Geelong Cats star Tanner Bruhn has declared his innocence and called for police to investigate those who made false rape allegations against him, with droves of AFL fans also demanding justice.
Prosecutors withdrew charges against Bruhn and his co-accused Patrick Sinnott on Tuesday after the pair fought claims they raped a woman in February 2023.
Bruhn’s identity had been suppressed throughout the court proceedings but his barrister Dermot Dann KC asked for the order to be lifted.
He said the complainant had since admitted she lied and the case was clearly a ‘horrible stain on the criminal justice system’.
‘(Bruhn) should be regarded now and forever as someone who was 100 per cent innocent,’ Mr Dann told Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
Prosecutors alleged Bruhn and Sinnott raped the woman, who cannot be legally identified, in the early hours of February 5, 2023 after attending a strip club in Geelong, southwest of Melbourne.
AFL star Tanner Bruhn has had sexual assault charges dropped after mysteriously missing a whole year of footy
The Geelong midfielder has called for police to investigate those who made false rape allegations against him
They alleged the two men left the club with the complainant in her car and the assault happened in a Dan Murphy’s car park in the nearby suburb of Belmont.
CCTV footage showed the woman leaving the strip club with the men at 4.17am and then her car arriving at the car park at 4.21am.
The alleged rape was not captured on the vision, but the woman’s vehicle was seen leaving the area about 5am.
During a committal hearing in September, a male prosecution witness told the court the woman later admitted to lying in her police statement.
She told the man she had an agreement with Bruhn and Sinnott and it was consensual, but something happened she didn’t agree with, the court heard.
The man said the complainant told him to lie in his statement to police and in his evidence before the court.
Bruhn’s lawyer Anna Balmer said her client wanted those behind the allegations to be investigated.
‘Tanner wants to see those responsible for making these false allegations held to account,’ she told reporters outside court.
Tanner Bruhn’s lawyers say he wants those behind the allegations to be investigated
Many Aussies online have supported the Cats star after news his accuser lied
‘We should all hope that Victoria Police properly investigates what appears to be an attempt to pervert the course of justice by at least one, if not two, prosecution witnesses.’
Bruhn said he was keen to get back to playing football.
‘Tanner wants to put this nightmare behind him,’ Ms Balmer said.
‘He’s hopeful for the future and looking forward to getting back to doing what he loves.’
Aussies online have taken to social media, calling for Bruhn’s accuser to be punished for her lies.
‘I speak for every single AFL fan in saying we’re all Tanner Bruhn fans next season,’ one person posted on X.
‘They tried to ruin his career by accusing him without being found guilty of any charges, and now he’s going to have a breakout season while the accuser rots in jail.’
‘Women who lie should face the full force of the law,’ another person posted.
‘The false accuser should now go on trial and face as much of a penalty as he was going to,’ a third person wrote.
Men’s rights activist Bettina Arndt backed the calls.
She posted to X: ‘Prosecutors dropped rape charges against Geelong AFL star Tanner Bruhn after his accuser admitted she had lied. Bruhn’s lawyer said the case was clearly a ‘horrible stain on the criminal justice system’. ‘(Bruhn) should be regarded now and forever as someone who was 100 per cent innocent,’ Dann told Geelong Magistrates’ Court today. And his accuser should face perjury charges.’
The Geelong Football Club said Bruhn will return to the team for the start of pre-season training.
‘While legal proceedings have been ongoing, the club has provided professional welfare to Tanner during this time and will continue to do so,’ a club statement read.
Lawyers for Sinnott also spoke outside court, noting he had suffered the brunt of public scrutiny while his co-accused’s identity was suppressed.
‘The impact has been deep and far-reaching,’ lawyer Holly Boylan said.
‘Patrick now asks to be allowed to move forward in his life.’
The AFL Players Association welcomed the charges being dropped after a ‘long and flawed process’.
Early in the 2025 season, Tanner was listed as unavailable with a finger injury before being removed from the injury list altogether.
Unlike the NRL or Football Australia, the AFL does not have an official no-fault stand-down policy.
