FOOTBALL
By LIAM DURKIN
GIPPSLAND’S greatest modern-day footballer has found himself tangled up in a messy legal dispute.
Collingwood games record holder and Sale’s own Scott Pendlebury is seeking nearly $3 million he claims prominent Melbourne businessman Jason Sourasis misappropriated from the Magpies champion.
The pair have been close friends for more than a decade, with Pendlebury hiring Sourasis as his financial adviser.
However, the relationship soured last February according to the ABC, after Pendlebury noticed $2,148,900 was missing from his investment account.
The ABC also reported Sourasis had access to Pendlebury’s bank account, which was meant to be used for paying tax and transferring money to an offset account.
Pendlebury has hired one of Australia’s most high-profile commercial lawyers to try and clean up the mess.
Sourasis is yet to file a defence, but denies owing the Collingwood midfielder anything.
“The allegations are vehemently denied and, as a legal process has been started, we can’t make any further comments at this stage,” he told the ABC.
The Herald Sun also rang Pendlebury to get his side of the story, although the phone call lasted all of 10 seconds.
“I can’t comment about that,” he said before quickly hanging up.
Sourasis has a history of dodgy business deals, dabbling into ventures such as restaurants, night clubs, property development and as executive chairman of the embattled A-League club Western United.
He convinced aspiring Liberal leader Matthew Guy to pledge $100 million for a stadium in West Melbourne if the Coalition won the 2022 state election.
Guy was a feature on the campaign trail in the Latrobe Valley during the election, as the Liberals/Nationals narrowly won the seat of Morwell.
This is not the first legal battle for Sourasis, who has been described as someone who uses company money as his personal ATM.
On another occasion, $90,000 of company money magically found its way into his mother’s account.
Former North Melbourne defender Michael Firrito was done over by Sourasis, after receiving a sports car as part payment of a $100,000 loan.
Firrito later found out Sourasis had transferred $50,000 of his money into a restaurant venture.
Sourasis has also run afoul of the ATO, who are chasing $6.7 million in unpaid taxes since 2021.
While Sourasis himself is not a player agent, he is majority owner at Hemisphere Management Group.
The group has a number of Gippsland AFL players past and present plastered over their website, including Pendlebury.
Others are Fremantle star Caleb Serong (from Longwarry), 2021 Coleman Medallist Harry McKay (Warragul), Adelaide’s Sam Berry (Maffra), St Kilda’s Sam Flanders (Fish Creek) and Essendon’s Xavier Duursma (Foster).
Among former AFL players still appearing on the website are new Sale Football-Netball Club senior coach Jack Leslie (Gold Coast) and Moe’s Leo Connolly (St Kilda).
The company also boasts managing modern superstar Jeremy Cameron and Brisbane Lions great Simon Black.
Pendlebury has kept an incredibly clean record during his 20-year professional career (a feat in itself given the modern exposure of AFL players), with this his first major controversy of sorts.
