Gold Coast Suns coach Damien Hardwick says Mark Opie will continue duties despite AFL probe

Gold Coast Suns coach Damien Hardwick says team manager Mark Opie will continue his match-day duties despite being investigated by the AFL integrity unit over his links to a bookmaking firm.

Opie is being investigated after a complaint was lodged about his links to bookmaker Okebet, which Opie is listed as the operator of.

In 2024, Okebet was fined $100,000 by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) for reportedly inducing members and supporters of local sporting clubs to open betting accounts.

Opie is a life member at Richmond after working at the Tigers for more than 20 years, before being recruited to the Suns in 2024.

Opie was part of the Suns' match day in Darwin last Saturday, as the Suns defeated St Kilda by 29 points.

Speaking to the media in Darwin on Thursday ahead of Friday night's clash with Port Adelaide, Hardwick said Opie would continue in his role with the team.

"As far as we're concerned, he'll be doing his role on the weekend," Hardwick said.

"At the end of the day, he's there to perform a role and he does that role with our football club.

"Conflicts of interest within AFL circles are prevalent everywhere, as we're seeing at the moment. So that will get dealt with in due course."

Pressed on whether it was a good look for the Suns not to stand down Opie during the investigation, Hardwick said that was a matter for the club's administration.

"I'm here to talk about the game and what it means to the Northern Territory people," he said.

"If you want to take it down that path, talk to the CEO that controls the business aspect of the game."

Alliance for Gambling Reform spokesperson Mark Kempster said he was disappointed the AFL had not addressed the issue.

"I don't really understand how the AFL could tick something off like this, given the integrity issues that could come from having these two roles and holding them at the same time," he said.

"So, it's really shocking to me that the AFL haven't stepped in and done something about this."

The relationship between AFL figures and bookmakers has become a major issue for the league this season.

The issue was thrust into the spotlight after AFL umpire Nick Foot reported Port Adelaide's Zak Butter asked him, "How much are they paying you?" during a round five clash with St Kilda at Adelaide Oval.

Foot's role in Sportsbet's racing coverage attracted significant attention.

Butters was initially fined before having the sanction overturned on appeal, while Foot ended his employment with Sportsbet after the bookmaker announced it would no longer use AFL umpires in its coverage.

Former Port Adelaide premiership player Kane Cornes stepped down from the AFL All-Australian selection panel to continue his partnership with Sportsbet.

Kempster said the AFL needed to "have an absolute clear rule on people's roles" in the game.

"If you work for a gambling company, you shouldn't be having a role in football," he said.

When asked on Monday about the probe into Opie, AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said the league was working with the Suns.

"What I can say is the integrity unit's aware of it and that we're liaising with the Gold Coast Suns in relation to that, and there'll be more to say on that later," Dillon said as reported by the Guardian.

Asked whether he thought it was a good look for the league that Opie was still part of the Suns' match day staff, Dillon said: "We’ll have more to say on that later."

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