Another serious off-field drama has hit St Kilda, with the AFL club announcing they have sacked veteran defender Jason Gram.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the Saints said Gram had failed to honour repeated undertakings to the club concerning his behaviour.
St Kilda said it had been working with Gram for several months in an attempt to ensure his behaviour appropriately reflected the club’s values.
On September 6, the club imposed an indefinite suspension on Gram and helped with his participation in an AFL Players Association counselling program.
“Regrettably, the inappropriate behaviour has continued and his manager was advised yesterday that the club had decided to terminate Gram’s contract, which had one year to run,” the statement said.
The Saints added Gram was told of his sacking in a meeting with club officials on Tuesday afternoon.
An AFL spokesman said the Saints had kept the league fully informed of the situation over the last two months.
After playing two games for Brisbane in 2003, Gram was traded to St Kilda and he played another 154 senior games there.
The long-kicking half back finished second in their 2006 best and fairest count and was a member of their losing grand final sides in 2009-10.
Gram’s September 6 suspension came less than a week after he was high among the best players for St Kilda in their season-ending win over Carlton at Etihad Stadium.
He played 17 senior games this year.
His sacking abruptly ends a period of off-field calm for the Saints, who had to cope with a succession of controversies through 2009-11.
They sacked onballer Andrew Lovett in late 2009, only weeks after he was traded from Essendon.
Lovett did not play a game for the Saints.
He was found not guilty of rape in July last year.
In December 2010, the club became embroiled in the so-called “St Kilda schoolgirl” scandal when naked and semi-naked photos of Saints players were posted online.
Two months later, four players misbehaved during a pre-season training camp in New Zealand.
The quartet broke a team curfew and were caught drinking and taking prescription drugs.
All four players were suspended for six weeks and fined $5000.