'I own the consequences': Stack, Coleman-Jones apologise for Gold Coast incidentBy Jon Pierik and Peter Ryan
The Age
September 6, 2020Banished Richmond players Sydney Stack and Callum Coleman-Jones have apologised for breaching the AFL's COVID-19 protocols in Queensland, with Stack declaring he is intent on regaining the trust of the Tigers and the wider AFL community.
Stack, 21, and teammate Callum Coleman-Jones were involved in a fight outside a Gold Coast strip club early on Friday morning and have been sent home and suspended for 10 matches.
The Tigers were fined $100,000, which will be included in the 2021 soft cap, a penalty that will impact on the club's football department resources next season.
As a backroom stoush emerged on Saturday over who should pay the fine, Stack arrived in Adelaide en route to Melbourne and apologised for his actions.
"I'm aware of the actions that I've made and I'm dealing with the consequences constantly," he told Channel Ten at Adelaide airport.
In a social media post, Stack added: "I'm very sorry, understand the seriousness of it and can do nothing now but own the consequences. I've let down the AFL, the club I love, my teammates, coaches and staff, its members and the Tiger Army.
"I have also let down my family, my friends and all of those who have helped me along the way. To those who are supporting me at the moment, a huge thanks. I only hope going forward I can rebuild trust in me again."
Coleman-Jones has also apologised for the incident that has left the Tigers and AFL embarrassed.
"I take full responsibility for what I have done and am extremely remorseful. I have let a lot of people down, including the football club, the AFL, the Queensland government, my friends and family, and the wider community," he wrote on social media.
"I realise what I did was selfish and had the potential to jeopardise the continuation of the competition being played in Queensland."
Stack was detained by police after the alleged fight but was released a short time later. Coleman-Jones went to hospital but the pair returned to the Tigers' Gold Coast hub before being sent home.
Stack has played 26 matches and has limited support in Melbourne because of the state's lockdown restrictions.
The fine comprises $75,000 through this indiscretion and $25,000 as a result of a suspended fine handed to captain Trent Cotchin's wife for an earlier breach when she visited a day spa.
The Tigers say the duo will be responsible for paying $75,000 but Stack's manager Paul Peos insists his client will not do so.
AFL general manager of football Steve Hocking said the club, rather than the players, had to foot the bill.
"Everyone agreed that fines should go into the soft cap, it should be a whole-of-club sanction," he said.
"It's team accountability and a team response and a leadership requirement from everybody. There's been some questions around why it has to come out of the soft cap, really everyone has ownership of this and it's a club-wide leadership piece."
AFL Players' Association boss Paul Marsh and Tigers chief Brendon Gale are expected to discuss the matter further to determine whether a compromise could be reached, as the Tigers are aware that any fine they pay is a cost to members.
"Young people make mistakes, these are very, very serious mistakes, they've put our club and the competition at risk," Gale said.
"They'll learn from it and we'll put our arm around them and we're there to help them regain the trust and respect of our football club and the community."
The AFLPA argues that the pair will lose income as a result of the 10-match ban and therefore should not also be penalised through paying the fine.
Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles had strong words for the Tigers duo.
"Our sporting stars are leaders of our community, young people look up to them, and just what I've heard suggests these two blokes deserve to be sent home. It's good to see they've been sent home, the AFL has acted pretty strongly, a 10-week ban is a very significant ban," Miles said.
"They've let down their teams, they've let down their communities, they've let down their families."
Miles defended the treatment offered to AFL officials and staff in the sport's Queensland COVID-19 bubble, saying the code was operating under a well-established COVID-Safe plan, and the AFL's actions against the Richmond duo showed how seriously it took any breaches.
He said the code was not issued special exemptions but was allowed into the state due to that plan.
"The AFL's COVID-Safe plan has been proven to work and proven to be safe. It's important to remember that none of these measures are designed to be punitive ... they're just designed to keep people safe and in this case, the AFL COVID-Safe plan has been proven to keep people safe," Miles said.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/i-own-the-consequences-stack-apologises-for-gold-coast-incident-20200905-p55spq.html
