Goodwin Admits He Is Gambling Addict

The Age

Friday March 2, 2007

Samantha Lane and Ashley Porter

SHORTLY after the AFL announced that the next player caught betting on football would be suspended and possibly deregistered, Adelaide's Simon Goodwin - the player punished most harshly for his punting - identified himself as a gambling addict.

After Goodwin was fined $20,000 by the AFL, and issued with a $20,000 suspended sanction, the Crows announced they had appointed someone to manage the financial affairs of their 30-year-old vice-captain, who is also a four-time All-Australian player and three-time club best and fairest.

The AFL learnt last November that, during the 2006 season, Goodwin had laid four bets on football matches totalling $16,024.58. However, the player said yesterday that a friend had used his telephone account to lay two of those bets, which totalled $12,000.

After two weeks of deliberation, the league fined Goodwin four times the amount of Melbourne's Daniel Ward, despite the fact that the Demon - whose gambling problems are widely known - laid more than four times the number of bets than his Adelaide counterpart.

Ward made 18 wagers on football totalling $3705 last year. He was fined $5000 by the AFL yesterday, with a $5000 suspended fine that would be invoked only if he re-offended or failed to attend counselling.

Kangaroo David Hale was given a suspended $5000 fine for placing four bets totalling $100, while Sydney rookie Kieren Jack was ordered to see a counsellor for placing two bets totalling $10.

Goodwin read a statement in Adelaide soon after the sanctions were announced.

"I sought help 12 months ago on my own but did not go through with it," he said. "I now have the support of my family, my teammates, the club and my management and I am determined to get on top of it and get it out of my life. I gambled knowing that it was wrong and it was against the rules."

Goodwin did not answer questions, but Adelaide said yesterday it was shocked by the extent of its star player's problem.

"The investigation brought this to a head, and the depth of understanding for me personally was quite startling," Crows chief executive Steven Trigg said.

Goodwin has confronted his teammates on the issue of whether he should remain in the Crows' leadership group, with coach Neil Craig saying Goodwin had asked his teammates whether they still trusted him. After the players unanimously said "yes", they asked him whether he trusted himself.

Goodwin is a co-licensee of an Adelaide hotel with Crows captain Mark Ricciuto. The pair also shares other interests, including a financial advisory business.

None of the four players were punished further by their clubs.

"The publicity, the odium, the fine, the suspended penalty, the risk his career might be over if he transgresses again is enough to put pressure on him to say, 'If I don't break this now, I'll never break it'," Melbourne chief executive Steve Harris said of Ward.

"He sees this as an opportunity to say, 'I have to deal with this once and for all'."

The fines will be donated to support services for problem gamblers.

Adrian Anderson, the AFL's football operations manager, inferred that by deciding not to suspend Goodwin and Ward, the league had been lenient on the first players to breach the gambling code.

"If there's any hint and we find out of any threats to the integrity of the competition, then a player could even be deregistered completely," Anderson said.

He said that even a $5 bet laid by a player on football in the future would result in suspension.

"Players and officials have been put on notice - gamble on AFL football and you will face suspension.

"Players should be aware that however you're thinking about doing it, whether it's a middle man, your wife, whatever - don't bet on the football because you will be caught."

Goodwin, Anderson said, deserved the heaviest punishment. "The amount bet by Goodwin is more than four times as much as the amount bet by Ward. The second factor is the relative financial situations of the two players . . . one player earns significantly more than the other."

Ward's offer to volunteer 100 hours of community service to a child protection charity, Berry Street, also was regarded favourably.

The AFL launched an investigation into player gambling after Betfair, with whom it has a commercial relationship, advised it last November that Goodwin had placed bets on football games. In February, the AFL requested that Tabcorp, another of its commercial partners, audit accounts held by AFL players.

Anderson said there was no evidence that the players had bet against their own teams. -- With AAP

THE GAMBLING RAP SHEET

SIMON GOODWIN (Adelaide)

OFFENCE

Four bets totalling $16,024.58

PUNISHMENT

$40,000 fine, $20,000 suspended. Compulsory counselling for as long as deemed necessary.

DANIEL WARD (Melbourne)

OFFENCE

18 bets totalling $3705. All multi-bets with at least one leg involving an AFL match. Two bets included Melbourne to win.

PUNISHMENT

$10,000 fine, $5000 suspended. Compulsory continued counselling for as long as deemed necessary. 100 hours community work with Berry Street, volunteered by Ward.

DAVID HALE (Kangaroos)

OFFENCE

Four bets totalling $100

PUNISHMENT

$5000 suspended fine. Visit counsellor to assess if any further education or counselling needed.

KIEREN JACK (Sydney)

OFFENCE

Two bets totalling $10

PUNISHMENT

Reprimand. Visit counsellor to assess if any further education or counselling needed.

EDITED EXTRACT OF SIMON GOODWIN'S STATEMENT

You all know what I did. The fact is, I've gambled most of my life on horses and late last season I had two bets on AFL matches. I did not bet against Adelaide or in matches that involved my club. Nor did I bet using inside information or knowledge, and no other player was involved. The bets I had were with a friend who is not an associate of the club.

However, I gambled knowing that it was wrong and was against the rules. I'm embarrassed and have also embarrassed my family, my teammates and my club by betting on AFL games. I?m sorry to them, and the members and supporters of our club.

Another fact is, is that I have a gambling issue ... The positive thing to come out of this episode is the fact that it has made me accept that I have an issue with gambling and need to take steps to address it. I've sought help on my own, but did not go through with it ... I'm determined to get on top of it and get it out of my life.

© 2007 The Age

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