Geelong captain Joel Selwood could have cost his club its long-term relationship with the Transport Accident Commission. The TAC has indicated it could make the tough call following an undertaking delivered two years ago by Cats chief executive Brian Cook after Selwood's teammate Billie Smedts filmed himself driving on a GoPro.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Cook, according to the TAC, said in January 2014 that the club would walk away from the partnership if another Geelong player or official transgressed on the road. The CEO could not be contacted.
Selwood, who has had his licence suspended for a month for a speeding indiscretion last week, represented the club to the TAC two years ago on Smedts' behalf, along with Cook.
The TAC has strongly aired its disappointment to club management last week and the two parties will talk again on Monday, when Cook returns from a short overseas break.
It has also emerged that the Cats have not yet sealed a deal with the TAC for 2017 although the two parties had been in talks to extend its contract for a further season in a six-figure-a-year partnership that was to have entered its 12th year.
The Cats revealed one week ago that their skipper had been caught in rural Victoria travelling at 27 kilometres over the limit. He has not yet been disciplined by the club but a punishment has not been ruled out. He will front his leadership group over the coming days with Geelong still undecided as to how it will handle any action against the star midfielder.
Selwood is the latest in a long line of AFL players to have threatened his club's TAC partnership. In 2005 the commission severed its ties with Richmond after 16 years as a key sponsor when former Tiger Jay Schulz was caught driving over the limit in an incident that followed a previous indiscretion by Royce Vardy.
A long-term Collingwood major sponsor for some years, the TAC also withdrew from the Magpies in 2008 after Sharrod Wellingham was caught drink driving. The Wellingham incident followed separate indiscretions by other former teammates Chris Tarrant, Cameron Cloke and Chad Morrison.
Former Hawthorn captain Luke Hodge was picked up drink driving on the eve of the 2015 finals and was fined by his club but not suspended.
