Cloke charge threatens TAC deal
By Peter Ker, Caroline Wilson
June 1, 2004
Collingwood's lucrative sponsorship deal with the Transport Accident Commission is in jeopardy after young Magpie Cameron Cloke was caught driving 44 km/h above the speed limit on Sunday.
The TAC is certain to impose a penalty on the club and will even consider terminating the deal - worth an estimated $700,000 a year - after Cloke was clocked driving at 144 km/h in a 100 km/h section of the Eastern Freeway.
"The TAC will impose a penalty. We're considering what those penalty options are at the moment," TAC spokeswoman De-Arnne Schmidt said yesterday.
"The TAC is very disappointed and has expressed that view to the Collingwood Football Club. There are a number of options with regards to penalties available to the TAC that we are currently considering. It ranges from a fine to termination of the contract."
Termination of the contract seems unlikely, with a fine and final warning the most likely course of action.
Schmidt said the TAC and Collingwood had discussed the future of the sponsorship, which was due to expire later this year. But it was too early to say whether the incident would affect a possible extension. "That's not really for me to say at the moment. We are considering the seriousness of the issue."
Collingwood chief executive Greg Swann said the club was particularly disappointed, given the work it had done in road safety. "We accept responsibility for our players and officials, and will accept the sanctions to be imposed on the club once they have been determined," he said.
Upon signing the three-year contract extension in 2002, Collingwood players and officials were given personal portable breathalysers, taxi vouchers and hands-free mobile phone kits in a bid to prevent indiscretions on the road. Club president Eddie McGuire said at the time there would be "no excuses" for players who broke road rules and embarrassed the new sponsor.
Cloke, 19, was on his way to a recovery session at Victoria Park when pulled over by police. He was given an on-the-spot fine and automatically lost his licence for six months, before being fined a further $5000 by the club.
Cloke, who played in the win over the Kangaroos at Telstra Dome on Saturday night, apologised through a club statement. "I totally accept that my actions were inappropriate and contrary to the message that the club and the TAC have given to players and the community. There are no excuses for speeding. I was fortunate that neither myself or anyone else was injured and I accept the penalty handed down by the club," he said.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said he was happy for Collingwood to deal with the issue, just as St Kilda would deal with Allan Murray's drink-driving indiscretion, which surfaced yesterday. "Both players . . . will be dealt with by their clubs under the code of conduct and both players would understand that what they have done was silly, if not unacceptable."
http://realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/05/31/1085855498323.html----------------------
Oh the irony of it all...
Rewind back to 2002 and the imfamous Royce Vardy incident which actually was in all the papers for over a week. At the time the TAC and C'wood were announcing their new partnership. Comments were made by the Pies at the time that their players would be educated to ensure that they would never jeopardise the Club's commitment to the TAC.
Now let's look at this honestly. Richmond has been with the TAC for 15 years now. In that time 1 stuff up granted a biggee but just the 1.
Collingwood with the TAC nearly 3 years and 1 stuff up and a biggee.
Compare - Who says we can't get things right.
Sorry but I had to chuckle
