The AFL has handed GWS Giants forward Josh Fahey a four-game suspension, with forward Jake Riccardi among his teammates who will miss the first two games of next season. The sanction is one of several bans and fines handed down by the league following a joint investigation with the Giants into players' season-ending events last month.
Joe Fonti, Toby McMullin, Harvey Thomas and Cooper Hamilton also received two-match suspensions.
Captain Toby Green and fellow senior players Lachie Whitfield, Conor Idan, Tom Green, Sam Taylor and Lachie Keefe were given an “appropriate level of leadership” for failing to prevent the conduct from continuing. They were each fined $5,000 for failing to comply. Harry Perryman, who has since joined Collingwood, was also fined $5,000.
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon announced the punishment late on Thursday afternoon, saying the players involved had made a “terrible choice”.
Mr Dillon confirmed an anonymous complaint was received on the AFL Integrity Portal the day after the September 18 event, in which players dressed up as a “controversial couple”.
Mr Dillon said: “What happened at the venue was totally unacceptable… I am truly sorry.”
Fahey played seven senior games for GWS last year but did not play for the Giants this year. Key forward Riccardi is the most experienced of the suspended players, having appeared in 69 games.
The AFL said in a statement: “Josh Fahey was dressed as a former NRL player and Riccardi was dressed as a taxi driver. During the course of the skit, Fahey simulated inappropriate behavior towards a sex doll. Riccardi was not involved in that part of the skit. I didn’t.”
According to the AFL, McMullin and Hamilton simulated the September 11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center by wearing costumes related to the incident, while Thomas dressed as a specific professional athlete and Fonti as a young girl. It is said that he acted inappropriately during the skit.
The players who were suspended had until Thursday morning to respond to the AFL, which issued the suspension based on conduct contrary to league rules.
“As part of this theme, players dressed up in themed pairs and many performed costume-inspired skits,” the league said in a statement. “In the view of the AFL and the clubs, some of the skits were completely unacceptable and completely inconsistent with the values of the Code.”
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On Thursday morning, Green's manager Paul Connors told SEN that Green “needs to improve” over the functional debacle.
“There is absolutely no excuse for the actions that occurred, and we deeply regret some of the incidents that occurred,” Giants CEO David Matthews said in a statement.
“As a club built on the values of inclusivity and respect for all, this is a clear breach of our club policies and values and a significant departure from the standards of behavior we expect from our players. This was a serious aberration. We have taken this matter seriously from the outset and a full investigation has been carried out by the club in conjunction with the AFL.”
GWS will provide further education to the entire playgroup on top of already mandatory education sessions on violence against women and racial and religious slurs.
