Morris: Put these arrogant Tigers on the next plane home. No ifs, buts or return ticketsRichmond
September 4, 2020 2:23pm
Tom Morris
Source: FOX SPORTSGOLD COAST — Richmond must deal with Sydney Stack and Callum Coleman-Jones and the Surfers strip club fiasco as if it was preparing for a Grand Final: with certainty, precision and ruthless intent.
These young Tigers must be put on the next flight home, pending whatever consequences they face from the Gold Coast Police.
Their 3am punch-on was not only inexcusable, but patently defiant of clear AFL protocols that have been in place since July 31.
Round 15
Their stupidity had to be read to be believed, and even then it required a double take.
They deserve no sympathy and no second chances. I would ban them for 10 games each and force them to pay the fines themselves. Every last cent.
The pair may as well have walked up to Gillon McLachlan’s window in the quarantine hub, knocked on it and flipped him the bird, such was the belligerence and arrogance of their mistake.
Seriously, they punched on IN FRONT of the Surfers Paradise Police Station.
The AFL chief executive has every right to be filthy and it’s understood he is.
Richmond boss Brendon Gale should be just as angry.
Not only do the actions of Coleman-Jones and Stack put the entire AFL season in jeopardy (again), they also raise further unwanted questions about the Tigers in a season where their off-field form has sharply contrasted with their on-field form.
The club appears certain to be fined $100,000. A quarter of this was suspended from the last breach.
The other $75,000 should come straight out of the players’ pockets.
They acted like a law unto themselves and must pay the price.
The most unfortunate unintended consequence from Stack and Coleman-Jones attending a strip club and then getting into a fight when they were evicted at 3.30am relates to an innocent Richmond employee.
Consider these numbers: The AFL soft cap will drop by approximately 30 per cent for the 2021 season. It means roughly 30 per cent of coaches, analysts and physios will be let go across the league. It’s a brutal time.
But now Richmond has $100,000 less to spend for 2021, unless the club chooses to pay a heavy tax.
That’s someone’s job. It’s their livelihood. While that coach, analyst or physio was asleep on Thursday night, two foolish players were committing an offence unfathomable for any straight-thinking person.
Feel for the Richmond football staff members who are about to lose their jobs because the covid rules breach fine comes out of the soft cap
— Rob Harding (@robharding21) September 4, 2020
Unsurprisingly, AFL people inside the quarantine hub were aghast when the news dropped on Friday. It’s believed McLachlan and Gale had been deep in discussions all morning.
The Queensland Government has been incredibly patient and unbelievably welcoming to the AFL. The cosy relationship between Annastacia Palaszczuk and McLachlan has caused a stir in some circles, but it’s proved a mutually beneficial one so far. The Gabba will host the Grand Final next month.
Even though Stack and Coleman-Jones did not breach state COVID-19 guidelines as Elijah Taylor did in Perth a few weeks ago, they unequivocally did the wrong thing. Police were involved. Both have facial injuries.
For Stack, it could be a bitter pill to swallow. He was in trouble for disciplinary reasons last year and then got injured and missed the club’s premiership. This season, he could miss another flag for disciplinary reasons. It’s lucky both players have contracts for 2021, but even those deals must be at least called into question now.
Attention will soon turn to Ross Lyon’s old adage: “Challenge the behaviour but support the person.”
And fair enough, because welfare should never be dismissed.
But right now, both players should be hit with the harshest possible penalties.
No ifs, not buts and no return tickets to Queensland.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/richmond-tigers/afl-2020-richmond-strip-club-brawl-sydney-stack-callum-colemanjones-tigers-gillon-mclachlan-qld-bubble/news-story/b6f5881b2225ab291b93b24700757ced
