AFL journalist stood down for reporting on COVID breaches
Respected football journalist Mitch Cleary has been stood down indefinitely by the AFL for naming the wife of Richmond captain Trent Cotchin as the reason the club was fined for breaching COVID-19 protocols.
Cleary on Friday reported on the deleted Instagram post made by Brooke Cotchin at a day spa that led to Richmond being fined $45,000 by the AFL for a breach of COVID protocols.
The AFL has stood down Mitch Cleary.Credit: Ken Irwin
Cotchin, as well as the family of Carlton utility Levi Casboult, had already been named on radio the day before by veteran journalist – Age columnist and former chief football writer – Caroline Wilson.
Cleary's story on afl.com.au had been live on the website for just over half an hour when he was told by the AFL to take it down. He followed that instruction.
He was then removed from his weekly online show The Round So Far, which Cleary hosts alongside Port Adelaide games record holder Kane Cornes. Nat Edwards replaced Cleary for this week's episode.
Cleary has been contacted by The Age but was unable to comment further.
The AFL is yet to respond.
The Tigers were one of four clubs fined in recent days for contravening the AFL's COVID-19 rules for players, staff and families based in AFL-financed hubs.
Brooke Cotchin breached the protocols by entering a beauty salon, leading to the Tigers being fined $45,000 of which $25,000 was suspended.
Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale said Tigers captain Trent Cotchin offered to pay the fine.
Cotchin's offer is consistent with the actions of Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley and assistant Brenton Sanderson who paid the $25,000 non-suspended portion of the Magpies' fine for Buckley and Sanderson's unauthorised hit of tennis with former Australian tennis star Alicia Molik.
North Melbourne and Carlton have also accepted fines stemming from breaches.
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