Garlett charged with affray over night out
Carlton player Jeff Garlett has been charged with affray and will not travel with the side to Adelaide for Friday’s round-22 clash with Port Adelaide.
Garlett’s charge is in relation to an incident early on Sunday August 3.
The forward is set to appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in November, the Blues announced on Wednesday night.
“Garlett and the club have cooperated with police throughout the investigation and Carlton will continue to offer Garlett support throughout this time,” Carlton said in a statement.
Earlier on Wednesday, Carlton coach Mick Malthouse had said Garlett was in the mix for a possible recall to the senior side.
Malthouse spoke in glowing terms of how the 13th-placed Blues were making progress in terms of on-field leadership and culture.
But he said Garlett and teammate Mitch Robinson would have some work to do in that area, following their early-morning incident in the city on August 3.
The two players were involved in a brawl and both then lied about Robinson’s involvement in the incident.
Carlton fined Robinson $5,000 and the midfielder was ruled out for the rest of the season with a fractured eye socket suffered in the brawl.
The Blues handed Garlett a $2,500 fine and he was ruled out of senior contention for round 20 against Gold Coast and was unable to gain a recall for last week’s clash with Geelong.
Neither player is contracted for 2015.
“Clearly, they’ve mucked up in that culture-come-discipline area,” Malthouse told reporters at the YMCA’s Bridge Project breakfast.
“They can’t just say, ‘Oh look, we’re sorry’ and no action is taken.
“I would say that those two young blokes feel that there’s a dye been set and they’ve got to now join in with what the rest of the players are doing.
“It’s not going to be easy. It’s not an easy task to be out there and then to have to come back in.
“The players are very forgiving. But I don’t think they’re going to lower their standard.
“They want those two young men to actually come into that standard and rise with it, not be outside it.”
Garlett kicked 43 goals in 2013 but has struggled this season, booting 12 majors in nine games.
Malthouse says he has seen fantastic growth in the club’s mental strength during the season.
“There is a non-acceptance now of mediocrity, in performance and in attitude and in culture,” Malthouse said.