Image: NRL player Dylan Brown has been stood down by his club after allegations that he groped a woman emerged. Image: Jared Butler/Facebook
By CHRISTINE LAI
Parramatta Eels player Dylan Brown has been stood down from the NRL following allegations that he allegedly groped a woman at a Sydney venue Saturday 3rd June.
The five-eighth was charged with five counts of sexually touching a 20-year-old woman at the Golden Sheaf in Double Bay.
The NRL enforced its discretionary powers to stand down the 22-year-old Parramatta player following the allegation. The governing body ruled that Brown will be subject to the no-fault stand-down rule, which means that he will not be eligible for selection until the matter is resolved and he receives clearance from the NRL.
Players in the league that are charged with offences that carry a maximum jail sentence of 11 years or more are automatically stood down until the completion of their court cases. While Brown’s charges did not qualify for the threshold, the NRL used its discretionary powers to stand him down.
The Parramatta Eels player appeared in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court for the first time following the accusation, on Wednesday 7th June.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Magistrate Theo Tsavdaridis allowed Brown to enter the Double Bay precinct in a bail variation request but prevented him from visiting licensed premises.
The Incident
In the court documents, the woman alleged that Brown sexually touched her without consent on the breasts five times between 11:19 and 11:20 pm on the night of Saturday 3rd June.
In the most recent development of the case, Brown’s lawyer has claimed that CCTV footage does not support the allegation the Parramatta Eels star groped a woman’s breasts on five occasions.
Brown’s lawyer David Newham stated that upon viewing the footage, he didn’t believe that it supported the allegations.
“Mr Brown and I viewed the CCTV footage yesterday at the Bondi police station,” Brown’s solicitor David Newham said outside Downing Court on Wednesday 7th June.
“It does not support the notion [that] on five separate occasions Mr Brown has approached this young woman and with both hands has touched both of her breasts. It does not support that at this point in time.”
Stood Down
The Parramatta Eels released a club statement following the news of Brown’s incident over the weekend, communicating that the incident remained within the NRL’s jurisdiction where he would only be able to return to the field once he gained clearance from the ruling body.
“Out of respect for the legal process now under way, the Club will not be making any further comment at this time”, the statement read.
“The NRL decision should in no way be interpreted as a view on the innocence or guilt of the player,” the NRL said in a statement.
Parramatta’s upcoming King’s Birthday clash against Canterbury at Accor Stadium on Monday 12th June will see Daejarn Asi likely to make his Parramatta debut in Brown’s absence.
The five-eighth Eels player is signed on an eight-year-long contract with the Eels until 2031 and has played 96 NRL matches for the Eels since his debut in 2019.
The court case was adjourned on Wednesday, with Brown not entering any plea deals. The Parramatta Eels player’s next court date is set for June 28th.
