Carlton have confirmed the sacking of defender Josh Bootsma, saying his inappropriate behaviour over social media was a breach of the club’s code of conduct and the last straw in a series of indiscretions.
As the Herald Sun reports, explicit images that the 21-year-old Bootsma had sent to a teenage girl over Snapchat were brought to the club’s attention by the girl’s mother on Monday.
The former top draft pick’s contract was terminated after discussions with his manager and the AFL Players’ Association. The club say his social media indiscretions extend to last year and an away game on the Gold Coast, during which Bootsma claimed to be ill but was later discovered to have been taking selfies on the beach.
Carlton Football Operations Manager Andrew McKay said Bootsma had lost the trust of his teammates after a series of conduct breaches in the past year, including a failure to arrive to training and appointments on time. “He continues to not uphold the standards we require,” said McKay.
Bootsma was contracted for next year, but the young backman is not expected to be paid out. Carlton coach Mick Malthouse has defended the dismissal, saying, “The easiest thing to do is not to do anything. The hardest thing to do is do what we’ve done.” Bootsma and girlfriend Kyla Maree Addis are expecting a child as early as today.
