Port Adelaide chairman David Koch says Essendon should foot the bill for payments for suspended players Angus Monfries and Paddy Ryder.
“In terms of player payments we believe – and the other three clubs also believe – that Essendon is responsible for the payment of the players,” Koch said on FIVEAA.
Monfries and Ryder were both part of Essendon’s discredited 2012 supplement’s program before each was recruited to Port Adelaide.
Koch said the club had lured Monfries before the Essendon saga blew up and the Power were “innocent victims”.
Angus Monfries and Paddy Ryder | Image | Port Adelaide
“Paddy came to us after everything blew up, but we were assured by Essendon and the AFL that the players were innocent victims,” he said.
“Even the AFL tribunal found that they were innocent victims.”
“We made our decision on Paddy using the best available information from Essendon, from the AFL and indeed the media claimed they were innocent victims as well, and we based our judgement on that.
“As it turns out, that information was wrong.”
LISTEN to Port Adelaide chairman David Koch here.
Speaking on FIVEAA, Graham Cornes agreed the responsibility for paying the suspended players wasn’t Port Adelaide’s.
“If one of those players tested positive at your club they would be suspended and you wouldn’t have to pay them,” Cornesy said.
“So if the AFL’s agreed that they should be paid – and I think they should be paid – the AFL has to be responsible for it, not Port Adelaide surely.”
Kochie also said Port Adelaide were expecting an answer from the AFL this week regarding a submission to recruit top up players.
“That’s been with them for a week or two now. They’re assessing that.
“I’ve been assured we will get a decision on that on Tuesday or Wednesday,” Koch said. “That will be great. That can’t come soon enough.”
