Port Adelaide president David Koch has blasted the AFL over the Sam Powell-Pepper investigation, saying the player was railroaded.
Power chief executive Keith Thomas will hold a media conference on Thursday to expand on the club’s concerns about the league’s investigation.
Powell-Pepper has already sat out two games during the AFL’s investigation into his drunken nightclub incident.
On Wednesday the league announced he would be suspended for three games, meaning he misses one more match.
The AFL said in a statement Powell-Pepper “engaged in inappropriate behaviour that is unbecoming for an AFL player by being intoxicated in a public place and by making inappropriate contact with a female”.
Koch said Port are angry about the investigation, accusing the head of the AFL integrity unit of not looking at all video relating to the incident.
“The whole respect and responsibility policy leaves the clubs in the dark. They take complete control. I issued them a grievance notice before they would start talking sense,” Koch said in a statement to Triple M.
“My biggest issue was they are railroading a kid and trying to re-build their reputation with women because of the misdemeanours of their own former executives.
“In Sam Powell-Pepper’s case, a woman anonymously made these claims, did not press charges with police — which we were happy for her to do. We have vision of the entire night and the head of the integrity unit refused to see it.
“I’m putting it on the agenda at the next presidents’ meeting.”
Last year, senior AFL executives Simon Lethlean and Richard Simkiss resigned because of affairs with junior colleagues.
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire said there is a broader issue of growing discontent among the club about how the AFL treats them.
“The clubs are getting sick of getting treated like franchises,” McGuire told Triple M.
“The AFL Commission was brought into place to act on behalf of clubs.
“There’s a very strong feeling that the clubs are there as a necessary impediment to the AFL hierarchy – that’s not Gil McLachlan, that’s the levels underneath (him).
“It has (been) building for a long time … the pendulum swings too far and the pendulum has to come back.”
Brendon the 1st
Guest
Deserting WA and SA? Surely you mean propping up SA football for 100 years. How dare a club want to play in a national competition against the best, whatever where they thinking? Pfft, untie your under garments roger, it's the new millennium.
Brendon the 1st
Guest
This is the first I've heard of the right to appeal, and I've read just about everything on this. If it is true perhaps they didn't want to put a young man through even more scrutiny than has been put under up until now. Gotta love the Kochie hate on here, I love the bloke and long may his reign continue.
Cat
Roar Guru
Koch is not right on this one.
Roger of Sydney
Guest
Any thing Port gets is well deserve after stopping a true national competition by deserting SA and WA. Have said that Koch is a dick but he is right on this one. The VFL / AFL is not the game, they are not what fans come to see, they are back room admins
Cat
Roar Guru
The whole reason Kochie and Port Adelaide decided not to appeal (where all evidence would have been made available) is because the woman involved indicated she would be willing to testify to her side of the story. This video that allegedly shows SPP doing nothing wrong is in Port Adelaide's and Kochie possession and they could release it if they really wanted to, yet they won't. Ask yourself why if it so conclusively supports Kochies assertions.
Cat
Roar Guru
There was no need for all that. Port Adelaide had the option to appeal the AFL sanction within the AFL framework. If they chose to appeal all evidence would have been made available. The woman involved had indicated she would be willing to front the judiciary and tell her story. Port Adelaide decided not to appeal knowing all this. Kochie is just running his gob.
Birdman
Guest
I love how making a statement to the effect that the complainant hasn't gone to the police is somehow proof that the complaint has no substance.
mdso
Guest
Ah ha, now the shoe is on the other foot, you don't like it David. Haven't you realised it yet David, the AFL conglomerate looks after its own, everyone else are part of the show which help make it all happen "the show - the entertainment" and they are expendable cattle. They come and they go. You cross them you pay. There are examples everywhere. The hard nosed truth, hurts.
Don Freo
Guest
You miss a really important point. They are trying to run their own clubs but their servants, the Commission, are interfering in their domain.
Auroara
Roar Rookie
Koch needs to put up or shut up. If he has evidence that exonerates Powell- Pepper, take a short walk down to the Supreme Court and get an injuction against the AFL's ruling. Otherwise, accept the verdict and perhaps direct your efforts to making players like Powell-Pepper understand that it is NOT OK to be out on the turps whilst he is supposed to be a professional sportsman, nor is it OK to put himself in a position whereby allegations of misconduct, whether true or otherwise , can be levelled at him.As a club president, Koch needs to take his emotions out of his statements, and just deliver the facts.
Big Daddy
Guest
Maybe Koch and McGuire should concentrate on running their own clubs and let the AFL run itself. The same two whingers all of the time.