Geelong midfielder Tanner Bruhn was secretly stood down by the AFL in 2025 as he faced sexual assault charges.
The 23-year-old saw the rape charges withdrawn earlier this week, with the AFL revealing they didn't allow Bruhn to play AFL in the season just gone.
However, the AFL were forced to not publicise the decision to stand down Bruhn with a court suppression order not allowing his name to be revealed in public.
Now that the suppression order has been removed after the sexual assault case collapsed, the AFL Players Association released a statement blasting the AFL for not allowing Bruhn to play.
MORE: Tanner Bruhn rape charges: Sexual assault allegations withdrawn against Geelong star
“Tanner was entitled to the presumption of innocence from the outset and throughout,” the Players’ Association statement said.
“It was clear to us that standing Tanner down would be premature and disproportionate.”
The AFL released the statement on Tuesday shortly after Bruhn's name hit the news regarding the rape case withdrawal.
“The AFL confirms that, following notification in early 2025 of several criminal charges being brought against Geelong Football Club player, Tanner Bruhn, that Mr Bruhn was stood down by the AFL from playing pending the hearing and determination of those charges,” the statement said.
“Mr Bruhn was stood down from playing at any level of Australian Football (including AFL and VFL), which remained in place until the charges were withdrawn, which formally occurred in court today.”
Tanner Bruhn's charges?
Bruhn was charged with five offences including:
- Oral rape
- Digital rape
- Sexual touching without consent
His co-accused Sinnott faced four charges including digital rape and sexual touching without consent.
Bruhn incident: what was known?
With the nature of the case and suppression order, there aren't many details about the alleged offences.
Bruhn and another man were questioned in late September, 2024 about knowledge of a sexual assault that occurred in Belmont, Geelong on February 5, 2023.
Neither Bruhn or the man were arrested after the interview and were free to leave.
In February, it was reported that two men - including an AFL footballer - had been charged with sexual assault offences.
A court suppression order was lifted on Sinnott's alleged offences with the Geelong media marketer having his name and picture exposed by the media.
However, the gag order stopping Bruhn's name from being revealed remained in place.