Clubs face stiff fines for breach
Australian football
THE AFL has warned clubs they risk the loss of premiership points and draft picks after four clubs were fined for COVID breaches, including a Brooke Cotchin facial that cost the Tigers $20,000.
The league’s determination to send a message to every AFL player and their families saw Hawthorn hit with a $50,000 fine after players went searching for food at the SCG clash against Sydney.
Those three non-selected players who strayed from a sanctioned corporate box cost the club $25,000 given half of the fine was suspended.
Similarly, Richmond found out there was no such thing as a free Gold Coast facial after it was hit with a $45,000 fine ($25,000 suspended).
An Instagram post about the facial was quickly deleted by Brooke Cotchin but cost the club $20,000, a small price to pay given her partner’s integral role in two AFL premierships.
She wrote in the post about how her skin was in “desperate need of love” and how she knew she was in the right place as soon as she walked through the doors.
North Melbourne and Carlton were fined $45,000 ($20,000 suspended), as AFL legal boss Andrew Dillon laid down the law about COVID breaches.
Previously those WAGS did not fall under the AFL’s rules and regulations but now clubs have been put on notice.
Dillon said clubs would be responsible for anyone under their care as 410 WAGS and family members went into quarantine on the Gold Coast on Thursday.
A first offence will draw a $50,000 fine ($25,000 suspended) with $25,000 in the club’s soft cap.
A second offence will draw up to a $75,000 fine (with $100,000 included in the soft cap), while a third or subsequent breach gives the AFL discretion but punishment could include “a monetary sanction, loss of premiership points or loss of draft picks”.
Carlton apologised after a high-performance team member sent their children to grandparents, who took them to SeaWorld without the permission of the family involved.
“This individual had sought support with childcare, which is approved within the AFL protocols. However, the activity undertaken by those caring for children is where we have let ourselves down,” Blues chief executive Cain Liddle said.
Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett’s apology to the AFL laid bare the stakes involved.
“We are incredibly disappointed that we have breached the AFL protocols. These protocols have been clearly outlined to all clubs and players, and we make no excuse for our breach,” Kennett said.
“We expect much more of our players and the club.”