Gold Coast says any decision over Campbell Brown’s AFL future won’t be made until an investigation into an incident with teammate Steven May is completed.
Brown’s future with the Suns appears all but over after he allegedly punched May during an altercation outside a Los Angeles nightclub following a pre-season training camp in the United States.
Video footage obtained by the Nine Network appeared to show the aftermath of the brawl with Brown and May separated by another man on a roadside.
May, his mouth and nose bleeding, can be heard talking to Brown as the unidentified man pleads for the pair to stop.
May was set to meet doctors on Friday to have his jaw assessed and a call made on whether he would need surgery to fix a broken jaw.
The incident is far from the first time 205-gamer Brown has found himself in hot water, with the Suns already stripping the 30-year-old of a leadership role after he was detained by police on an end-of-season trip in Thailand last year.
Brown also missed the first six games of the season with suspension, a regular feature of his career where he’s missed a total 28 games through suspension in total.
“Campbell, by his own admission, has had a mixed time at the football club,” Suns chief executive Travis Auld told reporters on Friday.
The video footage may put to bed several rumours about the brawl, some of which included the fight occurring when May tried to get an autograph from pop star Rihanna, who was believed to be in the same club the players had attended.
Auld says the exact cause of the fight is unknown but until a full investigation has been conducted there will be no decision about Brown’s future.
“All we know at the moment is they were both drinking, something has flared up and Steve May has a broken jaw,” Auld said.
Up to five other players are believed to have seen the incident and will be spoken to by the club as part of the investigation.
The former premiership player has gone to ground in the wake of the revelations, arriving home from the United States on Thursday.
He told the Gold Coast Bulletin he was “letting the club sort it out” but refused to elaborate on the details of the incident.
Brown has been barred from training until the matter is resolved and several of his teammates refused to comment when questioned by media at Gold Coast Airport or the club’s stadium on Friday.
Suns coach Guy McKenna told the Ten Network he couldn’t discuss the matter as it was under investigation while club football manager Marcus Ashcroft merely told reporters the Arizona visit had been a “good trip”.
Radelaide
Guest
He's had enough chances, sack him I say especially if he broke his teammates jaw while trying to stop him from taking a photo of a celebrity.
Hayley Wildes
Roar Pro
Campbell Brown is meant to be a veteran and leader of this club. Surely it's about time he pulls his head in and lets his game do the talking. Then again he is 30, and his game hasn't been much since he left Hawthorn.
Franko
Guest
I saw your link to that the other day, rather ironic. Wonder what Campbells thoughts are on this attack on the GC last night? http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/aussie-rules-coach-bashed-to-death-20131202-2ykd1.html
Jorji Costava - The Guru's Guru
Guest
Good old Campbell Brown, he is a bit like Farmer Freddie's fat pig. Either on the way to trouble or coming back from it.
Australian Rules
Guest
Brown's a clown. This is the same bloke that last year said they should bring back the death penalty for people who king hit others.
GoGWS
Roar Guru
The video doesn't help Brown….. May backing away and repeatedly asking Campbell to let go - May very much in control whilst Brown has lost control… it's very hard to see Brown surviving this incident, and to be honest the Suns aren't going to be devastated by his loss anyway…their young squad is coming along nicely and Brown, though he went OK last year, was never going to be amongst their best performers in 2014 anyway. Time up I think.