AFL star Scott Pendlebury's Supreme Court battle with his former manager, Jason Sourasis, over allegations of $3 million in misappropriated funds looks set to run into his first season with the Gold Coast Suns, at a hearing on Friday.
Lawyers for Pendlebury told the court they were concerned that Sourasis's legal team had not properly outlined the full list of documents in his possession relating to the management of Pendlebury's affairs. They also raised concerns that Sourasis's financial planning group, Strategic Financial Planning, had not declared any documents in its possession. The Sourasis parties deny there was a retainer agreement between the firm and Pendlebury.
Pendlebury launched the scorching legal action last year, claiming his long-time friend and former business partner misappropriated $3 million across 70 transactions between 2015 and 2023. The funds were allegedly directed into Sourasis's projects, including an ill-fated sporting super hub in Tarneit and a development at Seaford where the land was seized by receivers.
Sourasis has denied the allegations, insisting Pendlebury was fully aware of the transactions. His lawyers have produced text messages they say indicate Pendlebury knew about the transactions.
During the hearing, Pendlebury's barrister, Banjo McLachlan, told Justice Patricia Matthews the star had recently unearthed correspondence with Strategic Financial Planning in his email, including documents regarding his superannuation balance and a change in his financial planner.
Neither Pendlebury nor Sourasis attended the hearing. Pendlebury is currently in the United States touring NBA facilities during his off-season before relocating with his family to Queensland. A trial date has not yet been set for the blockbuster case.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Extends the personal and financial strain on one of the AFL's most prominent figures into his high-profile move to the Gold Coast Suns.
- Highlights risks for elite athletes when personal and business relationships with managers lack full transparency.
- Could set a precedent for financial disclosure obligations between sporting stars and their management.
Background
Scott Pendlebury is a decorated AFL player who spent 21 seasons at Collingwood, winning two premierships and setting a record for most senior games. He joined the Gold Coast Suns on a four-year hybrid playing and coaching contract. His former manager, Jason Sourasis, is the former president of the now-defunct A-League team Western United. Pendlebury alleges his former friend invested his money without permission into Sourasis's own property developments.
Key Perspectives
Scott Pendlebury: Alleges his former manager misappropriated $3 million across 70 transactions between 2015 and 2023, directing the money into the manager's own projects without his knowledge or consent.
Jason Sourasis: Denies the allegations, arguing Pendlebury was fully aware of the investment transactions and has produced text messages to support this claim.
What to Watch
- The setting of a trial date by the Supreme Court of Victoria.
- The outcome of the dispute over document discovery, which could shape the scope of the case.
- How the drawn-out legal proceedings affect Pendlebury's first season with the Gold Coast Suns.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedPendlebury’s legal fight with his former manager is expected to continue through the 2027 season.The Age - Latest News: “Star AFL player Scott Pendlebury’s legal fight with his former manager over allegedly pilfering $3 million of the new Gold Coast Suns recruit will continue throughout the 2027 season.”
- SupportedA document dispute has delayed the Supreme Court case.The Age - Latest News: “The side quarrel between legal teams had already led to delays in the case.”
- SupportedThe case is expected to run into Pendlebury’s first season with the Gold Coast Suns.The Age - Latest News: “Pendlebury now faces the inevitable prospect of having to prepare for a lengthy legal battle in the Supreme Court of Victoria against leading sporting agent Jason Sourasis while playing his first season with the Gold Coast Suns.”
- SupportedThe case concerns allegations that $3 million was misappropriated from Pendlebury.The Age - Latest News: “Pendlebury launched scorching legal action against Sourasis last year alleging his long-time friend and business partner had misappropriated $3 million of his money and invested it in Sourasis’ projects.”
- SupportedPendlebury alleges the money was taken across 70 transactions between 2015 and 2023.The Age - Latest News: “Pendlebury alleges Sourasis took his money without his permission or knowledge over 70 transactions between 2015 and 2023.”
- SupportedPendlebury’s lawyers raised concern that Sourasis’s legal team had not properly outlined the full list of documents in his possession relating to Pendlebury’s affairs.The Age - Latest News: “lawyers for Pendlebury told the court they were concerned Sourasis’ legal team had not properly outlined the full list of documents that are in his possession that relate to the management of Pendlebury’s affairs.”
- SupportedPendlebury’s lawyers said Strategic Financial Planning had not declared that it had any documents in its possession.The Age - Latest News: “Lawyers for Pendlebury told the court they were also concerned that Sourasis’ financial planning group Strategic Financial Planning had not declared it had any documents in its possession following similar requests.”
- SupportedThe Sourasis parties deny there was a retainer agreement between Strategic Financial Planning and Pendlebury.The Age - Latest News: “The court heard the Sourasis parties deny there was any retainer agreement between the planning firm and Pendlebury”
- Partly supportedThe story describes Sourasis as Pendlebury’s former business partner.The Age - Latest News: “Pendlebury launched scorching legal action against Sourasis last year alleging his long-time friend and business partner had misappropriated $3 million of his money”
- SupportedPendlebury alleges that funds went into Sourasis’s Tarneit sporting super hub project and a Seaford development, where the land was seized by receivers.The Age - Latest News: “A large portion of Pendlebury’s cash was ploughed into Sourasis’ ill-fated development of a sporting super hub in Tarneit ... Sourasis also allegedly directed large sums of Pendlebury’s money to a development project in Seaford where the land has since been seized and sold by receivers.”
- SupportedSourasis denies the allegations and says Pendlebury knew about the transactions; Sourasis’s lawyers produced texts they said indicated that knowledge.The Age - Latest News: “Sourasis, the former president of Western United, has denied the allegations insisting that Pendlebury was fully aware of the transactions. As part of his defence, Sourasis’ lawyers produced some text messages between the two former close friends that they said indicated Pendlebury knew about the transactions.”
- SupportedAt the hearing, Pendlebury’s barrister said he had recently found correspondence with Strategic Financial Planning in his email, including material about his superannuation balance and a change in financial planner.The Age - Latest News: ““Mr Pendlebury recently unearthed some documents in his email,” counsel for the football star Banjo McLachlan told the court, handing up several emails to Justice Patricia Matthews. McLachlan said these documents included correspondence between Pendlebury and Strategic Financial”