AFL reaches settlement in Essendon drugs saga court stoush
A SUPREME Court stoush over the Essendon drugs saga has been quietly resolved after there was an agreement on Thursday to end action brought against AFL supremos Gillon McLachlan and Mike Fitzpatrick.
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A SUPREME Court stoush over the Essendon drugs saga has been resolved.
Lawyers for the AFL and plaintiff Jackson Taylor agreed this morning to end an action brought against league supremos Gillon McLachlan and Mike Fitzpatrick.
The case took a twist last month when it emerged Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon had been engaged by McLachlan and Fitzpatrick as separate legal advisers to the AFL’s.
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The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.
The case alleged McLachlan and Fitzpatrick contravened consumer law by misleading or deceiving the public over the AFL’s conduct in the saga, to protect its commercial interests and reputation.
It centred on a series of public comments, including:
McLACHLAN’S denials that he asked the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority to “take bits out” of an interim report unfavourable to the AFL.
McLACHLAN’S denials that he tried to engineer outcomes before Essendon players and officials were interviewed by ASADA and the AFL.
FITZPATRICK’S denial that he told axed Essendon football boss Danny Corcoran in March 2016 that “your mate (James) Hird will never get back into football”.
Taylor’s high-powered legal team included human rights lawyer Julian Burnside QC.
The AFL had engaged global law firm K&L Gates.
Taylor’s action was one of the last live disputes stemming from football’s greatest crisis.
Originally published as AFL reaches settlement in Essendon drugs saga court stoush