Crows camp organisers flag legal action
Collective Mind, the private training organisation involved in the now-infamous Adelaide Crows 2018 preseason camp, says it will seek “appropriate legal redress” in response to reporting of the scandal.
Photo: AAP/David Mariuz
The leadership consultancy firm and the Adelaide Football Club were on Tuesday cleared by SafeWork SA of any breach of work health and safety laws from the camp that has been linked to a player exodus from the Crows and their subsequent spiral from finals contention.
An AFL Integrity Unit investigation also cleared the Crows and Collective Mind of wrongdoing, but noted the club should have shown greater care.
Collective Mind managing director Amon Woulfe said SafeWork SA’s ruling was “welcome, yet overdue, relief”.
“While we are glad this has finally been resolved, it should not be forgotten that these false and sustained allegations have had significant impacts on our business, our brand and our personal reputations,” Woulfe said in a statement late on Tuesday.
“We fully understand the important role the media plays in sport, however the media has an obligation to make sure its facts are correct.
“In our case, the reporting was incorrect, repeatedly inflated and deeply hurtful.
“We are still yet to receive any sort of retraction or public apology, and we will be seeking appropriate legal redress.”
SafeWork SA said yesterday that it would not provide detail about its inquiry, citing confidentiality provisions in the WHS Act that prevent the disclosure of information acquired during the course of an investigation.
“Thorough investigations often reveal that no breach of the law occurred. This was the case in this matter,” the statement said.
The Crows said in a statement that SafeWork SA had undertaken a “comprehensive” and “confidential” investigation.
The club reiterated that the regulator had found “neither the club nor any other person or organisation breached any work health and safety laws during or in relation to the camp”.
A report in The Age last year detailed several allegations of the goings-on during the Gold Coast camp, which was held after the Crows lost the 2017 grand final to Richmond.
In September last year, Woulfe said Collective Mind had chosen to proceed with defamation against Channel 9 and The Age.
-with AAP
