Josh Jenkins lodges freedom of information request to see SafeWork SA report that cleared 2018 Adelaide Crows training camp

Former Crow Josh Jenkins is pushing to reveal all about Adelaide’s notorious 2018 training camp, lodging an FOI to see SafeWork SA’s secret report.

Former Adelaide player Josh Jenkins has lodged a freedom of information application with SafeWork SA, seeking a copy of the organisation’s secret report into the Crows’ notorious 2018 pre-season camp on the Gold Coast.

In a letter to SafeWork SA, Jenkin’s lawyer Greg Griffin writes the former Crow “be provided with documents in relation to the camp’’.

Mr Griffin said he wanted access to the report because Adelaide and the AFL had used it as a “crutch to remain silent’’.

“The silence has been broken to let’s remove the crutch,’’ he said. “Why does the employer get it, but the employee who suffered the damage doesn’t,’’ Mr Griffin questioned.

Josh Jenkins during an Adelaide Crows training session when he played for the club. Picture: Sarah Reed

The FOI application requests Jenkins, who was interviewed during the investigation, be provided with the “full report of SafeWork SA into the Adelaide Football Club’’, as well as “copies of any and all correspondence between Mr Jenkins and the Adelaide Football Club and/or SafeWork SA pertaining to the camp and/or the SafeWork SA investigation into the camp’’.

In the application, Mr Griffin also asks for information about who requested the SafeWork SA investigation, as well as “all correspondence to and from any person invited to or requested to provide evidence to SafeWork SA in the investigation.

He requested “all statements taken by SafeWork SA both in draft and final from persons interviewed in the SafeWork SA investigation.’’

Mr Griffin is also requesting all draft versions of the report and “all correspondence between the Adelaide Football Club, the Australian Football League and SafeWork SA pertaining to the SafeWork SA investigation including any suggested amendments to any draft report provided to them for review or comment’’.

SafeWork SA said earlier this week it was unable to publish the report because it was “restricted by confidentiality provisions in the WHS Act from disclosing any information obtained in the course of exercising its statutory powers and prevents specific detail from the inquiry being released’’.

Last September, SafeWork SA said there was “no evidence of any breach of the Work Health & Safety Act 2012 (SA) relating to the camp. The investigation is now closed’’.

However, Mr Griffin said his reading of the legislation indicated SafeWork SA could release the report.

“The idea that SafeWork SA are entitled not to give us the report to us is simply wrong,’’ he said.