David Edwardson QC will be representing the Crows in the Kurt Tippett salary cap scandal. Picture: Greg Higgs. Source: adelaidenow
THE Adelaide Crows have engaged one of Australia's most prominent defence counsels to represent them before the AFL commission on Monday and will be bunkered down for the next two days to prepare their case.
The Crows hired David Edwardson QC, who was successful in defending Perth barrister Lloyd Rayney in one of the highest profile cases in Western Australia's history.
He also acted for lawyer Eugene McGee in his high-profile South Australian hit-and-run court case.
Jeff Gleeson SC will represent the AFL and it was already known that David Galbally QC would argue Tippett's case. The Crows enlisted Mr Edwardson to defend salary cap and draft tampering charges.
In yesterday's developments:
SOUTH Australian bakery Balfours is reportedly at the centre of the scandal, with the club having allegedly diverted to Tippett up to $30,000 of an annual club sponsorship estimated between $150,000 and $200,000.
THREE new charges were levelled at the club.
PHIL Harper, the club's football operations manager, has been added to the key figures facing the charge of breaching AFL player rule 17.
Harper, chief executive Steven Trigg and the Adelaide Football Club have each been advised of the new charges in writing. The AFL's general manager of football operations, Adrian Anderson, issued the following for all three:
"Contrary to Rule 17 of the Rules, between September 2009 and October 2012, you engaged in conduct in breach of the Total Player Payments provision in the Rules."
The charges will be heard by the full AFL Commission at 1pm on Monday at AFL House.
The alleged Balfours involvement emerged late yesterday and was reportedly orchestrated by Trigg.
It is believed Trigg instructed Balfours to divert about $30,000 of the bakery's yearly sponsorship of the club to Tippett. In return, the player starred in "Tippett's Tips" ads for Balfours.
(The commission is) going to come at them with an axe
Clubs are not to be involved in players' third-party deals.
The new charges bring the total to 11 charges against the Crows: three for the club, three for Trigg, one for Harper, two for former football manager John Reid and two for Tippett, who is still listed as an Adelaide player.
The key figures in the scandal were locked away with lawyers last night after spending the day unsighted at the club's headquarters at West Lakes.
SANFL chief executive Leigh Whicker said the SANFL, which holds the licence for the Crows, would not be affected on how the hearing plays out.
"From our point of view, the club is independent of us (in this matter," Whicker said.
"And the club's got no option but to front up. Get the deal done, then it's a matter of getting the supporters back on board and start worrying about playing footy again.
"They've got the group that can hopefully get them to the last Saturday in September within the next few years."
But predictions around the AFL community continue to grow darker when it comes to how the Crows will be dealt with next week.
One leading administrator was blunt.
"They're going to come at them with an axe," he said.
"I think a lot of people will be surprised at how severe the commission can be.
"They haven't got much of a defence, because they've basically admitted guilt.
"Now it's about trying to mitigate the damage."
Galbally QC is a high-profile Melbourne lawyer who prepared the report into Ricky Nixon's dealings with "the St Kilda schoolgirl".
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