'This isn't North Korea!' The AFL is labelled a 'laughing stock' and 'bullies' for standing down a staff member over a VERY controversial tweet - as Eddie McGuire and former greats call for him to be reinstated
- Journalist Mitch Cleary exposed a footballer's wife for breaking quarantine
- Brooke Cotchin boasted about going to a day spa after travelling from Victoria
- The visit violated AFL's biosecurity protocols to stop the spread of COVID-19
- Mr Cleary's tweet resulted in the Tigers recieving a $45,000 fine for the breach
Football reporter Mitch Cleary was stood down indefinitely by AFL Media
The AFL has been labelled a laughing stock for standing down one of its own journalists who shared a controversial Instagram post by a player's wife on Twitter.
Reporter Mitch Cleary was stood down indefinitely by AFL Media after he tweeted about Brooke Cotchin's visit to a day spa on Queensland's Gold Coast.
Mrs Cotchin, who is the wife of Richmond Tigers captain Trent, was required by the league to quarantine after travelling to the Sunshine State from coronavirus-riddled Victoria.
While the mother-of-three posted about her trip to the spa that possibly violated biosecurity protocols in the Instagram story, it was Mr Cleary's tweet on Friday that saw the Tigers fined $45,000 by the league for the quarantine breach.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted AFL Media for comment, but the Herald Sun reported the sports media giant believed Mr Cleary put his obligations as a journalist above his position as an AFL employee.
Brooke Cotchin is the wife of Richmond Tigers captain Trent. They have three children together (pictured)
'The most incredible experience today…. My skin was in desperate need of some love. I knew I was in the right place as soon as I walked through the doors of Esteem,' Mrs Cochin wrote on the Instagram story
The move to stand Mr Cleary down has been widely criticised by big industry names, including radio presenter and AFL commentator Eddie McGuire.
'[AFL Media] have no problem telling us they're independent when they're shredding players, clubs and officials,' he said on Triple M on Monday.
'This is going to have some ramifications down the track on what the AFL Media department is all about.'
Share this article
Tony Shaw, a host on 3AW Radio, also slammed the move on Twitter.
'Reverse the Mitch Cleary decision. This isn't North Korea! I'd be more inclined to stand down the person who made this decision.'
Former AFL great Brad Green labelled the company a 'laughing stock' and 'bullies' in a tweet.
The move to stand Mr Cleary down has been widely criticised by big industry names, including radio presenter and AFL commentator Eddie McGuire
Former AFL great Brad Green labelled the company a 'laughing stock' and 'bullies' in a tweet
Mrs Cotchin's story was shared with her 36,500 followers before it was removed, but she was not named in print or online until Mr Cleary's tweet.
The publication reported that journalist Caroline Wilson named the WAG on 3AW on Thursday because she was the only Richmond wife on the Gold Coast at the time.
The biosecurity protocols were part of an agreement with the Queensland Government to allow Victorian clubs to move to Queensland, as the the southern state struggles to contain coronavirus.
Mrs Cotchin had travelled to the Sunshine State with her three children to be with her football star husband.
Trent Cotchin of Richmond and wife Brooke Cotchin pose for a photograph on the red carpet at the 2018 Brownlow Medal ceremony at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne
Mrs Cotchin had travelled to the Sunshine State with her three children (pictured) to be with her football star husband
'The most incredible experience today…. My skin was in desperate need of some love. I knew I was in the right place as soon as I walked through the doors of Esteem,' she wrote on the now-deleted Instagram story.
Her trip to the spa day was one of five quarantine-related fines handed out to AFL clubs over the weekend.
More than $185,000 were given to the Tigers, Kangaroos, Blues and Hawkes.
Queensland reported new cases of coronavirus last week after two young women failed to quarantine after travelling from Victoria.
On Friday, Queensland Health confirmed a 27-year-old man was the state's first official case of community transmission resulting from the womens' movements.
Victoria was declared a State of Disaster on Sunday after 671 new COVID-19 cases that day - bringing the state's number of active cases to 6,322.
Comments 0
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
