The Brisbane Lions Board resolved at its June Board meeting held yesterday to sanction player Jason Akermanis $5000, with a further $15,000 suspended for the remainder of his playing contract, for bringing the club and the game into disrepute.
Chairman Tony Kelly and CEO Michael Bowers met with Jason this morning and informed him of the sanction. Jason also received a letter from the Club outlining the reasons for the sanction.
Jason has been sanctioned under Clause 2.1 of the Code of Conduct that states:
“AFL Players aspire to the highest standards of sportsmanship and professional conduct.
AFL Players must conduct themselves in a manner so as not to bring Australian Rules football, the AFL, AFL Clubs and other AFL Players into disrepute.
This clause applies to a Player’s behaviour which:
(i) occurs during the course of any match, training session, Club or AFL function, promotional appearance, camp or tour, including travelling to and from such employment related commitments; or
(ii) involves public comment or comments made to the media; or
(iii) involves criminal conduct which directly impacts in a material way upon the Player’s ability to perform his duties as an Australian Rules footballer or impacts upon the reputation of the AFL or the AFL Club in any way; or
(iv) Involves conduct deemed by his AFL Club and the Club’s Leadership Group (or senior players of the Club if no such group exists) in accordance with clause 5 of this Code to be have brought the AFL and/or his AFL Club into disrepute.
The Players understand the obligations upon them as expressly stated in this clause 2.1, however, the AFL and AFL Clubs also recognise that Players may be subject to significantly greater intrusion into their private lives than the average person. This notion should be respected when assessing a Player’s conduct and the circumstances surrounding any potential breach of the Code.
The specific areas of the breaches were:
+ Whilst the Board accepts that Jason was not the author of an email that became public last week, he must be held totally responsible and accountable for the appalling content that was sent from his personal website business and signed in his name.
+ He discussed contents of Club correspondence sent to him that was clearly marked ‘private and confidential’ with the media.
+ He offered for sale on his personal website business merchandise that contained AFL/Lions Intellectual Property without Club consent.
+ A culmination of failures to comply with the reasonable directions of the Club in relation to public and media comments on matters the Club believed should have remained confidential.
Jason has been counselled in the past by current chairman Tony Kelly and his predecessor Graeme Downie.
The Club looks forward to Jason understanding his obligations to his principal employer, and continuing to play the great football that makes him an important member of our team.
