Adelaide Crows players could potentially explore the option of a class action lawsuit following the explosive accounts made by club legend Eddie Betts.
According to lawyer Greg Griffin, the club’s controversial pre-season camp in 2018 has left a “definite interest” in litigation from some of the players involved.
“The recent days have not diminished interest from a range of players,” Griffin told The Age in regards to pursuing legal action.
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“I’ve spoken to a number of players over the past 24 hours. I think the release of Eddie’s book has intensified the feelings that players who attended the camp had.”
Betts addressed the camp in his autobiography, The Boy from Boomerang Crescent, which was released on Wednesday, saying it resulted in him feeling “like a piece of me was brainwashed”.
Betts speaks out after explosive claims
The indigenous AFL icon touched on a disturbing initiation exercise which he said saw the camp instructors hurling verbal abuse at him as he attempted to free himself from a body harness using a nearby knife.
Despite the claims, the AFL said earlier this week that it would not re-open investigations into the incident.
A SafeWork SA investigation in 2021 cleared the club of breaching health and safety laws, while an AFL investigation in 2018 determined the Crows had not breached any rules.
On Wednesday, Adelaide chief executive Tim Silvers apologised on behalf of the club to Betts and any other players that endured an unpleasant experience.
“Anyone who leaves our club that doesn’t have a positive experience, we’re sorry,” he told reporters.
“I think we can move forward, but we’d like to say sorry to Eddie and anyone else that had a negative experience throughout the camp.”
Betts said he had remorse for the players who remained at the club.
Crows apologise to Betts after explosive claims
“You’re in an organisation where you want to play footy, you love your teammates, you care about your teammates, and you don’t want to bring the place down,” he said.
“Every time the camp was brought up it felt like the place was crumbling in. A part of me feels sick for doing this because my mates and my friends are at the Adelaide Football Club right now and they have to go and deal with this being out there again.
“But (the message) for me to tell them is this is the truth that is coming out and you can finally move forward and understand what happened.”
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