for the actions of senior employees, and were comfortably satisfied that Allan and Lambert were senior employees.
It should be noted that:
- The sub-committee found that the Club’s Board, CEO and COO had no knowledge of the offending conduct and the Club’s governance in relation to this matter could not be criticised.
- The sub-committee gave credit to the establishment and operation of the club’s Integrity Committee and its prompt reaction once it became aware of the original complaint.
Taking into account the seriousness of the matter, but also the mitigating factors in favour of the Club, the sub-committee sanctioned the club, imposing a penalty of $100,000 fine and 1,000 draft points.
