Collingwood could face legal action over clean-out
Cheryl Critchley | December 20, 2008
COLLINGWOOD fans dumped from its new hand-picked cheer squad may be able to take legal action.
Magpies cheer squad members are sweating on whether they will be reinstated when the group is finalised in late February.
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire will not reveal the criteria being used for selection, but told the Herald Sun members had to cheer and work hard.
"The club knows what it's doing," he said.
"Why would we throw anyone out who's well behaved?
"The cheer squad's been a great cheer squad and we love them all, but we just want to make sure that people get a fair go at things and they're actually there to cheer and not carry on."
Consumer Action Law Centre senior solicitor Michael Hermitage said axed squad members could have a case under the Fair Trading Act or Equal Opportunity Commission.
They could use the Fair Trading Act if they believed they had a contract with the club that led them to believe their position would continue.
"You need to look at what they do and try to establish whether or not there are grounds to challenge that position," Hermitage said.
Asked what specific incidents had prompted the clean-out and how the club would screen potential members, Collingwood spokesman Nick Hulett declined to comment.
Collingwood was also criticised for charging cheer squad members up to $795 compared with $316 for similar benefits at Richmond.
Premier John Brumby, a Collingwood fan, said he hoped his club would keep footy affordable for all.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,24824958-19742,00.html