3 weeks ago
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The brother of star ruckman Brodie Grundy has missed out on winning a $70,000 car despite finishing on top of the AFL Fantasy competition because the league’s organisers discovered he was related to a current player.
Kyerin Grundy believed he would land first prize – a new Toyota Hilux – after outsmarting and outplaying more than 150,000 registered teams, including a late-season decision to trade his Sydney-based sibling into his side.
Sydney’s Brodie Grundy has been a big points winner for fantasy teams this year.Credit: AFL Photos
But his dreams were dashed on Monday when competition organisers called to say he was disqualified because he did not meet the AFL’s terms and conditions – which state immediate family members are not eligible to win any prizes.
A disappointed Grundy said he was led to believe he could land the car when he was invited to join the AFL’s official fantasy podcast earlier this month to explain the success of his team and chances of winning.
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One of the podcast’s hosts, Warnie, said to him during the interview: “Hopefully we can all go for a ride in the Hilux.”
The podcast was promoted on the AFL’s website. Grundy was also the subject of an article that appeared on the AFL website before it was later removed.
“They would have known I was going to win a prize of some sort and then no one said anything until the Monday (which) was disappointing,” Grundy told Seven.
“I think it went to their legal team, and they’ve then decided that under the immediate family rule, that I’m not eligible for the prizes, and that also, they were unaware of me being on The Traders podcast, and they took it down as soon as they realised.
“So they’ve just sort of totally just blown it off. I don’t even know if they’re going to still recognise me as the overall winner or if someone else is the overall winner.”
The AFL Fantasy organisers sent Grundy a follow-up email on Thursday to clarify their position.
A football source with knowledge of the rules of the competition who was not authorised to speak publicly said attempts were made to contact Grundy before the season was finished to tell him that he was ineligible, but they were unable to reach him.
An AFL spokesperson told this masthead that the eligibility rules were clearly stated in the AFL Fantasy’s terms and conditions which had to be agreed to by all competitors before they registered.
Those terms and conditions say: “Entry is open to all people; although employees of the promoter, the AFL, all AFL clubs and other agencies, firms or companies associated with this promotion, and their immediate families will not be eligible for prizes. Non-Australian entrants will not be eligible for prizes.”
Family cheers up Hughesy
Crunched comedian Dave Hughes is smiling and on the mend after suffering multiple broken ribs and a punctured lung in Thursday night’s Legends football match at Marvel Stadium.
A relieved-looking Hughes posted a picture from his Cabrini Hospital bed on Saturday morning with his wife, Holly, and two daughters while holding a takeaway coffee.
“Wife insisted on driving me to hospital 5am Friday morning – and here she is saving the day again with my daughters and a latte,” Hughes posted on his Instagram account.
Dave Hughes gets pushed over after kicking a goal in the Legends game.Credit: Seven
The picture also carried a caption, saying: “Great care here in the ICU, but even better when these three turned up with a latte.”
The 54-year-old Hughes came off second best after a series of clashes with ex-AFL players Andrew Embley, Dan Gorringe and Mitch Robinson.
Despite the knocks, Hughes played out Thursday night’s game and attended the post-match function, but his wife rushed him to hospital early the next morning when she realised he was not well.
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