Chapman: I'm standing by my man

Tough times: Crows chief executive Steven Trigg speaks to members of the media at Crows HQ in West Lakes the day after the AFL Commission hearing. Picture: Dylan Coker Source: The Advertiser

ADELAIDE chairman Rob Chapman yesterday reiterated his support for besieged chief executive Steven Trigg, while the man suspended for six months for his part in the Kurt Tippett salary cap scandal planned an overseas study trip.

Chapman said Trigg had the full backing of "every player, every staff member, every coach, every sponsor and every vice-president", despite admitting his guilt in the case.

"There have been impassioned pleas from many of our key stakeholders to retain Steven," Chapman said.

One of the most important, Crows star Patrick Dangerfield, tweeted on Saturday: "Great decision by our board today! The board has backed Triggy and Harps in and the players certainly do as well! #greatoperators".

The AFL last week suspended Trigg for six months from January 1 and fined him $50,000, and football manager Phil Harper was suspended for two months.

Trigg can not attend matches, training, hold a club title or be paid during his suspension, but there is no ruling against him furthering his career with a fact-finding mission with other national or international sports bodies.

"I do need a spell and after 11 years in this role, where you're just going flat out the whole time, there is a little bit of upside in having a spell. I didn't want it to be this way," Trigg said.

"What I really want to do at some stage is get out, under my own steam and my own cost, and go and look at some world sport so I can learn some things, bring them back here and put them into place.

"Whether that's other codes, other clubs, other sports, I'll spend a bit of time doing that. It needs to be mapped out. I don't want to waste it."

Media commentator Graham Cornes, a former Adelaide coach, has a different take to most critics, describing Trigg's penalty as "way too severe".

In a column for the Adelaide Advertiser, Cornes wrote of the $50,000 fine: "It seems a ridiculous amount compared with the club's penalty of $300,000."

Another respected former Crow, Chris McDermott, has backed Trigg to remain as chief executive.

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Tough time for family, says Joel

Joel Tippett says the salary cap saga has been tough on his family. Picture: Simon Cross Source: The Advertiser

KURT Tippett's brother Joel has broken the family's silence after the drawn-out salary cap and draft tampering crisis ended at AFL House on Friday.

Joel, who studies human movement in Adelaide, said the Tippett family had got through the tough time by staying together on the Gold Coast but conceded it had tested everybody's patience.

They were disappointed when the sentence was handed down for Kurt - an 11-match suspension and a $50,000 fine - but had now vowed to move on.

"The main thing is that it's behind us now," Joel said.

"We're just looking to move on now. But it's been a difficult time."

Joel, who had an outstanding year with West Adelaide in the SANFL, missed out on being selected at the Gold Coast draft but will have another chance for a second AFL break in the rookie draft on December 11.

Several clubs have expressed interest in Joel through Bloods coach Andy Collins and Joel's manager, Peter Blucher, who also handles Kurt's affairs.

Ideally, the brothers would love to play together, like everybody once thought when Joel was playing for the Suns and Kurt was contemplating his next move.

Tippett blames Crows for 11-game ban

There has been speculation both of the Tippetts could end up at the Swans in 2013, but Joel will have no say in where he ends up, unlike Kurt who can put a price on his head. And if he's rookie-listed, Joel has to weigh-up his future.

He nominated for the national draft, which in effect means he nominates for all drafts, but he also has aspirations outside of football.

After Joel finishes his human movement course, he has thought of adding a teaching element to qualify to be a physical education teacher. He has also looked into joining the fire service.

If he is not picked up by an AFL club, there's also the option of staying at West Adelaide, which was chuffed with his contribution this season.

"I'll have to decide after the draft," Joel said. "At my age (24) ... when I wasn't picked up in the draft, I thought maybe that's it for me. I'll have to have a really good think about it."

Joel has been rookie-listed three times: by Brisbane in 2007 and 2009 and by the Gold Coast in 2011. He played two games for the Suns in 2011 but was delisted at the end of that year and shifted south to join West Adelaide and be close to Kurt.

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Footy heavyweights back Trigg

Crows chief executive Steven Trigg speaks to the media at Crows HQ the day after the AFL Commission. Picture: Dylan Coker. Source: Sunday Mail (SA)

BESIEGED Crows chief Steven Trigg has the backing of the Adelaide football community, with heavyweights Leigh Whicker, Bill Sanders, Malcolm Blight and Graham Cornes all applauding the club's decision to retain him.

SANFL general manager Whicker said the state league fully supported the decision of the Adelaide board.

"Steven Trigg is an outstanding administrator," Mr Whicker said.

"From the SANFL point of view, we strongly support Steven's continuation in the role he has been so successful in.

"Steven has been very forthright and open through this process. I've known Steven for a long while and his integrity is unquestionable.

"There's a very fine line in all sports that you can step over. I don't think a person's career and long term future should be severed due to one oversight. In general life and business people do make mistakes.

"I think the penalty has been very severe.

"I think the Adelaide Football Club is on the cusp of delivering something very special in the next few years. Once the ball is bounced in March, the fans will be there behind the club."

Inaugural chief executive Sanders said the decision was in the best interests of the club.

"I'm very pleased for Steven's sake," he said.

"Any decision the board makes must be in the best interests of the football club and I'm sure that would have been their major consideration.

"Steven has done an excellent job for the Crows."

Sanders backed Chapman to get the job done during Trigg's absence, but conceded the suspension came at a tricky time for the club.

"The contingency they have in place with Rob Chapman stepping in should cover it.

"It is not an ideal time, particularly given the issues that are in front of the club at the moment - the license and Adelaide Oval just to name two.

"However they have got to make the best of it and overcome it with the best ways and means possible."

Inaugural Crows coach Cornes said he absolutely backed the club's decision to stick by Trigg.

"I thought the penalty handed down to Steven Trigg (by the AFL) was just ridiculously excessive," he said.

"As the tribunal has indicated, this is not a hanging offence.

"Steven Trigg stood to gain no personal benefit."

Dual premiership coach Blight said also he was pleased for Trigg.

"The board are put in place to adjudicate all those things and if they see fit (to keep him) good on them," he said.

"I'm pleased for Steven."

AFL media manager Patrick Keane said the league had stated on Friday it would back whatever the board decided.

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Good CEOs are hard to find: Chapman

Adelaide Crows chief executive Steven Trigg says he offered his resignation to the club but they declined it.

Adelaide Crows chairman Rob Chapman at the press conference after the AFL Commission hearing. Picture: Michael Dodge. Source: Getty Images

ADELAIDE chairman Rob Chapman has defended the club's decision to maintain chief executive Steven Trigg after a specially convened board meeting unanimously decided he was the best man for the job.

Chapman was prepared for a torrent of criticism after he came out of the specially convened meeting late morning but told The Sunday Mail and was fully aware it was not a populist choice - but he is convinced it was the right one.

The obvious analogy in the criticism is that had Trigg acted the way he allegedly did in the corporate world, he would be shown the door.

But he was backed by both the AFL and the Crows to stay and Chapman said there were parts of the Tippett saga that would and could never been established because the warring factions could not agree on a set of facts.

"We're giving Steven the benefit of doubt," Chapman said.

"It wasn't an easy decision and it wasn't the populist decision but it was the right decision.

"We're not afraid to make the tough decisions that we believe are right for the club.

"The easy decision would have been to accept his resignation when he offered it."

Chapman called Trigg yesterday to let him know the board wanted him to use the six-month penalty received for his part in the Kurt Tippett affair constructively and then get on with it.

Chapman could already imagine the angry phone calls to radio sports shows and the buzzing of angry Internet comments.

Disgraced Crows CEO keeps his job

To Chapman, it was an expected reaction, and an natural one.

"I understand why people are raising the points that they're raising, because without having the full context of the events and the history of what happened, you'd ask those questions," Chapman said.

"Without having a full set of facts, it's hard to draw any other conclusion.

"But the all of the facts aren't going to come out because they commission couldn't agree on one set of facts - there were two: one from us and one from the Tippett camp.

"What happened from there was that we accepted a range of sanctions."

Trigg addressed the media yesterday in a confrontingly honest manner, speaking of his self doubt and his thoughts of just walking away.

There have been long and testing conversations between him and Chapman, with Trigg continuously asking whether he'd be doing the club a disservice by staying.

But Chapman had been unflinching and there was not an ounce of doubt in his voice as he lined up the reasons for keeping Trigg to The Sunday Mail.

"I and the board are backing Steven to be the best person to lead the club forward.

"Why keep him? Good CEOs are hard to find in the AFL.

"There are only 18 of them and they all have a job.

"It would take more than several months to recruit, select and induct a new CEO and why take that risk when we have an excellent CEO who has all the corporate knowledge of years of planning for the move to Adelaide Oval, knowledge about the transfer of the license (from the SANFL to the club), the work that's gone into a seconds team?"

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Trigg stays but still packs his bags

Adelaide Crows chief executive Steven Trigg says he offered his resignation to the club but they declined it.

Adelaide Crows chief executive Steven Trigg speaks to members of the media at Crows HQ in West Lakes, the day after the AFL Commission. Picture: Dylan Coker. Source: Sunday Mail (SA)

• Tell us: Have the Crows been dealt with fairly by the AFL?

CROWS boss Steven Trigg says he considered stepping down "every day" for the past six weeks but was swayed against falling on his sword by yesterday's unanimous backing from the club's board.

Adelaide backed Trigg to continue as the club's chief executive despite his six-month suspension imposed by the AFL for his part in the Kurt Tippett scandal.

Less than 24 hours after Adelaide chairman Rob Chapman declared himself a "personal supporter" of Trigg, the eight other elected members of the club's board voted to retain Trigg when his ban is lifted on July 1.

"The board is united on this," Chapman said.

"All decisions of the board are based on putting the club first and ensuring the best overall outcomes for the club."

Football manager Phil Harper, who inherited the dirty deal built by Trigg and former football boss John Reid in 2009, also won unanimous board backing to retain his role.

Harper received a two-month ban, keeping him off Adelaide's books until March 1.

Dodgy deal the Tippett of the iceberg

But it was the decision to retain Trigg that raised eyebrows in a football community that was predicting a sacking or a voluntary dismissal.

On Friday, the chief executive copped a six-month, unpaid ban from holding any position within the AFL or clubs.

He was also fined $50,000, and faced speculation his position at the club was no longer tenable.

Breaking his silence since the sanctions were handed down on Friday, Trigg revealed he had offered his resignation during several meetings with Chapman after details of Tippett's contract began surfacing during a tumultuous trade period.

Kurt Tippett leaves the AFL Commission with his legal counsel David Gallbally. Picture: Norm Oorloff Source: adelaidenow

"It's been an unbelievable six weeks," Trigg said.

"If I said to you there wasn't a day go by where I didn't think about stepping down you'd probably believe me.

"But particularly in the last week there's been a couple of occasions when I've had that formal discussion with our chairman, and I think reflective of their decision today is the proposition that I can still continue to add value and make sure that we go forward as a footy club."

It is understood Trigg's involvement in ongoing negotiations surrounding the club's move to Adelaide Oval for 2014 and a push for a reserves side were among key planks that won the board's backing.

Despite a wave of outcry at his retention on talkback radio yesterday, Trigg was adamant the stain of his role in the Tippett affair did not affect the viability of his job with the club.

"I've always said I'd love to stay in the role," he said.

"I want to stay in the industry and I want to stay in the role.

"People find that extraordinary given the circumstances, and I understand that as well. I've made some blues, we've buggered up some things, no question about that, and I take complete responsibility.

"But for me, do I want to stay in the role? Absolutely.

"For me it's a question of does the board want me to stay in the role.

"They've put a position where they're really strong, no ambiguity, so it's on that basis that I stay in the role."

Tippett blames Crows for 11-week ban

Trigg learnt of the board's decision in a phone call from Chapman late yesterday morning, immediately after the board meeting.

He was uncertain whether his AFL-imposed ban meant he was allowed to attend games before the suspension ended on July 1.

Trigg said during his enforced lay-off he planned to launch a fact-finding mission with other national and international sporting organisations.

"Apparently I've got a few jobs to do around the house," he said.

"I do need a spell and after 11 years in this role where you're just going flat out the whole time there is a little bit of upside in having a spell. I didn't want it to be this way.

"What I really want to do at some stage is get out, under my own steam and my own cost, and go and look at some world sport so I can learn some things, bring them back here and put them into place.

"Whether that's other codes, other clubs, other sports, I'll spend a bit of time doing that. It needs to be mapped out, I don't want to waste it."

THE PENALTIES

- Adelaide Crows fined $300,000 and stripped of their first and second round picks in the 2013 national draft.

- Tippett fined $50,000 and suspended for the 2013 pre-season and first 11 home and away games, with a suspended sentence for the remaining 11 home and away games.

- Steven Trigg fined $50,000 and suspended from any involvement in the AFL for the first six months of 2013, with a suspended sentence for the remaining six months.

- Former Crows football operations manager John Reid suspended from any involvement in the AFL for the first six months of 2013, with a suspended sentence for the remaining six months.

- Crows football operations manager Phil Harper suspended from any AFL involvement for the first two months of 2013, with a further four-month suspended sentence.

scott.walsh@email.com.au

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Sun rises again for Brennan

Jared Brennan trains with the Suns at Metricon Stadium. Picture: David Clark Source: Gold Coast Bulletin

FROM the back of the bus to the front of the plane.

Jared Brennan's road to redemption is all but complete.

The mercurial 28-year-old was on the brink of quitting the AFL after a horror 2012 season in which the high-priced recruit was twice dumped to the Gold Coast reserves.

Disillusioned and questioning if he still had the passion to play at the top level, a reclusive Brennan withdrew from the pressure-cooker environment of the AFL knowing his career balanced on a knife's edge.

But the former Lion was a new man during the Suns' two-week high-altitude camp in Arizona.

He trained the house down to the point where he was voted by his peers as the best performer in the US - and was rewarded with a seat in business class for the long flight back to Australia.

"He's backed it up (since returning home)," Suns coach Guy McKenna said.

"The big test is coming back to sea level and putting your head down and working hard.

"Jared has shown a real appetite for that hard work. He hasn't missed a beat. His enthusiasm is up, his passion is up, all indicators to do with his training are on the up."

Brennan said he would have regretted pulling the pin.

"I've still got a few good years left in me. If I gave up now it was probably the easy way out," he said.

"(And) I don't want to be known to take the easy way out."

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Players' hands up to dodge drug net

AFL Players Association player relations general manager Ian Prendergast. Picture: Nicole Garmston. Source: Herald Sun

AFL players are avoiding drug strikes by exploiting a loophole in the game's drugs policy.

The Courier-Mail can reveal there has been a spike in players at one Melbourne-based club self-reporting the use of drugs to AFL medical directors Dr Peter Harcourt and Dr Harry Unglik.

The concern is restricted to a small number of players, mostly from the same club.

By self-reporting, a process which requires players to present to Dr Harcourt or Dr Unglik, the players avoid registering a positive drug test and a strike against their name.

Self-reporting is a feature of the AFL's three strikes illicit drugs policy and occurs when a player wishes to admit having used drugs.

Club chiefs say excuses used include "I have had my drink spiked" and "I've accidentally had drugs".

Some players have self-reported more than once, raising concerns about a deliberate abuse of the policy.

AFL players are regularly drug tested for illicit drugs and can be tested at any time.

There has been a rise in the number of self-reports in 2012, leading to suspicions players are abusing the system.

The Courier-Mail understands the AFL and AFLPA are considering limiting the number of allowable self-reporting incidents to one per player in an annual review of the policy.

An increase in the number of off-season hair tests is also being considered.

AFL Players Association player relations general manager Ian Prendergast said the union continued to discuss improvements in the illicit drugs policy with the AFL and AFL medicos.

"The association sits down at the end of every year with AFL medicos to review the operation of the policy," Prendergast said.

"If there are issues that need to be addressed to ensure that the policy not only helps players at risk but also acts as a strong deterrent, I'm confident we can address those issues through our discussion with the AFL medicos."

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Swans still keen on Tippett

Sydney is still interested in signing Kurt Tippett, despite his 11-match ban. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: adelaidenow

PREMIER Sydney has reaffirmed its commitment to securing Kurt Tippett in this month's pre-season draft, while rival Greater Western Sydney awaits his financial terms.

Following yesterday's AFL Commission hearing, the Swans indicated the 11-match ban handed to Tippett would not sway their interest in the former Adelaide forward.

Sydney football manager Dean Moore said the Swans still intended to select Tippett if he was available at their pick in the pre-season draft on December 11.

"Although today's decision is obviously a disappointing setback for Kurt, we have always seen Kurt as a long-term player and we will go to the pre-season draft with the intention of selecting him if he's available at our pick," Moore said.

The Giants, who hold the first selection in the pre-season draft, also maintained their interest.

"We were always awaiting the outcome of the AFL hearing, but we also want to see the terms on which Kurt Tippett will nominate for the December draft," a Giants' spokesman said.

"We will find out (his terms) on Monday. He has got to nominate Monday the terms in which he nominates for the draft."We're still in the mix, but we just now need to see what terms he nominates for the draft."

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Will Trigg want to continue at Crows?

Adelaide Crows CEO Steven Trigg faces the media after the AFL Commission. Picture: Michael Dodge. Source: Getty Images

ADELAIDE got smacked last night, and rightly so - there was never any doubt about the Crows having transgressed the AFL Player Rules.

It is not the most pressing issue.

They could have been whacked much harder: Phil Harper escaped with a slap on his wrist, the club will only sit out for part of next year's draft (to go with what they sacrificed this year) and John Reid, well, his penalty of being excluded from football is irrelevant because he's retired from the game.

You can say Reid was the instigator of all of this, because the football department was his domain, but that would excuse others who were complicit.

Trigg was at the wheel of the club, and what will be in play from here is the future of Trigg.

It is fair that the captain's penalty is weighted according to his rank. It will be debated at a board meeting that has been scheduled for today, but thoughts of his future are already swirling inside Trigg's mind.

He is a proven chief executive in the AFL and served his club with distinction before this crisis, so much so AFL House had grand plans for him to one day consider joining league administration.

There was an overseas scholarship afforded to Trigg by the AFL and there was also the thought that considering that he had served his club so well, moving to the chief body was a logical step.

It has stripped Steven Trigg of his squeaky clean reputation

Behind closed doors it was said that he was getting itchy feet as long as 18 months or two years ago to look at something else but he remained and steered the Crows through an important phase with the departure of greats such as Mark Ricciuto, Simon Goodwin and Andrew McLeod, the building of a new training centre and the transition from Neil Craig to Brenton Sanderson.

The question now is how Trigg will feel about continuing. The club will assure him they can carry on for his six-month suspension and want him to return - they'll tell him he is, because he is, ideal to lead the club out of this drama.

There are already rumours swirling that Rob Chapman could fill in, but chairman-chief executive combinations usually lead to a mess.

It comes down to how Trigg feels about the situation. His AFL aspirations - if he didn't have any, others held them for him - now appear shot and he is not the sort of man who could handle being a burden.

Trigg made a few blunders along the way, then his conscience got in the way when others urged him to just plough on and push the envelope because that's what football clubs do. That's not to paint him as a saint, because he pushed on.

It will now cost him not only a six-month suspension (and another six suspended) but also $50,000.

It has stripped Trigg of his squeaky clean reputation.

And it has probably stripped him of any chance of being invited to take a top role at AFL House. But to put this into perspective: football is a competitive game that attracts competitive types, and like Malcolm Blight said last week - except for the two new franchises, all clubs have probably stretched or broken the rules to put a better football team on the field.

This much is certain. Steven Trigg is a decent man who made an error of judgment.

He has fronted up and will, insiders say, be given a chance to remain with the Crows.

It will be up to Trigg what happens from here.

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Tippett avoids grudge match

Kurt Tippett with fellow key forward Taylor Walker after the 2012 preliminary final loss against Hawthorn. Picture: Michael Klein. Source: Herald Sun

CROWS public enemy No. 1 Kurt Tippett has been spared being thrown to the wolves against his old club next year.

His 11-match ban for draft tampering and salary cap cheating rules him out of the much-anticipated grudge match against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium in round 11.

But in a strange twist of fate, Tippett's first game for the Swans - provided he ends up with the premier - could still be in Adelaide.

Sydney has the bye in round 12 but plays Port Adelaide at AAMI in round 13.

Such a scenario could result in as many Crows fans turning up to boo Tippett as Power fans do to cheer their team.

Sydney last night reaffirmed its desire to secure Tippett in the pre-season draft, despite his half-a-season ban.

"Although the decision is obviously a disappointing setback for Kurt, we have always seen Kurt as a long-term player," Swans general manager of football Dean Moore said in a statement.

"We will go to the pre-season draft with the intention of selecting him if he's available at our pick."

Tippett's other suitor, Greater Western Sydney - which owns the first pick at the pre-season draft - said it would not be put off by him missing so much football.

His price, however, could be a different matter.

Tippett - who has made no secret of his desire to join Sydney - will on Monday put a price on his head, which is expected to be the $3.5 million over four years the Swans offered him to leave Adelaide during the trade period.

Giants chief executive David Matthews said the club's position hadn't changed because of Tippett's hefty ban.

"We note the sanctions handed down by the AFL Commission and we now have a clear understanding of Kurt Tippett's availability for the 2013 season," Matthews said in a statement.

"We now want to see the financial terms on which he will nominate for the (December 11) draft so we can assess his affordability.

"We also have to consider whether he is the right fit for the club as we continue to build a strong culture amongst our young playing group.

"These are all factors we will now carefully consider over the coming days before making a decision on whether to draft him with our first selection."

Tippett - who also banned from playing in the pre-season competition and was fined $50,000 - accepted guilt for his misdemeanours but blamed the Crows for leading him astray.

"I trusted the Adelaide Football Club and for the duration of my contract I did my utmost for the club on and off the field," he said in a statement.

"It is bitterly disappointing, then, to learn that my trust and best endeavours have been to my substantial detriment.

"Only during the recent AFL trade period did I learn that some terms in the Adelaide offer may have contravened AFL rules, and since that point I and all parties associated with me have co-operated fully with the AFL in its investigations.

"I have nothing to hide and have only refrained from media comment in recent weeks on legal advice and out of respect for the AFL investigation process.

"Through my legal representative I asked for an open hearing in the hope that the truth would be revealed.

"I pleaded guilty to the two charges on advice without any admission of liability and despite being assured there were valid defences available to me in respect to both charges.

"It is very important to me that I concentrate on preparing for next season and remove all distractions from my preparation. I am glad that this matter is now finalised and I look forward to moving on and playing football."

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