By Tim Clarke
February 19th 2008 @ 12:32am
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Demetriou awaits West Coast’s response
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou expects a response from West Coast within a week over the Gillard report - and he expects that response to be extensive.
Retired Supreme Court judge William Gillard QC yesterday tabled his report into the Eagles’ off-field problems with the AFL Commission.
Eagles chairman Mark Barnaba will receive the report today and the West Coast board will then consider the findings.
The Commission will go over the Eagles’ response at its next meeting on March 14 before the league makes any public comment.
Asked if the Eagles will need to explain parts of the report, Demetriou replied: “I’d think they would want to.”
He later added: “any response plays a part (in the AFL’s final deliberations), a lack of a response wouldn’t be helpful.”
West Coast said they would continue to cooperate with the league.
“The club (is) expected to respond to some questions on which the AFL seeks clarification,” the club said in a statement.
“The West Coast Eagles will answer those questions, but the process going forward will be determined by the AFL.
“There is a process to be followed and Mr Barnaba intends to respond to those questions raised by the AFL, both in writing and in person.”
Demetriou said he was pleased with the job that Justice Gillard had done.
“He’s produced a fairly-detailed report, comprehensive, we’re pleased with it,” he said.
Demetriou said the league would make public an executive summary of the report, probably after the March 14 commission meeting.
Last week, the Eagles released a summary of their own investigation into the club’s much-publicised problems.
That report reviewed 35 incidents of poor behaviour by 13 players in the six years up until December last year.
Meanwhile, West Coast’s No.1 draft pick Chris Masten was fined $750 in court yesterday for drunkenly punching another man in the face during a scuffle at Perth’s Australia Day fireworks.
The club had already fined him $2000 and banned Masten from the NAB Cup pre-season competition.
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