Richmond footballer Sydney Stack arrested in Perth
Richmond footballer Sydney Stack has been arrested and refused bail after allegedly breaching Western Australia’s strict Covid-19 laws.
Stack was granted approval to enter WA via South Australia on compassionate grounds on December 10. After arriving in WA, Stack was issued with a direction to self-quarantine for a period of 14 days at a nominated address in Northam, about 97km east-northeast of Perth. But he was allegedly found by police at 1.10am on Saturday in the Perth party district of Northbridge.
It was also identified he had been staying at a residence in Belmont and not at his nominated quarantine address in Northam.
The 20-year-old, who has played 26 games for Richmond, was charged with failing to comply with a direction. He was refused bail, and is due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court on Sunday,
December 20.
The alleged breach caps off a torrid year for Stack, who was handed a 10match AFL ban and banished from Queensland in September for an incident outside a Gold Coast strip club. Stack and Tigers teammate Callum Coleman-Jones broke the AFL’s returnto-play protocols during that night out, which ended up with them being involved in a fight at about 3.30am.
Richmond were fined $100,000 for that incident.
“I’m very sorry, understand the seriousness of it and can do nothing now but own the consequences,” Stack wrote on Instagram. “I’ve let down the AFL, the club I love, my team mates, coaches and staff, it’s (sic) members and the tiger army.
“I also have let down my family, my friends and all of those who have helped me along the way. To those who are supporting me at the moment, a huge thanks. I only hope going forward I can rebuild trust in me again.”
WA’s border with South Australia is still closed after a recent coronavirus scare.