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THE AFL is investigating whether Essendon breached league rules for allowing rookie draft candidates train with the club ahead of yesterday's draft.
The Bombers face more scrutiny from the AFL - and potentially more fines - after allegations up to 12 players may have trained with the club ahead of the rookie draft.
Under the competition rules, all clubs must notify the AFL when any unlisted players train with them, from which the league sends out regular permission-to-train lists.
An AFL spokesman today confirmed the investigation was underway to ascertain whether multiple players - some who were subsequently picked up by rival clubs - had been training with the Bombers without permission.
"Yes, we are aware of it, and we are following it up," the AFL spokesman said.
If proven, there could be a financial sanction applied to Essendon of potentially up to $4000 per player.
The investigation comes only three months after the AFL handed out the biggest penalty in the game's history to Essendon for its governance failures during the sports supplements scandal.
In late August the AFL booted the Bombers out of the finals, handed the club a $2 million fine and imposed draft penalties as well following a protracted investigation into the club's controversial supplements program.
The Bombers face more scrutiny from the AFL - and potentially more fines - after allegations up to 12 players may have trained with the club ahead of the rookie draft.
Under the competition rules, all clubs must notify the AFL when any unlisted players train with them, from which the league sends out regular permission-to-train lists.
An AFL spokesman today confirmed the investigation was underway to ascertain whether multiple players - some who were subsequently picked up by rival clubs - had been training with the Bombers without permission.
"Yes, we are aware of it, and we are following it up," the AFL spokesman said.
If proven, there could be a financial sanction applied to Essendon of potentially up to $4000 per player.
The investigation comes only three months after the AFL handed out the biggest penalty in the game's history to Essendon for its governance failures during the sports supplements scandal.
In late August the AFL booted the Bombers out of the finals, handed the club a $2 million fine and imposed draft penalties as well following a protracted investigation into the club's controversial supplements program.
The AFL could run its equalisation fund purely off the fines it hands out to Windy hill.
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