Jarman Impey on track as Port locks down — and awaits meeting with leadership group
PORT Adelaide’s Jarman Impey — at the centre of an alleged hit-run car crash on Saturday night — was at training at Alberton Oval this morning, as the media found itself locked out.
- Port player says sorry after car crash
- Neighbours’ fury over alleged hit-run crash
- Comment: Worrying bump on road to redemption
PORT Adelaide’s Jarman Impey - at the centre of an alleged hit-run car crash on Saturday night - was at training at Alberton Oval this morning, as the media found itself locked out.
Teammate Angus Monfries, who was hosting the gathering after which the incident occurred, was not spotted by reporters who were waiting outside the club.
Police have so far refused to comment on reports that Impey was pulled over riding a bicycle without a light in the hours following the accident.
Impey left Alberton at 11.45am, about half an hour after the majority of his teammates, accompanied by defender Jackson Trengove.
He offered little comment beyond the statement of remorse released last night.
It is not yet known what his club-imposed penalty will be.
Players arrived at the club after coach Ken Hinkley, from 6.30am, ready for a closed training session from 8.30am.
It is understood the session was always intended to be closed to the public.
Impey, 21, will front Port Adelaide’s leadership group today over the alleged hit-run crash at Norwood, which left several cars damaged.
This meeting is expected to take place at Alberton.
Monfries, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, has kept a low profile since cars were damaged outside his home on George St.
Impey on Sunday apologised for an incident that followed an afternoon of drinking at Monfries’ home.
The club says the incident will have consequences both outside the club and within.
It took Power officials five hours to find Impey, who is believed to have walked some 17km to a teammate’s house in Grange after the crash on Saturday evening.
The 21-year-old had been drinking during a party that had started late that morning.
Impey allegedly crashed his white Holden Commodore into four parked cars, including Monfries’ Audi, when he left the party at 7pm.
Police were on the scene at George St, Norwood, by 7.35pm and began a search for Impey. A teammate notified the club of the incident around 8.30pm.
Impey was found soon after midnight at a teammate’s house by Port Adelaide football manager Chris Davies.
He took Impey to speak to police on Sunday morning and he was reported for driving without due care, failing to exchange particulars and failing to report the incident.
The controversy comes a month after the death of his father Glenn, who Impey had described as his “hero, mentor and best mate” and Port chief executive Keith Thomas said he was mindful of the young player’s welfare.
Last night, Impey said he had made some “very bad decisions” and apologised to his football club and the wider community.
“It was a mistake and I spoke to police and I understand there will be repercussions for my actions,” he said. “I’m willing to do anything to ensure I’m not in this position again and I’m sincerely sorry for what happened and I couldn’t apologise enough.”
Witnesses said a car had been doing burnouts and driving erratically before the crash.
“Given the extent of the damage to the car that he hit, it would appear it looked reckless, it was a fair impact,” Thomas said.
Some of Monfries’ neighbours claimed there had recently been loud parties at the home, prompting one to install double glazing on their windows and another to call police over the noise complaints.
Monfries declined to speak, telling reporters to “get off the land”.
Impey has played 55 games for the Power since being drafted from Victoria with pick No. 21 in 2013.
Thomas said: “We will discuss it with the leadership group and (coach) Kenny (Hinkley) — it’s clearly a breach of our standards and Jarman is really aware of that.”
“There will be disciplinary action associated with it — how that looks, we’ll determine that as a group.”
Thomas said Impey had not been seeking to avoid police but the delay in locating him was because he left his phone at the scene and was making his way home.
“He left his phone at the event he was at and so we had difficulty contacting him for several hours,” Thomas said. “(Football manager) Chris Davies tracked him down; he was similar to what he was like today, really embarrassed and apologetic, knows he’s done the wrong thing.
“He made his way from Norwood to Grange ... he walked a good part of it. As I’m piecing it together, at 7 o’clock it happened and we were making contact with him after 12, so it’s a long way.
“We were talking to Jarman well after midnight and the decision was made to front up (to police) in the morning.”
Thomas said he did not have an issue with players drinking after training on Saturday.
“I think you’ve got to understand that right now they’re training six days a week and to have a few drinks in a pool on a warm afternoon is not out of the question — I think that would be unrealistic,” Thomas said.
“It’s mainly the way that Jarman dealt with the issue that’s the problem.”