Overview
- The league suspended $40,000 of the penalty for two years contingent on no new disclosure breaches and full compliance with added requirements.
- Geelong must implement tighter controls, including governance protocols, live registers of third‑party arrangements, expanded contract assurance and stricter disclosures from club associates.
- The review, led by AFL legal and compliance heads with EY Australia’s forensic support, scrutinized documents and devices and included interviews with club personnel and associates.
- Examples cited included gifts such as wine, short stays at an associate’s holiday property and an academy camp at a sponsor’s site, while AFLW items were deemed administrative errors.
- CEO Steve Hocking said the club cooperated and rejects claims of favoritism or a cover‑up, as the AFL broadens education across all clubs and some commentators question the sanction’s severity.