Fremantle Dockers in gun over harassment allegations

FREMANTLE is embroiled in allegations a secret deal has been done to silence a former junior staffer who alleged she was sexually harassed by a club figure.

A former Dockers office worker had accused the official of inappropriate behaviour. Picture: Generic

FREMANTLE is embroiled in allegations of a secret deal to silence a former junior staffer who alleged she was sexually harassed by a club figure.

The former Dockers office worker had accused the official of inappropriate behaviour.

The AFL’s integrity unit has completed an investigation into a sexual harassment complaint that it started last year.

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The alleged victim said this week she did not wish to talk about the case. Picture: Generic

But the Herald Sun has now been told by a source that a significant deal has been done to make the complaint go away.

“The amounts, and anything to do with that, I can’t comment on,” the source said.

“So much is geared towards protecting a lot of people.”

A second source says the ­alleged victim was propositioned by the Dockers figure at a Fremantle bar.

In the months after the alle­ged incident, the woman needed treatment for deteriorating physical health and quit her job at the club, the source said.

“They’ve said that if anyone talks it will be stopped — the payment,” the source added.

Although the alleged incident happened several years ago, the woman only made a complaint late last year, after revelations about movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and the rise of the #MeToo movement.

The alleged victim said this week that she did not want to talk about the case. Her partner, who also refus­ed to discuss any details, des­cribed their situation as frus­trating and stressful.

The case, which emerged months after the AFL unveiled its new Respect and Responsibility policy, was expected to be a critical test of the league’s crackdown on sexual harassment.

Fremantle has stonewalled regarding the issue during the past ­several months, including the status of the complaint, any inves­tigations, penalties or payments.

“You need to speak to Liz Lukin (AFL corporate affairs chief),” Dockers president Dale Alcock said this week.

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The AFL last December confirmed to the Sunday Herald Sun — which revealed an investigation was under way — that a club had reported a complaint, being “an allegation of sexual harassment”.

“The AFL notes that the person has strongly denied the allegation and welcomes an ­investigation into the comp­laint and will fully co-operate,” the spokesperson said at the time.

An AFL spokesperson said last night: “The process was completed to the AFL’s satisfaction some months ago, and the AFL has imposed no ­sanction.”

But the league had refused to answer any questions about the case — including the progress of its investigation — ­between last December and last night.

One source close to the club claimed the Dockers recently made contingency plans in case the official was forced to leave his position. The official has not respon­ded to calls from the Herald Sun.

The league launched its ­revamped Respect and Res­ponsibility policy in November last year as female interest in the game soared on the back of a hugely successful first season of the AFLW.

“A critical element of creating safe and inclusive environments for women and girls is a transparent process of the management of complaints ... which includes sexual harassment,” the new policy states.

Launching the policy, AFL social policy and inclusion manager Tanya Hosch flagged concerns over a “history of ­inconsistency” in how clubs dealt with complaints.

“What became clear in the research was it was difficult for clubs to deal with an issue without some degree of conflict of interest if the complaint lands with them,” she said.

Ms Hosch said clubs could no longer “manage” incidents.

“There is an appetite in the industry to do better on this,” she said.