Staff owed thousands in wages after collapse of ex Geelong footy star’s pub
Staff at a pub part-owned by former Geelong star Corey Enright are still owed thousands of dollars in wages, with leaked text messages revealing they were warned not to go to the media.
A pub owned by Geelong Cats legend Corey Enright that lost its lease over a $300,000 rental dispute still owes staff and local businesses thousands of dollars despite promising to repay them.
It comes as Mr Enright’s other venue, just 600m away, was saved from liquidation despite running up debts of more than $5m.
Mr Enright shares ownership of two companies – Geelong on Yarra, which ran the Geelong Hotel, and MD Hotel Group, which operates The Inn Hotel – with his business associates Mathew Dyer, Dean Trembath, and Max McKay.
The four were evicted from the Geelong Hotel by the building’s landlord in April for a number of breaches, including failure to pay bills and damages.
Employee John Vantarakis, who worked there from September 2024 to April 2025, claims he has not been remunerated for almost 80 hours of work and that nine other employees are also owed wages and superannuation.
Leaked text messages reveal Mr Vantarakis was told not to speak up about the payments by one of the owners.
“He said it was in the contract to not go to the media … but it turns out they can’t really do anything.”
Promises that money was coming turned out to be hollow, Mr Vantarakis said.
“The owners would say to us a lot things like ‘one more week’ or ‘just after this event’ that they would be able to pay us.”
“They had the audacity to say that when they had gone into administration.”
The entity in charge of The Inn Hotel, MD Hotel Group, had less than $2000 in the bank when the Supreme Court of Victoria ordered it to wind up.
It was listed as loaning the Geelong Hotel north of $1m – but administrators Scott Andersen and Ivan Glavas of Worrells said this money was long gone.
“It (Geelong Hotel) had recently ceased trading and does not have sufficient assets to meet any potential claim that may be made against it. Therefore, there is not expected to be any recoveries from this potential loan account,” they said in a report to creditors.
The report revealed MD Hotel Group collapsed owing creditors more than $5.6m.
This includes $3.5m to secured creditor Judo Bank, nearly $350,000 to the Australian Taxation Office, $145,000 to staff and $1.1m to almost 80 unsecured creditors.
The administrators said the business suffered from “the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, a decrease in patronage, and an increase in operational costs” among other things.
Last week, a majority of creditors voted in favour of a Deed of Company Arrangement, which returns The Inn Hotel to solvency and means all its employees will be repaid.
A Geelong Hotel spokesman said repaying Geelong Hotel staff was a priority once the dust settled with The Inn.
“In regards to any outstanding wages or creditors, the company will direct its attention to these matters once the VA (Voluntary Administration) period has finalised for MD Hotel Group, any outstanding wages will be paid in full,” he said.
“The company is working through the next steps after the VA process, and working very hard to get some good outcomes for the business in a very difficult time in hospitality.”
A number of traders are also waiting on outstanding invoices to be paid for services rendered at The Geelong Hotel.
Corey Enright did not respond when contacted for comment.
Originally published as Staff owed thousands in wages after collapse of ex Geelong footy star’s pub
