Adelaide Crows’ chairman and chief executive have apologized to former players Eddie Betts and Josh Jenkins over their experience at the controversial 2018 pre-season training camp.
Key points:
- Eddie Betts and Josh Jenkins spoke publicly about what went wrong at the Crows pre-season camp
- Crows chairman and chief executive apologize to both players and club members
- A SafeWork SA investigation had cleared the field of work safety breaches
Adelaide Football Club chairman John Olsen and chief executive Tim Silvers have penned an open letter to club members and fans after Betts’ released a book last week revealing how confidential information was used to verbally abuse him during the camp.
Former Crows Josh Jenkins and Bryce Gibbs also expressed their disappointment at the camp and how players were sworn to secrecy about what had occurred.
“We apologize to Eddie, Josh and any other player, coach or staff member, who had a negative experience during this time,” Olsen and Silvers wrote.
“It has been confronting to hear Eddie Betts and Josh Jenkins describe their experiences during the 2018 pre-season training camp on the Gold Coast, as well as the subsequent hurt they have carried.
“Equally we are sorry to hear Bryce Gibbs express his disappointment at the way in which the camp and events surrounding it were handled and its impact on the playing group, and we acknowledge there are others who may feel the same way.
“The most important thing we can do now is listen and offer our support.”
Olsen and Silvers said “moving on” as a club would be “difficult”.
“Everyone will do it in their own time and in their own way, and we sincerely hope that, with the passage of time, the healing process can take place,” they wrote.
“We are committed to emerging from this painful and challenging period and getting better.
“While we cannot rewrite history, we remain determined to learn from the past.”
The pair stressed that the club culture had shifted in the past few years, with changes to several leadership positions.
Then-coach Don Pyke, head of football Brett Burton, chairman Rob Chapman and chief executive Andrew Fagan have since left their roles.
The camp was held after Adelaide’s defeat to Richmond in the 2017 Grand Final.
Silvers and AFL boss Gillon McLachlan have apologized to Betts for the hurt caused by the camp amid a potential class action.
Betts’ biography further detailed misappropriate use of Aboriginal rituals while Jenkins claimed details about his upbringing were used against him during the camp, despite him explicitly requested it not be shared.
The AFL and SafeWork SA completed separated investigations and found no breaches to work safety laws.
However, the AFL Players’ Association is contacting all players from the 2018 camp to gain better understanding of the issues that were raised.
.