Everyone is talking about the ramificiations that this will have on the club's sponsorship deal. What does this mean for Jay? Now me personally, when Vardy committed the offence I was happy to offload him to make an example. Jay is a future key-position player and leader......does that change things?
This is a very tricky situation. On top of that, the guy is meant to be in rehab and he is drinking? Where is the baseball bat?
Vardy was also fined $5,000 and suspended for around a month. Cost the club $50,000 to the TAC as well. Might find a similar punishment for Jay as the AFLPA wouldn't be happy about young players being sacked over non-footy issues.
As for the RFC: If TAC stay on board it could cost a fair bit of $$$ which we don't exactly have.
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Vardy awaits fate
9:12:18 AM Thu 24 January, 2002
Sportal
Richmond youngster Royce Vardy is expected to know tomorrow if he faces any further penalty after being charged with drink driving last month.
Vardy was suspended from pre-season training until the end of January when the club heard about the offence, which has placed Richmond’s TAC sponsorship of 10 years in jeopardy.
The Tigers board is set to meet tomorrow night at 7pm AEDT to decide if he should be punished further, with chief executive Mark Brayshaw saying the club will announce its findings on Friday morning.
A TAC spokeswoman said the commission was still reviewing its sponsorship deal with Richmond, believed to be worth about $750,000 a season.
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=14562Vardy still a Tiger
9:12:24 AM Mon 28 January, 2002
Sportal
Richmond's Royce Vardy has escaped the axe from the club but has been fined $5000 following his drink-driving charge.
Vardy was charged by police after recording a blood alcohol reading of 0.14 in late December.
The incident had put the Tigers' lucrative sponsorship with the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) in serious jeopardy and and prompted speculation the club may sack Vardy.
The TAC's contract with Richmond required players and officials to adhere to its drink-driving policy.
The Commission said it was considering the matter and would let Richmond know next week whether it would continue to sponsor the club.
Vardy will also miss the pre-season competition and carry out community service.
"Royce has had an extremely difficult month being apart from the team and with this decision pending," chief executive Mark Brayshaw said.
"The Club is satisfied that he fully understands and regrets the enormity of the mistake he made and we feel the severity of the punishment is appropriate."
"I wish to sincerely apologise for my totally irresponsible behavior/action on December 29, which led to my drink-driving charge," Vardy said.
"It's been very difficult to live with the humiliation and shame that I have let down so many people -- the Richmond Football Club, my teammates, friends, family, the TAC and myself.
"I am extremely grateful to the Club for giving me another chance and fully accept my punishment. The positive to come out of this for me has been the fact that, thank God, nobody was injured and I have learned one of life's most valuable lessons.
"I hope that I can now repay the Club for allowing me to continue playing, and I'll be doing everything I can to uphold the values of the Club."
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=14647 Tigers keep TAC - at a cost
12:12:57 PM Thu 7 February, 2002
Richmond has kept its lucrative sponsorship with the Transport Accident Commission but at a high cost.
The AFL club has been forced to pay $50,000 to the TAC to keep the deal intact as punishment for one of its players – Royce Vardy – breaching the TAC’s “Drink/Drive – Bloody Idiot” message.
Vardy was caught over the legal limit of .05 back in December and almost lost his place on the senior list as the Tigers contemplated the difficult task of having to find a new major sponsor on the eve of the 2002 AFL season.
However just as the Tigers gave Vardy another chance, the TAC has also given Richmond another chance but the club has been warned that if another employee is caught drink/driving then the sponsorship deal will be terminated.
The Tigers have also had to pay $50,000, which the TAC will give to the support groups for victims of road accidents, while the club will also have to introduce a new program to show its commitment to the anti drink/driving policy as well as being involved in additional promotions to reinforce the TAC’s “Drink/Drive – Bloody Idiot” message.
Richmond chief executive Mark Brayshaw said the club agreed to the strict conditions imposed by the TAC, recognising the seriousness of Vardy’s offence.
“As a club, we ultimately accept responsibility for the actions of our players and officials,” Brayshaw said. “For the past 13 years, we have worked well with the TAC and actively promoted the Drink, Drive, Bloody Idiot message.”
“So we are obviously committed to doing everything within our power to ensure this type of incident will not occur again.”
TAC chief executive Stephen Grant said it was “very disappointing to learn one of (Richmond’s) representatives had undermined what this partnership has been striving to achieve.”
“We can only be grateful that the incident has just led to a loss of license, not a loss of life,” he said.
“Our focus is now to work with the club to learn from this incident and look at new opportunities to show the community the importance of heeding the anti drink-driving message.”
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=16925