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The AFL players’ union has slammed the league for “premature and disproportionate” action in standing down Geelong footballer Tanner Bruhn while he fought a rape charge, which was dropped on Tuesday.
The league revealed on Tuesday that it had stopped Bruhn from playing at any level after learning early in 2025 that he and a co-accused had been charged with several counts of sexual assault, which they denied.
Geelong’s Tanner Bruhn did not play a game this season.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
The charges were officially withdrawn in court on Tuesday. Nothing about Bruhn’s involvement, including the fact he had been stood down by the AFL, could previously be reported because of a suppression order that had been in place all year, which was lifted on Tuesday.
“Mr Bruhn was stood down from playing at any level of Australian football [including AFL and VFL], which remained in place until the charges were withdrawn, which formally occurred in court today,” the AFL said in a statement.
“Suppression orders preventing publication of any details in relation to this matter have previously prevented the AFL or any party making public comment.”
The AFL Players Association welcomed the withdrawal of the charges against Bruhn, and described the process as “long and flawed”.
“Tanner was entitled to the presumption of innocence from the outset and throughout. It was clear to us that standing Tanner down would be premature and disproportionate,” the AFLPA statement said.
“The collective bargaining agreement requires the AFL and AFLPA to resolve a code of conduct including proper processes and a sanctioning framework. This unfortunate set of circumstances is further evidence that such a framework is critical for the game.
“We remain committed to this work in the best interests of the players and Australian football. As there was a suppression order in place, the AFLPA was unable to make any comment on the matter before the conclusion of today’s proceedings.”
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An AFL spokesman said decisions on whether to stand down players facing criminal charges were made on a case-by-case basis.
He said Bruhn was stood down from playing because of the gravity of the multiple charges he faced, and the severity of the potential sentence had he been found guilty.
Unlike the NRL, the AFL does not have a “no fault stand-down” policy, under which players charged with offences that carry a maximum jail term of 11 years or more are automatically stood down, and discretion is used for other charges, including family violence offences.
Other AFL players who faced have criminal charges in recent years include former North Melbourne midfielder Tarryn Thomas, who was suspended for 18 matches for his alleged threatening behaviour towards women, and was sacked by the Kangaroos, and Collingwood’s Jordan
De Goey, who was allowed to continue playing after he was charged with indecent assault in 2020. Those charges were later withdrawn as the matter was set to be heard in court, with De Goey cleared and his legal costs paid by police.
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