Carlton rookie Levi Casboult forced to down copious drinks during Blues' booze-fuelled cruise

A CARLTON rookie was handcuffed or bound to another player and forced to down copious drinks in the Blues' booze-fuelled cruise.

The boat: The Carlton players had a booze fuelled party on the Lady Lindeman.

A TEENAGE Carlton rookie was handcuffed or bound to another player and forced to down copious drinks in the Blues' booze-fuelled end-of-year celebrations.

Levi Casboult, 19, was barely conscious when his family came to his rescue.

The drinking game, in which Casboult was urged to go one-for-one with the older player, happened on a $100-a-head booze cruise that may have have cost the Blues a $1 million sponsorship deal.

Some players were so drunk they had to be helped from the boat by security guards after their Yarra River cruise was cut short due to their antics.

Casboult's dad, Leigh Casboult, told the Herald Sun his son drank far too much.

"Levi went on an end-of-year cruise with the other players and through the course of the afternoon he obviously consumed far more alcohol than what he's used to, and we went and picked him up," a disappointed Mr Casboult said.

The rookie was normally a very moderate drinker, the Herald Sun was told.

Hours after the players were kicked off the boat, Eddie Betts was arrested in the city for being drunk, while Mitch Robinson was believed to have hurt his shoulder in a scuffle.

The club yesterday fined Betts $5000.

Carlton has also slapped $5000 fines on Ryan Houlihan - who organised the boat trip - and Andrew Walker after they brawled with staff at Crown's Promenade Hotel on Sunday morning.

Carlton players also made a drunken nuisance of themselves at The Fitz Cafe in Brunswick St, owned by former Carlton player Mil Hanna, before heading to swank Southbank nightclub Eve.

The 50-strong group that boarded the Lady Lindeman on Saturday for lunch and a cruise along the Yarra was believed to have included captain Chris Judd and most of Carlton's senior players.

A spokesman for Rivers Restaurant Cruises & Boat Charters said some players appeared to have been already drunk when they arrived.

He said some players ignored warnings about their drinking and aggressive behaviour.

"They were drunk as skunks and there was nothing we could do to control the alcohol consumption," he said.

"It's actually quite embarrassing. They made absolute a---holes of themselves.

"We had to pull the pin on the cruise after several warnings ... because they were fighting among themselves.

"I got the phone call from our (boat) master and I told him: 'End of story.'

"I called the security in and they were all helped off they boat - they were assisted off the boat."

The 3 1/2-hour cruise ended an hour early when the players were unloaded at Docklands about 2.30pm. They were still hurling abusive language at each other as they left.

The charter boat spokesman said the company had a policy of not taking football clubs, but accepted the Carlton booking after assurances the players would behave.

"We were advised it was strictly a get-together, a luncheon, not a dinner and not a big booze-up - and it would all be under strict control."

 By the time the group arrived at Hanna's cafe, the behaviour had deteriorated further. "It was pretty crazy. They were out of control and Mil was trying to get them to leave," a source said.

 Betts was arrested in Queen St just before 4am on Sunday for being drunk, and was locked up and fined $234.

Carlton CEO Greg Swann confirmed a number of players drank to excess during the river cruise.

He said it was a disappointing end to the year as Carlton had joined a community initiative against binge drinking.

 - with Aaron Langmaid