In a tumultuous week for the AFL, two senior executives have resigned from their roles over relationships with younger women in the industry.
As News Corp reports, Football Operations boss Simon Lethlean and General Manager of Commercial Richard Simkiss both quit their positions after they had “inappropriate relationships with two younger women who work in the AFL industry”, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said.
The scandal was discussed on The Project on Monday night, with the Channel 10 hosts questioning whether a relationship between two consenting adults at work should ever be “your bosses’ business”.
Steve Price argued the executives’s resignation was a “very harsh penalty” considering the relationships were consensual. But Gorgi Coghlan asserted the AFL had made the right decision.
“I applaud this decision, I think the AFL made the right call here. I am concerned about the abuse of power, and I’d have the same opinion if it was a female who had the powerful position and she had a relationship with a really young male,” she argued.
“For me, it’s about that abuse of power. When they are trying to conduct themselves with values along respecting women and women having equal rights I think Gillon McLachlan made the right call.”
Viewers were quick to weigh in on Twitter about the allegations and how they reflect upon the league.
The AFL, no stranger to sex scandals or accusations of sexism, was rocked by further allegations on the weekend.
Nine News reports that AFL employees had reportedly compiled a list of the sexiest women working within the organisation.
