Rival clubs have reportedly flagged the recent employment of Damien Hardwick’s partner at the Gold Coast Suns, as they seek clarity from the AFL’s integrity department over her hiring.
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Alexandra Crow has begun her role as a consultant on the club’s consumer and commercial strategy projects, with AFL Media’s Damian Barrett reporting that clubs are now probing the league on whether her wage is included in the club’s soft cap.
Restrictions on football department spending have tightened in recent times, and has played a part in the questions posed to the league on Crow’s hiring.
Each club this season has a soft cap of $7.7 million, with 20 per cent of a senior coach’s salary permitted to be paid outside the cap.
Suns chief executive Mark Evans told Barrett that he ‘knows the role and the size of the role,’ and that he is ‘certain’ the AFL nor club will have any qualms on the role.
Crow previously worked with Hardwick at Richmond during his reign as a three-time premiership coach.
Hardwick is now entering his second season as head coach of the Suns, leading the charge to help them reach their maiden AFL finals series.
The Suns will play their sole pre-season match this Friday night against Sydney, with their first home-and-away match against Essendon the weekend after during Opening Round.
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