Former AFL participant Warren Tredrea has been ordered to pay $149,000 to cowl authorized prices that had been gathered by his ex-employer, Channel 9, throughout a part of the long-running courtroom battle between the events.
Early final 12 months, the previous Port Adelaide footballer lost an unfair dismissal case against Nine, the place he had labored as a sports activities presenter.
Tredrea claimed his contract was terminated as a result of he had not been vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19, however the Federal Court docket accepted 9’s counter-argument that his place was not going to be renewed due to his efficiency within the job.
Tredrea later misplaced the enchantment he filed in opposition to the courtroom’s resolution, and was subsequently ordered to reimburse the information community for its authorized charges throughout that point.
Nevertheless, Tredrea as an alternative stated he had “totally discharged his legal responsibility” to pay prices by presenting 9 “with a promissory word”.
The word — a written promise to pay a specified sum of cash — was not accepted by the community, which introduced the matter earlier than the courtroom once more.
On Friday, in a unanimous judgement, the courtroom dominated in favour of 9.
“Within the absence of any precise settlement by Channel 9 to just accept a promissory word made by Mr Tredrea, the supply of a promissory word made by him was not efficient to represent fee of the debt owed by the Tredrea events to Channel 9,”
the judgement said.
It stated there had been “no contractual settlement between the events” to resolve the prices and that “the supply of a promissory word made by Mr Tredrea was not efficient to discharge [his] legal responsibility”.
‘Legally meaningless’ statements
The judgement said that letters despatched to the 9’s authorized workforce had been “written in a mode, and utilizing language, that’s evidently designed to seem extremely technical and legalistic”.
Tredrea (proper) outdoors the Federal Court docket in 2023. (ABC Information)
“They’re in actuality incomprehensible and legally meaningless, however it’s evident that they purport to represent phrases of a contract,” it continued.
“The affidavit affirmed by Mr Tredrea on 26 Might 2025 comprises a preamble and introductory paragraphs that include numerous elaborate however legally meaningless expressions, or apparent and pointless averments like ‘I’m not useless’.
“All the submissions relied on by the Tredrea events are misconceived.
“The Promissory Word was not efficient as a way of discharging or decreasing the debt owed by the Tredrea events to Channel 9.”
The judgement ordered Tredrea to pay 9’s authorized prices for the enchantment, “mounted in a lump sum within the quantity of $149,000”.
The Port Adelaide Soccer Membership in the present day indicated its evaluate into Tredrea’s place on its board, which was sparked after one of his social media posts attracted criticism, is ongoing.
In a press release launched earlier this 12 months, the membership stated it was “dedicated to upholding the skilled requirements our members, companions, and the group count on and deserve”.
