Premiership Demons give evidence in fake memorabilia case against Ricky Nixon
Disgraced former football agent and amateur defence lawyer Ricky Nixon has kicked an own goal after cross examining Melbourne premiership players over forged signatures on memorabilia sold to fans.
Disgraced ex-AFL player agent Ricky Nixon sold Demons premiership memorabilia with fake signatures of multiple players a court has ruled — after several players, including skipper Max Gawn, refuted claims they signed anything.
The eight time All-Australian ruckman was one of seven Melbourne premiership players who gave evidence at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday at a contested hearing into Nixon’s selling of memorabilia with fake signatures to unsuspecting fans.
Acting as his own defence counsel, Nixon, 62, pleaded not guilty to four charges after police accused him of knowingly selling footballs with forged players’ signatures to diehard Demons fans after the club’s drought breaking 2021 flag.
Premiership players Gawn, Charlie Spargo, Trent Rivers, Jake Lever, Steven May, Tom McDonald and Christian Salem all gave evidence on Tuesday.
Gawn told the court the signatures on the balls did not look like his handiwork.
“It doesn’t look like how I normally do it, but it could be a rushed one,” he said about one of the signatures.
“It looks like none of my previous ones.
“It’s a 95 per cent chance it’s not my signature.”
Spargo, who now plays for North Melbourne, said signatures on three balls presented to him in court were not his.
“Not my handwriting, I did not write it,” he said.
When cross examined by Mr Nixon, Spargo said he could not remember how many balls he signed after the premiership but said it was organised through the club.
“There is a lot going on around the grand final,” Mr Spargo said.
Outside court, Spargo told the media he “felt bad” for the fans who paid for the allegedly falsely signed footballs.
“It’s frustrating for the fans of the footy club,” he said.
Lever, McDonald and Salem all said they did not recognise their signatures on the balls either.
Rivers told the court he could not find his name on one of the balls but said the signatures purported to be his on the others were not.
“The signatures are different to my actual signature. The “T” and the “R” are separate and I do one continuous line,” he said.
May said the signature on the first and second ball “looks like” his signature.
“I think I did (sign it) looking at that one,” he said.
However he said the last ball “doesn’t really look like [his] signature”.
Three diehard fans who purchased the allegedly forged signed footballs also gave evidence on Tuesday.
Adam Daly, Warrick Weir and Timothy Holt each paid $595 to Mr Nixon for the memorabilia only to later see reports claiming the signatures were fake.
Mr Nixon told the court he had no idea the signatures were forged, having bought the balls from a sports memorabilia dealer.
“I do not doge away from the fact I should take some responsibility here,” he said.
“I can 110 per cent say I did not know these were forged.
“I absolutely did not deliberately knowingly do this act, was it reckless, I don’t think it can be reckless if I was not knowledgeable.”
Despite it being scheduled for a two-day hearing, Magistrate Brett Sonnet said the evidence showed the signatures did not belong to the players.
“After careful consideration of all the evidence I am satisfied that all charges are found proven and to the criminal standard,” he said.
Outside court Nixon told the media he was the real victim in the incident.
“I’m the one who got gutted, I’m the one who paid $18000 for fake footballs,” he said.
“I’m the bloke out of pocket, not the guy who sold them to me.”
Nixon was convicted and fined $4500.
He will also have to refund the three victims $595.
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Originally published as Premiership Demons give evidence in fake memorabilia case against Ricky Nixon
