Chapman tells of ‘tipping point’ in debate over Collective Mind and pre-season camp
ADELAIDE has been cleared of breaching league rules or policy and escaped sanctions by an AFL investigation into its controversial pre-season mind training camp on the Gold Coast in January.
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ADELAIDE was last night cleared by the AFL of breaking any league rules or policy during its controversial pre-season mind training camp but the club admits regret that some players felt it was an intrusion on their privacy and made them uncomfortable.
The Crows were not sanctioned after an AFL integrity unit investigation found the club had not breached industry rules but should have shown greater due diligence in the camp’s planning and delivery by independent consultant Collective Mind on the Gold Coast in January.
Adelaide admits to “oversights” and “learnings” from the camp and the AFL is now demanding more consultation from clubs wanting to use external parties for things such as training camps.
The Crows have also promised to increase their part-time integrity officer position to a full-time role at the club.
Crows chairman Rob Chapman last night told The Advertiser the “tipping point” for his club asking the AFL to investigate were unfounded allegations in September that players had been tied up nude while on the camp.
Q&A: Crows chairman Rob Chapman responds to questions about the pre-season camp
“For me that was the tipping point. When I heard those allegations made I rang (CEO) Andrew (Fagan) and said we need to bring this to a conclusion and had a discussion with the AFL and hence this review escalated,” Chapman said.
“It started out ‘people were blindfolded’, then ‘people were tied up’ then you deny the first and the second and then ‘they were tied up naked’. Now can you just imagine a parent hearing that, a partner hearing that, imagine how Don (Pyke) felt hearing that when you know it is complete and utter rubbish.
“That was the tipping point for me. I take very, very seriously the mental and physical wellbeing of our men and women and we have a duty of care to them, and that (tied up naked) didn’t occur.”
Players and staff were interviewed as part of the integrity unit investigation and Chapman understands a medical report by club doctor Mark Cesana into the camp would have been included.
Chapman has admitted his “regret” that players left the camp feeling uncomfortable with some of the conversations that took place and the level of personal information they were either asked to share or shared.
“We worked with Collective Mind in 2017 around positive reinforcement, we wanted to improve, we escalated the level of intensity on the camp and players did reveal during that process and even on reflection that some of the things they revealed made them feel uncomfortable, and that should never be the case and that is a regret that I have,” he said.
“What we did on the camp … it was an escalation of intensity, we were in a trusting and confidential environment so it would be unfair to detail exactly what went on, but there are some regrets over some of the discussions that took place and if that made some players and coaches feel uncomfortable well that was never our intention and for that we’ve got to face up to it and should never have allowed it to occur.”
Chapman has confirmed the Crows board did not sign off on the training camp beforehand but that process would form part of the club’s governance moving forward.
It’s understood some players’ partners were disappointed the players were told to surrender their mobile phones while on the camp, and Chapman says the club should have better communicated with players and families what the camp would involve.
“The briefings that went on prior to the camp could have been more exhausting and more thoughtful, the debriefings from the camp could have been more comprehensive,” he said.
“You can’t over-communicate is something I say often and I don’t think we did a good enough job of explaining and putting into context what we were trying to do to players, partners of players, even on the camp, we knew there would be a level of intensity around conversations taking place.
“From what was let’s face it, a good relationship with Collective Mind in 2017 and they assisted us with a lot of things, poise, being in the moment, mindfulness, and we escalated that on the camp, and we should have been more aware of the potential for aggravation and aware that players might not react the way we thought.
“We probably weren’t as prepared as we should have and that’s what the AFL is saying to us and all clubs.”
Adelaide worked with Collective Mind in 2017 when it adopted the now infamous ‘power rangers’ stance throughout the finals but imploded in the grand final against Richmond when they lost by 48 points.
That led to a pre-season mind training camp which became a constant distraction throughout the season in which they slipped from grand finalist to 12th.
In June the club confirmed some indigenous players were concerned by the use of an Aboriginal artefact known as a ‘talking stick’ on the camp, and within 24 hours it had terminated its partnership with Collective Mind.