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Saturday July 31, 2010

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Hinch: What's Geelong mixed up in?

Posted by: Derryn Hinch | 11 February, 2010 - 5:12 PM
Derryn Hinch brings certain information to light

They say if you don't learn from history then it will repeat itself. And I just wonder if Frank Costa and his team at Geelong have learned from that as they bask in the glory of their second Premiership in three years.

There was a club called West Coast which tasted the glory of a Grand Final win in 2006 – their third – and haven't done anything since. Mainly because the club was driven by drugs and booze and player insubordination all loosely lumped under the umbrella called 'The Ben Cousins Affair'.

All the rumours weren't true but they swirled and grew and West Coast is still struggling to get the tarnish of their trophies.

Can the same happen to Geelong? Championship player Matthew Stokes has been charged with possessing and trafficking cocaine. The club, and indicatively the players' group, have moved quickly to quarantine him with a toughness not shown by the Eagles.

So maybe they have learned from history. Maybe not.

Not much can or should be said about Stokes because he has not had his day in court but it is interesting that none of his mates, that he was reportedly buying the cocaine for, has come forward to bail him out.

But there are other questions festering at Geelong.

Stokes and team mate James Kelly are the new co-owners of a Geelong café called the Maddison Lounge. Another owner is Jason Marko. Could this be the same Jason Marko - formerly known as Jason Condidorio?

A man who has been jailed for drug offences?

A former bankrupt and con artist who was jailed for operating an elaborate hydroponic cannibis factory. Also  was jailed for fraud.

A man whom a magistrate once said had a 'world view that says it's OK to scam people'.

Is this the sort of company that Geelong wants its players to keep?

They do it better in American Football. I remember when the New York Jets' playboy quarterback Joe Namath, nicknamed Broadway Joe, owned a bar in Manhattan.

The football bosses forced him to sell it. Why? Because of undesirable patrons with possible mob connections who may have been there trying to get club info about injuries etcetera for illegal betting odds.

Imagine those rules being enforced at West Coast? Or maybe even Geelong?

BT has issues with Geelong

Mathew Stokes UPDATE: Sports Today's Brian Taylor and Gerard Healy believe Geelong is doing the wrong thing by going silent after handing its various penalties to Mathew Stokes, who is facing cocaine-related charges. Read and hear more.

Blog comments Your Say

  • mathew was tested on the wendsday of the week the story came out , we will only find out the results if there negative ,when and if the results come out who knowa

    clinton Saturday 13 February, 2010 - 4:28 PM

  • He has been tested. No news on results.

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/mathew-stokes-banned-until-round-eight/story-e6frg7mf-1225828045788

    An Saturday 13 February, 2010 - 11:44 AM

  • Am I on a different planet? I actually thought Geelong were handling this very well. I'm not sure what else people expect them to do.

    Jan Friday 12 February, 2010 - 1:35 PM

  • why haven't AFL or Geelong FC drug tested Stokes as of yet?

    mc Friday 12 February, 2010 - 5:54 AM

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