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HARLEY Bennell has been feted for his on-field skill, but that reputation is now under threat from his off-field performance.

Photos have emerged of the Gold Coast Suns young gun racking up five lines of white powder — said to be speed — on a hotel desk.

They show him holding a rolled-up “lobster” (a $20 banknote), used to snort up lines of illegal drugs.

Dressed in a black V-neck T-shirt, he hunches over the hotel room table, before passing the banknote to a woman.

Witnesses said those present, including two women — one a worker from a local strip club — were all quite drunk.

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The photos were taken shortly before the round one game.




Bennell was the Gold Coast Suns pick No.2 in the 2010 draft and is widely seen as a great talent.

But his short career has also been dogged with controversy.

“He’s an elite talent, but he’s also an elite party animal,” one source told the Herald Sun.

“There have been well-known whispers about his drug use for some time.”

He was fined $3000 and given a spent conviction over a New Year’s Eve 2013 brawl that led to charges of disorderly behaviour and possessing an article — a pool ball — with intent.

In March last year he was fined $860 for driving offences on his way home from training.

In May this year, he was one of three players dropped from the Suns for breaking club rules about drinking alcohol.




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Harley Bennell sits at a table with five lines of white powder.




AFL head of corporate affairs Elizabeth Lukin said last night: “The AFL was made aware of the photographs (Wednesday) and have spoken with the club and representatives of the player.

“The AFL is very mindful of the health and welfare of the player involved, and will work closely with the club to manage this issue.”

“The AFL CEO, Gillon McLachlan said at the beginning of 2015 that the illicit drugs policy needed to be reviewed ... and that there was increasing industry evidence that the policy needed changes to make it more effective,” she said.

“The AFL is working with the Players Association and the Clubs to make changes to strengthen the policy.”




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Witnesses said a worker from a strip club was among a group of women in the hotel room.

Gold Coast Suns deny drug culture

He was left out of his side’s last pre-season game against Melbourne on March 16, and had the next week off before the season start, which is when he travelled to Tasmania.

Bennell made his AFL debut in round two of 2011, but was dropped for disciplinary reasons after the third-round clash. He returned in round five, only to be dropped again two weeks later.

He eventually returned from the reserves in round 11 against West Coast Eagles in Perth, his home city.

Bennell stayed longer in Perth than allowed by the club and missed a compulsory training session.




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Karmichael Hunt and Harley Bennell at the Gold Coast Best and Fairest count.


Mitch Hallahan says the Gold Coast Suns have changed

He was again dropped to the reserves, returning in round 15. But the team’s leadership group would not allow him to play.

He went on to finish the season with 14 goals from 14 games.

In 2012, he played every round and scored 25 goals, finishing second behind Gary Ablett Jr in the club’s best and fairest awards.

Bennell’s former housemate, Karmichael Hunt, was revealed this week to have told police that seven Suns players used significant quantities of cocaine at a party in a Gold Coast apartment in August last year — 17 months after these pictures were taken.

The Herald Sun has been told the photos were taken just after 3am at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Launceston in March 2013.

Bennell is one of the “dirty dozen” Suns players Hunt named to police.




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The pick No.2 in the 2010 draft.



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Harley Bennell in action for the Suns. Picture: Michael Klein


Hunt alleges the August celebration spilt over into a Mad Monday club lunch, and a week later five more players joined the seven on a four-day golf trip on which bags of cocaine were brought and consumed.

A crisis meeting was held at the club on Monday, during which players were urged to come forward if they were involved in the drug scandal.

“It is extremely disappointing to have a number of players named and allegedly involved in these activities,” Mr Travis told the Herald Sun following the meeting.

“Our club must face up to the issues, and we must demand higher standards of all at the club.”

The AFL said its own integrity unit would help the club interview players about any cocaine use and their association with Hunt.

On Wednesday night the Crime and Corruption Commission said its investigation is “focused on individuals who are alleged either to be involved in the south east Queensland syndicate or to have sourced illicit drugs from the syndicate.”

Its statement read: “While a range of information and allegations have been raised during the course of the investigation, the CCC does not have sufficient evidence to warrant further criminal charges against any player from the AFL, NRL or ARU.

“However, consistent with any law enforcement investigation, if new information comes to hand relevant to the CCC’s investigation, further charges may be considered.

“There are currently a number of matters before the courts resulting from this investigation.

“The courts are the appropriate and proper place for allegations and evidence to be presented and tested.”

The statement continued: “The CCC appreciates that the Gold Coast Suns are progressing their own internal processes but given that there are related matters before the courts, the CCC has advised the Suns (Wednesday) that it is unable to assist with any request for operational information.

“The CCC’s investigation continues, and it will therefore make no further comment at this time.”
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Gutted for Suns supporters, the club can't take a trick at the moment... only speed.
But seriously hope they can get their house in order and bounce back on the field as well, apparently they're facing an exodus on a similar scale to GH5 as well.. Not good.
 
snooplions said:
Gutted for Suns supporters, the club can't take a trick at the moment... only speed.
But seriously hope they can get their house in order and bounce back on the field as well, apparently they're facing an exodus on a similar scale to GH5 as well.. Not good.
Click to expand...
Wouldnt be surprised if Bennel left, but tbh, l can't see the Eagles taking him. How damaging could he be to their culture.
 

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snooplions said:
Gutted for Suns supporters, the club can't take a trick at the moment... only speed.
But seriously hope they can get their house in order and bounce back on the field as well, apparently they're facing an exodus on a similar scale to GH5 as well.. Not good.
Click to expand...

Apparently he took a trick back to the Hotel too.
 
Apparently Goose Maguire will be on Triple J's 'Hacked' this afternoon discussing head injuries. I normally hate the show, but will be interesting to hear what he has to say.
 
Really neat website where you can see all of the tweets made by the AFL/teams including the Lions, for those that follow on social media. I don't think you require a twitter account either.
 
Thanks heaps Elixuh........followed Afl players for a real long time and enjoyed their tweets, then one day the list was gone.....Have only followed our boys since..

I got onto that link easily, no probs at all:thumbsu:..

..didn't need an account thank goodness, wouldn't know how:$
 
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