http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-01-31/pies-sack-recruiter
COLLINGWOOD has sacked a recruiting consultant after discovering draft and list management information had been passed on to arch rival Essendon in the lead-up to the 2013 NAB AFL Draft.
Long-time recruiter Noel Judkins, who made his name at Essendon in the 1990s before joining Collingwood in 1997, was dismissed after allegedly exchanging confidential information with Bombers recruiting manager Adrian Dodoro.
Collingwood's IT department is understood to have made the discovery late last season as emails were being exchanged between the two parties.
The Magpies alerted Essendon's executive and it is understood the Bombers dealt with the matter internally.
Dodoro is believed to be the only employee at the club who received the information Judkins supplied.
An Essendon spokesman told AFL.com.au, "The club has investigated the facts relating to this matter. As a result, we spoke to the relevant people involved, including the Collingwood Football Club, and determined that no further action was required."
When AFL.com.au contacted Judkins he denied providing sensitive information to the Bombers, but sources have told AFL.com.au that Collingwood believed the information to be critical to its list management.
Judkins told AFL.com.au that Dodoro had approached him to return to Essendon and the only email correspondence they had related to the Bombers' list needs.
"All I know is that Adrian approached me to go back (to Essendon)," Judkins said.
"I emailed him quite a few times but there was nothing to do with Collingwood's (draft) strategies or anything.
"I just made comments about Essendon's list as you would if you were going for a job."
Judkins said he had recently accepted a role at Essendon, but had yet to officially start work with the Bombers.
It is not unusual for clubs to employ several part-time and full-time staff in its recruiting department who have access to sensitive information.
The exchange of confidential information is often banned under their workplace agreements.
Collingwood had picks No. 6, 10, 65 and 77 in the NAB AFL Draft after trading pick 44 for Sydney Swans' Jesse White and exchanging a number of selections with West Coast.
The Magpies refused to comment when contacted by AFL.com.au.
Essendon had picks 26 and 55 in the November draft, trading its way back up the draft after being banned from the first two rounds because of the scandal over its supplements program in 2012.
The club was fined $2 million and thrown out of the 2013 finals, senior coach James Hird and football manager Danny Corcoran were suspended, and then senior assistant coach Mark Thompson was fined over the supplements saga.
It traded Stewart Crameri to the Western Bulldogs for pick No. 26 and Scott Gumbleton to Fremantle for pick No. 55.
In November, just days before the draft, new coach Thompson pledged that Essendon would work hard in 2014 to restore trust within the football industry.
"We're going to try and just do things right. We're not putting expectations [on our performance] or limitations either, we're going to try to be the best we can be, and more importantly, we're going to try to do things right," he said.
In December 2013, Essendon was fined $20,000 – with $10,000 suspended for 12 months – for breaching AFL player rules in relation to unlisted players training at the club before the NAB AFL Rookie Draft in November.
