AFL 2020: Richmond players groping Mabior Chol during team song

A Richmond duo have apologised to their teammate Mabior Chol after their ‘unacceptable’ locker room antics caused social media backlash.

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick cut his weekly press conference short on Friday after being hit with accusations of alleged sexual assault among his players.

It was alleged by veteran reporter Hugh Riminton that Tiger defenders Nick Vlaustin and Jayden Short were involved in the incidents involving teammate Mabior Chol.

Two incidents were allegedly caught on camera in the changerooms, after last week’s win over Brisbane and the previous clash with the Western Bulldogs.

The vision is being circulated on social media, allegedly showing Vlaustin putting his finger up the anus of Chol on the outside of his shorts.

It was alleged the footage also showed Vlaustin grabbing the genitals of Chol three times.

Short allegedly was filmed grabbing Chol’s genitals after the game against the Western Bulldogs the following week.

“If this is horseplay, are all premiership players within Richmond expected to tolerate fingers going up their anuses, or is it just the black players?” Riminton asked.

Hardwick didn’t answer any of the allegations, and a club spokesman entered the press conference, being done via Zoom, to say the coach and the club had “no knowledge” of the incident.

No complaints have been made by Chol but some fans have taken issue with the vision.

On Friday evening the club released a statement from the three men involved in the locker room clips with Short and Vlaustin apologising for their actions.

“It was a stupid action and I am deeply embarrassed. I’ve apologised to Mabior,” Nick Vlastuin said.

Jayden Short said: “It was unacceptable behaviour and a poor example.”

Chol was unfazed by the incidents.

“I have no issue whatsoever with those players, or any of my teammates,” he said.

“But (I) understand that is not the sort of example we should be setting.”

Why do Richmond players keep trying to grab Mabior Chol's cock when they sing the theme song? It's the second time I've noticed it#AFLTigersLions

— Owen Carter (@OwenJCarter) August 4, 2020

Geez the Richmond boys were looking a bit toey during the song then. Vlastuin couldn’t keep his hands off Chol’s privates and there was a lot of heavy petting when they came together after the song #HubLife

— Cameron Colvin (@casserdaly) August 4, 2020

HOW RICHMOND’S AWKWARD PRESSER PLAYED OUT

Hugh Riminton: “Sadly an off-field matter if you don’t mind taking a question on it. Are you aware of what appears to be an indecent assault against one of your players by another one of your players in the rooms, in fact there were two incidents, after the game against Brisbane and the other the week before against the Western Bulldogs, do you have any knowledge of these things?

Damien Hardwick: “No mate. I appreciate your time but let’s talk about the game. Thank you.

Riminton: “I’m going to put these questions to you, because I have two criminal lawyers who have said they have looked at this vision and they say there has clearly been a sexual assault taking place. It’s a breach of the criminal law at state and Commonwealth level. It’s a breach of the AFL code of conduct, the player’s code of conduct, of the member’s protection policy statement, it is on camera, we have received no complaint from any player, but it’s clearly on camera, it has been discussed on social media, and I want to know are you going to take it upon yourself if you haven’t already to investigate what appears to be a crime between two of your players?”

Jaimee Damon (Tigers media): “We actually have no knowledge of that, it’s the first we’ve heard about it, so thank you for the question but we have to move on.”

Riminton: “So from the coach, the answer is, let’s be clear, you have no knowledge of this taking place, even though it’s freely on social media, you have no knowledge of this at all?”

Hardwick: “That’s correct, thank you and we’ll move on.”

Richmond player Mabior Chol (centre) appears to be groped by a teammate.

Riminton: “There will be questions on it at a higher level and, you are aware of them now. If it turns out to be a matter of horseplay, captured on camera is Nick Vlaustin putting his finger up the anus of Mabior Chol, he reacts in a way that plainly indicates he wasn’t expecting such an action. He also has his genitals grabbed three times by Vlaustin, after the Bulldogs game he has his genitals grabbed by Jayden Short, the question to you is, if this is horseplay, are all premiership players within Richmond expected to tolerate fingers going up their anuses, or is it just the black players?”

Hardwick: “Thanks for your questions Hugh but we’ll move on from that.”

After a series of football questions, about three minutes worth, Riminton came in again.

“A football question, are you expecting Nick Vlaustin, Jayden Short and Mabior Chol all to be available and playing in your next game?”

Hardwick: “I’ve been very patient.”

Riminton: “It’s a football question, are you expecting them all to be playing in your next game?”

Hardwick: “Thanks guys.”

Originally published as AFL 2020: Richmond players groping Mabior Chol during team song