KURT Tippett has declared his innocence in the Adelaide salary cap scandal and threatened to sue the club if the AFL deregisters him.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/crow-spearhead-kurt-tippett-blames-adelaide-in-salary-cap-scandal-and-threatens-to-sue/story-e6frf9jf-1226516205679----------------------------------------------------------------
A SECOND incriminating letter has emerged in the Kurt Tippett saga, which indicates that Crows officials attempted to cover their tracks after putting in writing a potentially unlawful agreement with the player.
While Tippett's lawyer, David Galbally, has confirmed the 25-year-old would vehemently contest both charges that have been laid against him by the AFL, Fairfax Media has confirmed that Adelaide rewrote the original and until recently secret deal with Tippett.
Tippett's manager, Peter Blucher, who is still representing the player, will be called to give evidence in a bid to demonstrate that Tippett had no knowledge he was breaking AFL rules in agreeing to an Adelaide side offer, which has led to the club, Tippett and two Crows officials being charged with draft-tampering and salary-cap breaches.
The damaging second letter was dated October 2009, was identical to the first and included almost identical wording to the first, but omitted the sentences relating to third-party payments totalling $200,000. It also left out the damaging instruction to Tippett not to show the letter to the AFL.
Like the first hidden contract, it was signed by former Adelaide football boss John Reid under the letterhead of the Adelaide Football Club. The Crows' board only recently learnt of the letter's existence and has been told it was sent to Tippett and Blucher several days after the first letter. Reid has given the board and Adelaide's lawyers an explanation for the second and amended letter but the club last night refused to detail that explanation.
Next week's AFL Commission hearing is looming as a bitter dispute to be fought out between the Tippett camp and Adelaide.
Blucher is understood to have evidence that the original document, which could lead to the club being banned for up to four national drafts and heavily fined, was engineered by the Crows and not - as Adelaide officials have claimed - by Tippett's father, Tony, and Blucher.
It has also been alleged that Adelaide, in its attempt to re-sign Tippett, this year assured the player that it would not stand in his way when he became a restricted free agent at the end of 2014.
As well as offering Tippett a lucrative deal to remain at the club, the Crows are understood to have told Tippett they would not match the offer of a rival club in two years if he wished to leave. Fairfax Media could not confirm whether the offer was made in writing.
Although Tippett faces deregistration for his role in the affair, the player is expected to demonstrate he had no knowledge of the rules he was breaking in entering into the agreement, which promised him a move to the club of his choice in exchange for a second-round draft pick and also lucrative third-party inducements.
It has also emerged that the player has refused to meet officials from Greater Western Sydney as the hearing looms and remains hopeful of joining Sydney - a hope that is mutual.
Read more:
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/new-letter-emerges-on-tippett-20121113-29ajx.html#ixzz2C7TMQ3VD
