Richmond players Sydney Stack and Callum Coleman-Jones have been suspended for 10 matches and sent home from the Gold Coast after breaching the AFL’s COVID-19 protocols.
The AFL confirmed the suspension after Stack, 20, and Coleman-Jones, 21, took an Uber to a strip club, and then got into a fight outside the neighbouring kebab shop at around 3.30am on Friday morning.
“Richmond Football Club have been fined $100,000 for the breach – $75,000 for this breach and a further $25,000 that was the suspended amount from a previous breach,” the AFL said.
Word on the grapevine is the two men had been throwing fists against another group of blokes.
“Both men sustained facial injuries as a result of the incident,” police said in a statement shared on social media.
The men were issued infringement notices by the police and have been banned from the Gold Coast Safe Night Precincts.
Footage of the incident was captured by the security cameras at the kebab shop.
Here’s the fight outside a Surfers Paradise strip club involving Richmond players Sydney Stack and Callum Coleman-Jones. Excuse the quality. @9NewsAUS pic.twitter.com/KeGb3ChLzZ
— Mackenzie Colahan (@maccolahan) September 4, 2020
Both players have been isolated since returning to the Richmond HPC this morning.
AFL General Counsel Andrew Dillon said there is simply no excuse to breach protocols.
“The two players knew the rules and chose to ignore them, putting the safety of everyone at risk,” he said.
“The behaviour of the players is not what we expect, regardless of whether any protocols are in place or not.”
Stack and Coleman-Jones have become the subject of much scrutiny online since the news first broke, with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk denouncing their behaviour.
AFL players caught breaking COVID rules should be sent home. Queensland won’t tolerate it. I know the AFL takes these issues seriously and will take appropriate action.
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 4, 2020
And then, well, more information started trickling in.
According to the shop owner, stack asked ‘for one of his famous kebabs.’ His eftpos didn’t work. So transferred the money. The two kebabs were ruined in the scuffle. So the tigers pair ordered two more post the fight
— Tom Browne (@TomBrowne7) September 4, 2020
Cue the roasting.
f there isn’t a Sydney Stack Kebab on that shops menu in the next 24 hours they have missed a huge opportunity.
— Rob Cornthwaite (@robcornthwaite) September 4, 2020
KEBAB UPDATE: We understand garlic sauce may have been present on at least one of the two kebabs ordered by Sydney Stack. More details as they come to hand.
— Rohan Connolly (@rohan_connolly) September 4, 2020
Because I know you’re all wondering, the kebab shop owner said Sydney Stack ordered the ‘mixed special’. https://t.co/GJmPhfPzZW
— Glenn Valencich (@glennvalencich) September 4, 2020
Dejected to have ended up as a cricket writer when I could have been breaking news about Sydney Stack’s kebabs
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) September 4, 2020
Sydney Stack wanted chicken salt on his chips and didn’t get any.#KebabGate
— Higgo (@Higgo74) September 4, 2020
