Former AFL player Warren Tredrea is facing the threat of bankruptcy after he was handed a deadline to pay $149,000 in legal fees to Channel 9 relating to his failed wrongful dismissal legal case.
Back in 2024, the Port Adelaide Premiership captain sought damages in the realm of $5.77million from the broadcaster after he claimed Nine Network had unfairly terminated his $192,500-per-year contract over his refusal to get a COVID-19 vaccination.
The case was thrown out, with Justice Geoffrey Kennett agreeing with Nine’s claim that the broadcaster had a right to terminate his employment, stating that it placed the network in a difficult position. He added that the broadcaster had acted ‘reasonably’ to protect the interests of its workforce and reputation.
Tredrea, 47, appealed the decision but that was rejected in November 2024. He was subsequently ordered to pay Nine’s legal costs for the failed appeal.
He claims that he had ‘fully discharged his liability’ to pay the legal fees after he wrote an IOU to the Network, in which he had vowed to pay the debt.
‘I’ve paid in excess of what they sought… there’s no reason (the case) can’t be discharged right now,’ he told the Federal Court last year.
Former AFL player Warren Tredrea is facing the threat of bankruptcy after he was handed a deadline to pay $149,000 in legal fees to Channel 9 relating to his failed wrongful dismissal legal case
Tredrea, who was sacked by Nine in 2022 after joining the network in 2013, following the conclusion of his AFL career in 2010
Tredrea also claimed that he is ‘not an entity nor a legal person, citizen or resident’.
‘I answer to the name Warren Tredrea of South Australia, a private man, my yes be yes, my no be no,’ he wrote in court documents last year.
The Port Adelaide great claimed that he issued the promissory note because Australia has no ‘gold or silver coins’ in circulation and that no payment can be legally made without that tender.
However, the IOU was not accepted by Nine Network. During a hearing in the Federal Court on Tuesday, the court was told that Nine had issued him with a bankruptcy notice on December 18, 2025, via email, in which the network requested he pay the money owed.
The notice was attached to the email as a PDF file.
On Tuesday, Tredrea said: ‘I don’t dispute that I owe the money,’ but contested how the broadcaster had served him the bankruptcy notice via email. The Federal Court disagreed with his claims.
Registrar Nicholas Parkyn explained that current regulations do ‘not require the recipient of a bankruptcy notice to consent to service by electronic means’.
The court also heard that Tredrea had responded to the digital communication to ‘raise questions in relation to the validity of the service of the notice.’
The footy star had issued an unfair dismissal claim against the broadcaster after he was sacked by Nine because he refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine
On that basis, Registrar Parkyn explained that he was ‘satisfied that there is no basis for the court to set aside the bankruptcy notice’.
The former AFL player and Port Adelaide board representative asked for a ‘small period of time to settle the matter, a stay of seven days’.
However, counsel for Nine Network argued the suggestion should be rejected, stating: ‘There’s been ample opportunity for this to be resolved before now.’
Registrar Parkyn agreed with Nine’s arguments and issued the deadline of 4pm for Tredrea to pay the costs of Tuesday’s hearing.
‘Clearly I’ve got until 4pm today to settle the matter,’ the ex-AFL player said. ‘The ability to pay for more costs is almost impossible.’
Should Tredrea and Nine not reach a settlement by the deadline, the broadcaster will be able to pursue insolvency proceedings against the ex-AFL player.
The 47-year-old, who debuted for the Power back in 1997, would go on to make 255 AFL appearances for the club while returning 549 goals.
Tredrea also led Port Adelaide to its first AFL premiership in 2004. He had stood in for injured skipper Matthew Primus to captain the side during the Grand Final that year, before going on to lead the team between 2006 and 2008.
A judge agreed with Nine’s arguments, claiming that it was not unreasonable for the network to part company with Tredrea, who subsequently launched an appeal
His appeal would fail, with Tredrea being ordered to pay the costs of Nine’s legal fees
Last year, Port Adelaide chose to also dismiss their former captain (centre) from its board of directors
After retiring in 2010, the 47-year-old Australian Football Hall of Famer joined up with Nine Network in 2013.
Tredrea also held media roles with 3AW, FiveAA and The Advertiser.
He also operates a podcast called The Ballsy Show.
He had also held a position on Port’s board of directors, but was dismissed from his role in November 2025.
