Holland demanded compensation in 2004
Caroline Wilson | April 5, 2008 | The Age
DISGRUNTLED former Tiger Ben Holland first wrote to Richmond demanding financial compensation in late 2004 while then-president Clinton Casey was battling a board challenge on the eve of an election.
The Age understands that Casey, believing that Holland or his management would go public with the allegation that the club had promised financial inducements to the player worth more than $500,000, forwarded the letter to the AFL.
The letter was dismissed by the league on the basis that AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou had already met Holland and then-Richmond chief executive Mark Brayshaw in a bid to convince the player Richmond had no room remaining in its salary cap.
League investigator Ken Wood had already cleared a series of property investments involving parcels of land and units at Torquay, Sandhurst and Laguna Keys recommended by Casey and taken up by players including Nathan Brown, Mark Coughlan and Kane Johnson, as well as former coach Danny Frawley and football manager Greg Miller.
Holland, who has lodged a Supreme Court writ against Casey and Richmond, which will be investigated again by the AFL in case of salary-cap ramifications, is suing for $530,000 — the difference, he claims, between what Richmond paid him over a three-year deal and what Adelaide offered him at the end of 2001 as part of the failed Kane Johnson deal.
But his manager Greg Griffin last night claimed that Holland would try to avoid the courts and resolve the issue via the AFL Players Association's grievance procedure.
Griffin also denied there was a salary-cap issue but that Holland, who had not wanted his claim made public before finishing his career with the Demons, had been a player "spurned". "I don't think it's a salary-cap issue," Griffin said from Adelaide last night. "There was a representation made by (Clinton) Casey that he would mentor Ben in a business sense.
"Nathan Brown was offered something similar two years later and revealed as much on The Footy Show. Preferential dealings happen regularly all the time in football. Mark Ricciuto has an interest in three hotels with Adelaide board member Peter Hurley.
"But Ben got injured and Casey found someone else to extend his largesse to. That's basically our claim. He went from being strongly desired by Richmond to not wanted. The word spurned comes to mind."
Should Holland's alleged letter from Casey, written on Richmond letterhead in October 2001, reveal under-the-table dealings, he could be deregistered, suspended or fined.
Griffin said Holland had taken notes following the meeting at Kokos with Casey and Frawley, which occurred after the player changed his mind and told Frawley, via teammate Duncan Kellaway, that he wanted to stay at Richmond.
Frawley told The Age: "There's two sides to every story. I, too, thought the issue had been put to bed and I had no knowledge of separate payments. It wouldn't be the first time a club has advised a player with business help and property opportunities."
Crows' sources indicated that the club offered the player significantly more than he settled upon at Richmond but added that the quoted figure of $1.33 million was exaggerated.
"The club has been vigorously defending any claims that it made any inducement to Ben Holland that was outside the salary cap," Tigers' president Gary March told The Age.
"I don't think Clinton (Casey) has ever denied that he offered financial inducements to players via third party business opportunities.
"He made those offers to players, officials and coterie members. Some chose to take them up with their own money.
"Those involving players have all been scrutinised by the AFL and they have all been above board."
Tigers' chief executive Steve Wright told a news conference yesterday that the claims would be vigorously defended.
It is believed that the club, to protect itself, will distance itself from Casey during that defence if it is required.
Casey was overseas last night but also was preparing to deny the Holland claims.
March said the timing of the story was disappointing for the club. "I have apologised to the football department and the coaches and the players because it's a distraction they don't need."
Demetriou said on 3AW yesterday: "I had a meeting with Ben Holland and Mark Brayshaw, who was the then-CEO, about this matter back when I was general manager of football operations, and … I thought this was a dead issue.
"… The issue back then, was he was being offered, allegedly, $1.3 million for Adelaide? So we have to ascertain whether that's true and then that he was then offered a significant amount less for Richmond.
"Well, because the issue back then was, you know, was there any way that the Richmond Football Club pay him any more and the answer was no."
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