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A group of GWS players are set to face sanctions from the AFL – and potential bans to start the 2025 season – over an alleged incident at an end-of-season function.
According to Seven’s Mitch Cleary, suspensions have already been doled out to several players pending a right of reply amid an ongoing investigation by the AFL Integrity Unit, while yet more Giants players have been fined.
Nine’s Tom Morris reported that ‘up to ten’ players have been implicated.
It is alleged the incident, which Cleary reported as ‘inappropriate behaviour’, occurred at the Giants’ ‘Wacky Wednesday’ post-season event in a private room of a hotel, with players dressing up as celebrity couples and performing comedy skits, in the days following their heartbreaking semi-final loss to Brisbane.
According to Morris, six players are set to receive suspensions, including youngster Josh Fahey, while Toby Greene has been fined $20,000 ‘for not showing adequate leadership in the situation’.
While the Giants’ own internal investigation cleared the players of any illegal conduct, the league is taking a hardline stance against the alleged conduct.
It is unknown what exactly the offensive behaviour entailed, nor who leaked the information to the AFL.
With some players implicated overseas on holidays, the suspensions will not be finalised until all have returned to Australia and addressed the matter with Giants and AFL officials.
“Multiple Giants players are facing AFL bans in relation to inappropriate behaviour,” Cleary reported.
“It centres around distasteful costumes and skits from their post-season function at the end of the 2024 season. It’s understood the dress-ups theme was celebrity couples with activities related to that.
“It was a players-only event.
“A number of players have been given suspensions – the AFL are giving those players a chance to respond as part of negotiations. Other players will be hit with financial penalties.
“Some of those players are tonight overseas and just learning of this in the last few hours.
“It’s understood the club’s own internal probe has cleared the players of any illegal activity, but tonight this is in the hands of the AFL.”
According to Morris, who revealed further details about the incident on SEN, references to Australian Olympic breakdancer Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn and alleged sexual assaulter P-Diddy will bring the most severe sanctions, while ‘around six’ players will be banned.
“It’s the belief of the Giants players that the story got out because the bartender at the pub made a complaint,” he said.
“They were in a private room… a couple of players did a skit from a movie – one player who is set to be fined quite significantly dressed up as ‘Raygun’.
“I can’t imagine that player being fined for dressing up as ‘Raygun’, but who knows what actions that player did.
“One young player in particular, who is said to have made an ill-informed joke about P-Diddy, is set for the harshest suspension.
“The Giants found out about this a few weeks ago… in the last 48 hours, the Giants have been shocked to learn that actual suspensions were on the cards.
“I’m told some of the players are pushing back on the suspensions, believing it’s a private room [and that] nothing illegal occurred.
“The AFL and the Integrity Unit has had time to consider it, digest it and investigate it.”
It has since been revealed that Greene was the player who dressed as ‘Raygun’.
The Age have reported that a blow-up doll was used in one of the offensive skits, while the Herald Sun claim other players were dressed as NBA star Josh Giddey, who was accused of inappropriate behaviour with a minor last year before being cleared, and the World Trade Centre towers as part of a ‘Troubled Couples’ dress theme.
On Wednesday evening, the Giants released a statement confirming the investigation, while also hitting out at ‘misinformation and rumour’ being circulated.
“The GIANTS confirmed yesterday the club is aware of allegations of inappropriate behaviour at the players’ end-of-season event last month,” the statement reads.
“The club is taking the matter very seriously and acted swiftly upon the receipt of the concerns. All parties have co-operated fully with the AFL to ensure the allegations are fully investigated.
“Some of the allegations are distressing and entirely contrary to the club’s values and policies. There is also a level of misinformation and rumour being circulated which is entirely inappropriate, particularly while the investigation is ongoing.
“The club will comment further once the outcomes of the investigation are finalised.”
News of the alleged incident has provoked widespread criticism from around the footy world, with suspensions and fines seen as a disproportionate reaction.
Former Collingwood great Dane Swan was among those outraged, saying the event bartender who allegedly made the complaint ‘deserves jail time’.
“You have to kind of hope these GWS boys have sacrificed a live goat or something at this pub cause these punishments are ridiculous for what is being told right now,” he wrote on X.
“Also the bartender who ratted them deserves jail time. All time disgusting thing to do at a private event.
“And if they are being punished for offending one singular person who complained during a private function who has complained well we have bigger issues than the boys having a bit of carry on.
“I’m offended at the bartender being offended. I want said person fined.”
GWS released a statement late on Tuesday, saying: “the Giants are aware of an anonymous allegation of inappropriate behaviour at the players’ end-of-season function last month.
“The club and its integrity unit have been working with the AFL’s integrity unit to investigate.”
A league statement confirmed an investigation was ‘in its final stages’.
“The AFL and GWS have been undertaking an investigation into the Giants players’ post-season event, which is in its final stages,” the statement reads.
“An update will be provided by the AFL once the investigation has concluded.”
The Giants have endured a turbulent start to their off-season after blowing two substantial leads in qualifying and semi final losses to Sydney and the Lions, both of whom won through to the 2024 grand final.
A host of players have left through the trade and free agency period, with Isaac Cumming (Adelaide), Harry Perryman (Collingwood) and Nick Haynes (Carlton) all departing, while a trade with the Crows for James Peatling is ongoing.
© AAP
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