THE AFL has just announced that they will be suspending disgraced forward Kurt Tippett for the first 11 weeks of the 2013 home and away season for his part in the salary cap and draft rort that has engulfed the Adelaide Crows.
As well as the suspension Tippett has been fined $50,000 and has a further 11 match penalty that is suspended for five years.
Tippett was facing one charge of ‘engaging in conduct prejudicial to the draft’ and one charge for salary cap breaches, both of which relate to Rule 17 of the AFL’s rules.
Before a specially convened meeting of the AFL Commision at AFL House, Tippett was found guilty of both charges for his role in the affair.
As expected, the AFL has come down hard on Tippett. What wasn’t expected was how long the process would take with the closed session hearing beginning at 8:30am this morning and the verdict coming nine hours later at 5:30pm.
(Also on Football Nation: The Tippett saga: who’s who and what will happen?)
In reports over the last two weeks Tippett and his legal representative, high-profile Melbourne QC David Galbally, had argued that Tippett was innocent of all charges and that they would fight to clear his name. But in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, and the with the possible threat of even more severe sanctions if he failed to prove his innocence, the former Crows forward decided instead to acknowledge his guilt.
The penalty and fine had been flagged earlier by The Age which had reported that “Tippett is understood to have agreed to settle for a substantial suspension” for his part in the irregularities written into the contract.
More to come.