Claims Richmond Tiger Angus Graham 'slapped' woman Greg Denham
From: The Australian
September 08, 2011 THE AFL's notorious Mad Monday celebrations may have turned sour for Richmond ruckman Angus Graham.
The Tigers were last night conducting an internal investigation into an alleged incident involving a woman at a North Melbourne hotel about midnight on Monday.
It is believed a woman sent an email to a Melbourne newspaper claiming she was slapped by an intoxicated Graham, following a day of drinking by Richmond players at another location.
She also claimed he poured a drink over her.
The AFL was yesterday notified by the Tigers after Richmond was contacted by a Melbourne newspaper over the allegations. It is believed Victoria Police had not been contacted by the woman.
As of last night, Richmond had failed to substantiate any of the woman's claims.
The alleged incident was at the Turf Club Hotel on the edge of the CBD and not far from Melbourne University.
Graham, 24, who is contracted for another two years, has flown home to King Island, but Richmond was considering whether to fly him back to Melbourne to assist in the club investigation.
The Australian understands a Richmond official yesterday spoke to Graham, who said he could not remember anything.
Several Richmond players are understood to have also been drinking at the Turf Club Hotel, but may not have been with Graham at the time of the alleged incident.
Mad Monday is the first working day after the conclusion of the home and away season for the nine clubs not playing in finals.
It has been notorious for players binge-drinking and behaving in inappropriate ways.
Last year, AFL general manager of football operations Adrian Anderson said the league would speak to Collingwood after seeing footage of players drinking from a beer bong during their Mad Monday celebrations after winning the premiership.
"Let me just clarify, there is nothing wrong with getting dressed up and having fun but things like the beer bong is not a good look and not what we are after," he said then. The AFL was under pressure to ban Mad Mondays in 2008 because of the antics of Carlton's Brendan Fevola, who paraded outside a Melbourne bar in a nightie with a sex toy protruding from his pants.
Fevola was on a booze-fuelled outing with teammates when he arrived at Federation Square wearing a pink nightie with the sex toy strapped around his waist.
Video footage of the incident taken on a mobile phone was posted on YouTube.
In the same year, Melbourne's Ben Holland needed medical attention after being struck by teammate Nathan Carroll following a day-night Mad Monday drinking session.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/claims-richmond-tiger-angus-graham-slapped-woman/story-e6frg7mf-1226131695762
