The following statement is attributed to the Agent Accreditation Board in relation to the conduct of RCM Sport, Elevation Sports Agency and TLA Worldwide:

RCM Sport

Accredited Agent company RCM Sport has been sanctioned $10,000 by the AAB as a result of the AFLPA Agent Audit for 2022/23. The annual audit assesses individual Agent compliance with the Regulations and is conducted by the AFLPA in conjunction with external auditors. 

The financial sanction will be attributed to further annual auditing of RCM Sport accounts, with RCM Sport to participate in targeted auditing for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 accreditation years. RCM Sport was also required to provide further internal auditing retrospectively.  

The findings of RCM Sport’s audit identified breaches of the Regulations. Overall the results of the RCM Sport audit showed the Regulations had been misunderstood in the setup and day-to-day handling of accounts.

The AAB & AFLPA noted RCM Sport has resolved the issues identified in the 2022/23 audit, and will continue to assess ongoing Agent Regulations compliance through future auditing.

Elevation Sports Agency (ESA)

ESA has been found to have breached Regulations, relating to conduct when approaching prospective players, in August 2023.

The AAB found that ESA had made approaches to Talent Pathway Players outside of the approved Approaching Players process outlined within the Regulations. The process outlined under the Regulations prohibits an Accredited Agent or Associate (non-accredited employee) from contacting a player or their family without having submitted a written letter of introduction via the AFLPA Agent Portal or the Player’s Talent Pathway Club. The AFLPA has established an Approaching Players Portal to provide appropriate processes and to enable prospective players and their families to control when and how they are approached; it is essential that all Accredited Agents respect that process.

As a result, ESA has been issued with a $6,000 financial sanction, with 50% of the financial sanction being suspended for a 24-month period.

In electing to suspend a portion of the sanctions, the AAB considered that ESA has taken responsibility for the conduct, has co-operated fully with the AFLPA investigation, and has committed to following the proper processes in future. The AAB also considered that while ESA’s conduct in both instances constituted a breach of the Regulations, this was at least partially due to a lack of care in following process, rather than a deliberate ignoring of the wishes of a prospective player and/or their family.

The payable portion of the financial sanction will be donated to ESA’s player’s charities: Breast Cancer Network Australia, Dolly’s Dream and White Ribbon Australia.

TLA

TLA has been found to have breached Regulations relating to the provision of inducements to prospective players before signing with an Accredited Agent. 

TLA was previously subject to a formal warning which carried a wholly suspended (for a period of 24 months) $1,500 financial sanction in July 2022. With further conduct in April 2023, that suspended sanction has been enlivened. As such, the $1,500 financial sanction from the 2022 breach has now been imposed, with an additional $1,500 financial sanction handed down in relation to the April 2023 conduct, bringing the total financial value of the sanction to $3,000.

The AAB found that TLA had provided AFL match tickets to Talent Pathway Players on these two occasions. Those Talent Pathway Players were above the age of approach, but not of an age where they were able to sign with an Accredited Agent. The Agent Regulations prohibit an Accredited Agent from providing goods, benefits or any items of value to a player or member of a player’s family, in return for, or in anticipation of, the player signing with the Agent or company. 

The AAB noted that TLA had followed the correct process under the Regulations when making approaches to the players and their families. It was also noted that TLA and the Agents involved had taken full responsibility for the breaches, has committed to improved conduct in future and has cooperated with the AAB’s enquiries. 

The fully payable financial sanction will be donated to TLA’s chosen charity partner: Clontarf Foundation.