Victoria Police are investigating a player from Australian Football League side Melbourne "over an alleged sexual assault that occurred in Bali in September." A Melbourne woman made the complaint to police. Melbourne informed the AFL's integrity unit of the allegation as soon as it "became aware of it" (THE AGE, 12/21). ... Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen non-exec Dir DUNCAN SKINNER is "facing a probe over claims he placed nearly 600 bets" across close to 1,500 matches -- including one against his own team. Skinner received a notice of complaint from the Scottish FA and is being investigated by Scottish football's governing body. He stands accused of "breaching football rules by placing 589 bets over the last three years" (SCOTSMAN, 12/21). ... Paraguay int'l JONATHAN FABBRO, who is wanted for "alleged sexual assault against an underage girl in Argentina," was detained in Mexico. He was considered a fugitive and an Interpol warrant for his detention had been issued (AP, 12/20). ... Australian ELLYSE PERRY was named women's cricketer of the year by the Int’l Cricket Council. The 27-year-old all-rounder won the ICC's inaugural RACHAEL HEYHOE FLINT Award, renamed in memory of the former England captain who died in January. Australian wicketkeeper BETH MOONEY “picked up both the T20 player of the year and emerging player of the year.” New Zealand's AMY SATTERTHWAITE was named ODI player of the year (BBC, 12/21). ... Premier League side Huddersfield Town defender MATHIAS JORGENSEN “is paying a little back to the fans this Christmas.” The Denmark int’l, who arrived from Copenhagen in the summer, “vowed to buy every Terriers fan a Christmas drink” as a reward for their "amazing" support (ESPN.com, 12/21).
The National Rugby League is set to ask Parramatta Eels player
JARRYD HAYNE "to explain his failure to disclose rape allegations against him" in the U.S. Hayne arrived in Tel Aviv on Thursday to "resume a religious holiday in Israel" and made contact with the Eels, the club he this month agreed to rejoin, "having been on a flight to the Holy Land when news emerged that a 25-year-old woman had launched a civil action against him in California" (
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 12/21).
