Breakup

The AFL has suspended six Greater Western Sydney players and fined seven others for their conduct at an end-of-season ceremony last month.

Following an investigation by the AFL Integrity Unit, it was determined that the player had breached AFL Rule 2.3a, which involves conduct unbecoming.

Young giant Josh Fahey was suspended for four matches while Jake Riccardi, Joe Fonti, Toby McMullin, Harvey Thomas And Cooper Hamilton were all banned for two matches.

Captain Toby Greene and other senior Giants players Sam Taylor, Tom Green, Lachie Keefe, Harry Perryman Connor Idun And Lachie Whitfield were fined $5,000 each.

Whitfield and Idun were fined both for their role in performing a skit and for failing in their leadership duties, while the other senior Giants were penalized for failing to step in as leaders of the club.

Perryman recently joined Collingwood as a free agent, while Hamilton was delisted.

During the ceremony, several actors dressed up and performed sketches around the theme of the event, namely “controversial couples”. The ceremony took place on September 18 and the League received the complaint on September 19.

The League confirmed that the following constituted breaches of AFL Rule 2.3a:

– Josh Fahey dressed as a former NRL player and Jake Riccardi as a taxi driver. During the skit, Fahey simulated inappropriate acts on a sex doll. Riccardi was not involved in this part of the sketch.
– Toby McMullin And Cooper Hamilton simulated the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in costume related to this event.
– Harvey Thomas dressed like a particular professional sportsman and Joe Fonti as a girl, acting inappropriately during their skit.
– Connor Idun And Lachie Whitfield staged a scene from the film Django Unchained characterizing slavery.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said “terrible choices were made” and the players’ actions were “completely unacceptable and completely at odds with the values ​​of the club and the values ​​of the code”. He praised the courage of the person who filed the complaint.

Dillon said there was “full co-operation from the players” with the investigation and confirmed CCTV from the venue was a key part of the AFL’s investigation.

More to come