AFL investigating Tiger pair arrested after fight outside Gold Coast strip club
The AFL are investigating two Richmond players who were arrested outside a Gold Coast strip club at 3.30am Friday morning, following an alleged fight, in an apparent serious breach of the AFL's special COVID-19 rules that appears certain to have the Tiger pair sent home.
In a highly embarrassing and poorly timed incident for the AFL, Richmond's Sydney Stack and Callum Coleman-Jones appear to have transgressed league protocols in a clear and significant breach of the rules that the AFL has established in Queensland hubs to enable the competition to continue.
Club sources have confirmed that the players were out of their hub and while the AFL is investigating the detail and has not yet commented, the league's stance - and the sensitive political situation surrounding the relocation of the competition to Queensland - means the AFL and Richmond seem certain to take a strong stance.
Queensland Police confirmed two men were arrested at 3.30am Friday morning following a disturbance in Surfers Paradise and were issued with a police banning notice, banning them from the precinct, and a penalty infringement notice.
"Around 3.30am, officers responded to reports of two men, aged 20 and 21, involved in a physical altercation on Orchid Avenue. Both men sustained facial injuries as a result of the incident," the QPS spokesperson said.
"Further investigations are continuing into the matter."
The players would appear to have breached the rules, in that they do not have a permitted reason for leaving their hub.
Should they be sent home to Melbourne, as seems highly likely, this would leave the Tigers without two players, albeit Stack did not play against Fremantle on Wednesday night. It is a situation that is more fraught for the AFL than even the Tigers.
Richmond issued a statement on Friday in relation to the incident.
"Richmond has become aware of a breach of AFL COVID-19 protocol by two of its players, in the early hours of Friday morning," the statement said.
Richmond's Callum Coleman-Jones (left) and Sydney Stack.Credit:Getty Images
"The club immediately reported the breach of protocols to the AFL, and is working with the league to investigate the matter.
"The players have been based inside the club’s player hub on the Gold Coast having already undertaken a 14-day quarantine in July. They are not part of the current quarantine hub where AFL officials, and players and family members are undertaking the required 14-day quarantine period.
"The club is not in a position to comment further until the investigation is complete."
More to come