Morris Jones bar owner and friend to remain behind bars in Perth
New expletive-ridden footage has emerged of Hayden Burbank at the grand final in Perth, while Demons officials remain puzzled by his unsanctioned appearance in the team’s rooms.
Victoria
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A new video has emerged of Hayden Burbank filming himself in the emotional final minutes of the grand final.
The prominent cocktail bar owner, 49, and his financial planner mate Mark Babbage, 39, are the Demons fans accused of using bogus documents to illegally sneak into Perth for the grand final.
“I’ve been dreaming of making this video,” Mr Burbank says with tears in his eyes.
The owner of Prahran cocktail bar Morris Jones also yells to a man near him “to put Wattsy on, get Jack Watts on. Tell him Hayden’s here.”
Mr Burbank and Mr Babbage are seen celebrating when the siren sounds in the three minute video.
After singing the club’s song, Mr Burbank says: “Yes boys, we’ve f---ing done it.”
It’s believed the pair was not the game with anyone else and were sitting in a members and past players section.
They faced Perth Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday after spending the night in custody and will remain behind bars for at least two weeks, facing serious criminal charges for allegedly breaching the state’s strict border laws.
HOW DID FANS ENTER ROOMS?
The Herald Sun has obtained a photograph of Mr Burbank posing in the middle of Optus Stadium after Melbourne’s drought breaking premiership on Saturday evening.
A damning image of Mr Burbank captured him celebrating with his arms in the air while holding a beer.
Several club officials, as well as Norm Smith medallist Christian Petracca, feature in the background of the picture.
The image has raised further questions about the Melbourne Football Club’s supposed strict Covid bubble as well as security measures at the stadium.
Mr Burbank’s activity has enraged club officials who weren’t able to travel to Perth as well as wives and girlfriends of players unable to share the special moment with their loved ones.
Jim Babbage, the father of Mr Burbank’s travel companion Mark Babbage, said the trip had caused a stir among some women associated with the club.
“Some of the players’ wives have kicked up a fuss because they couldn’t go to the game,” he said.
Mystery also surrounds how the diehard pair was able to gain money-can’t-buy access to the club change rooms after Melbourne won the AFL flag.
Thousands of Dees associates, major sponsors and other VIPs were knocked back from the post-match afterparty in order for the club to meet strict AFL guidelines.
Only 100 names were placed on the exclusive guestlist which was signed off by top club officials.
Those on the list were given a wristband which security guards looked for in order to grant access to the rooms after the game.
Melbourne football club chief executive Gary Pert said it was frustrating to learn two people who weren’t on the list had snuck in, as many others were denied the privilege.
“As far as the club is concerned, the only people that should’ve been in there, were the 75 in the travel party and 100 people who were approved to receive a wristband,” Mr Pert said.
“How anyone else got there is a mystery. I don’t know how someone gets in if they are not on the list.
“Unfortunately we had to knock back the majority of requests that came through. There were a lot of key people we would’ve loved to have in the room but we needed to meet the AFL guidelines. 100 tickets go very quickly.”
Mr Burbank’s name was not on this guest list.
The club declined to comment about the photograph of Mr Burbank on the ground and did not answer questions as to how he got into the changerooms after the game.
Mr Burbank and his friend, Mark Babbage, appeared via phone link from Perth Watch House on Wednesday morning.
Both are represented by lawyer Andrew Tehan, who had the matters adjourned until October 13 while they seek more legal advice.
The pair each faces three counts of failing to comply with a direction under the Emergency Management Act, and only said “yes” to confirm their names and that they understood the charges against them.
Police will allege the information the pair provided on their G2G application was false, and had that false information not been provided, they wouldn’t have been eligible to enter the state.
“Their G2G applications outlined that they’d only been in the Northern Territory and in fact they produced documentation to support their application, including some Northern Territory driver’s licence papers,” WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said on Tuesday.
ARREST AFTER ANONYMOUS TIP
Police swooped after an anonymous tip about the men, who rubbed shoulders with Demons players and coach Simon Goodwin after the historic win at Optus Stadium.
A photo of the duo drinking beers alongside midfielder Alex Neal-Bullen was posted to the AFL’s official Instagram page with the caption “how good” and was liked by more than 100,000 people.
Neither man was permitted to be in the changerooms for post-match celebrations, prompting an internal club investigation.
Sources said the breach was a “bit of a concern”.
Both of the men have now tested negative to coronavirus.
Mr Dawson alleged the pair, who arrived in WA from Darwin on September 22, lied on their border applications and produced fake licence papers.
Amid strict border closures preventing Victorians from travelling to WA, Mr Dawson said they had claimed “to have only been in the NT”.
“We are alleging that they falsified documents … including driver’s licence, to gain access to Western Australia,” he said.
“To say that this is disappointing is an understatement. How people could knowingly put others at risk in these times is selfish and contemptible.”
Police have launched an investigation into the movements of the men – who are due to face court on Wednesday.
They had earlier appealed for the public’s help to find the men, who were spotted driving to the state’s southwest in a black Audi on Monday.
They were eventually found at Bunker Bay, in the Margaret River region, with a woman who has since tested negative but who has been ordered to quarantine.
“I want take this opportunity to thank the community for the information they have provided police to help us lead to these arrests,” Mr Dawson said.
“This is yet another example of how the vast majority of law-abiding people have worked with police throughout this Covid pandemic.”
Mr Dawson also revealed two other Victorians had been caught sneaking into WA. One was charged and remanded in custody to face court next month, while the other had already returned to Victoria.
Mr Burbank changed his Instagram account to private and declined to comment.
The Melbourne Grammar old boy had recently painted the exterior of his Chapel St venue in red and navy blue to celebrate Melbourne’s finals berth.
Jim Babbage, Mark’s father, claimed that it was all a “misunderstanding” and said his son, a financial planner at Babbage and Co in Hawthorn, had not broken any rules.
“I don’t believe he has done the wrong thing,” Jim Babbage said. “He comes from regional Victoria and he went through Darwin and stayed there for two weeks.
“I don’t know what all the fuss is about. He is double vaccinated and cleared a negative test upon entering Perth.
Jim Babbage said he had “no comment” on Mr Burbank’s circumstances.
The AFL confirmed Mr Burbank was not part of the official travelling party who had been cleared to enter the state.
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said: “It would be odd if someone hadn’t done full quarantine, the rules are clear.”
If found guilty, the pair faces 12 months in jail or a $50,000 fine each.
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