‘Underworld’: AFL warns Essendon over figures inside dressing room
The AFL has reportedly warned Essendon over figures seen inside the team’s dressing room with Eddie McGuire making a public plea.
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The AFL has reportedly warned Essendon over figures seen inside the club’s dressing room.
News Corp first reported AFL Integrity has contacted Bombers officials over concerns held about players’ associates invited into the inner sanctum.
It comes as former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire also launched a public plea with the AFL to “get tougher on drug rules” because the “underworld” is bigger in Melbourne.
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According to the report confirmed by leading footy journalist Mark Robinson on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 on Wednesday night, the AFL’s concerns surround delisted Bombers player Nick Hind and star forward Jake Stringer — and associates they have brought into the Bombers’ dressing rooms after games.
AFL Integrity is reported to have told the Bombers to be vigilant about what sort of people are cleared to enter the dressing rooms as personal guests of players.
According to Robinson, Hind is the “central figure” while Stringer is involved because he shares a friendship group with Hind.
The AFL has confirmed to The Herald Sun the league has told one club that the associates of one player are not welcome in the club’s dressing room. The AFL has not confirmed the identity of the club.
The individuals are reported to have regularly attended Essendon games this year and were invited into the dressing room multiple times.
McGuire said on Channel 9 the associates brought into the rooms by Hind had been the “talk of the footy world” recently.
The reports come at a prickly time for Stringer, who is reportedly considering his future with Essendon while the club refuses to extend his contract beyond the 2025 season.
According to reports, Stringer wants to remain with Essendon, but would also look to leave the club if offered a two-year deal by another team.
McGuire said on Footy Classified the recent murmurs about Stringer could have even had an impact on the reported lack of interest rival clubs have shown.
“We’ve been working on this story for a number of weeks… we were following this story closely and it has been tempering some of the comments we’ve been making about whether Jake Stringer might even go to Collingwood,” McGuire said.
“It’s been the talk behind the scenes in football for the last fortnight amongst clubs that there have been people getting into Essendon rooms that the AFL Integrity department have said they shouldn’t be there.
“The AFL are all over it. This is why I’ve been talking about how they’ve got to get tougher on the drugs rules. Yes, we can look after the player and all that type of thing – we’re all in on that, maybe for a first strike.
“But as I said, the underworld is bigger in this town. It’s a completely changed game.”
Robinson also said — in his own words — that the AFL would view the figures brought into the Essendon rooms as “undesirable”.
“He (stringer) is a part of it. The central figure is Nick Hind,” Robinson said.
“Basically what happened, AFL Integrity was alerted to a figure or figures in the Essendon rooms and been going to Essendon games.
“AFL Integrity rang Essendon and said we’re just warning you to be aware, be vigilant in some of the people you are allowing into the rooms. And one of those people is friends with Nick Hind, who’s friends with Jake Stringer.”
He went on to say: “Always when the AFL Integrity have been moved to alert a club to be aware of someone in the rooms. It’s a pretty serious matter.
“They take it very, very serious.”
Stringer’s future, meanwhile, remains up in the air.
During the season, the 30-year-old Bombers star triggered a clause for a $400,000 deal for 2025 but Essendon have been reluctant to extend Stringer beyond that or upgrade his deal.
Collingwood was viewed as the front-runner to recruit Stringer last week, while the Swans were also reported to have interest in Stringer.
It as reported last week Stringer has been telling those close to him that he’s played his last game for Essendon.
Originally published as ‘Underworld’: AFL warns Essendon over figures inside dressing room
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