In a surprising turn of events, investor Damon Hanlin has voiced strong criticism of the Australian Professional Leagues (APL), expressing his discontent after being misled about potential ownership of the Central Coast Mariners. Hanlin claimed he was led to believe by the club's outgoing chairman that he would serve as a "financial stabiliser" for the team, only to find himself denied the opportunity to take full ownership of the A-League club.
On a recent Monday, the APL made the significant decision to revoke the Central Coast licence from chairman Mike Charlesworth and announced that it would manage and financially support the club while seeking out new buyers.
Despite this, Hanlin, who previously held a leadership role at Sydney Olympic, insisted that he was fully prepared and financially equipped to purchase the Mariners. He had been supporting the club based on an agreement with Charlesworth, positioning himself as a viable buyer in a situation that seemed promising at first.
In a statement, APL chairman Stephen Conroy acknowledged that Hanlin's proposal had been reviewed but indicated that inquiries were needed regarding certain legal issues tied to Hanlin. The APL noted that as of December 22, despite pending requests for information, Hanlin had not provided the necessary details. By December 27, Charlesworth informed the APL that he had ended the asset sale agreement with Hanlin, a fact that Conroy stated Hanlin was aware of.
Following that, on December 29, Charlesworth communicated his plan to return his club licence to the APL. In response, Hanlin criticized the APL for what he described as a failure in governance, calling the situation with the Central Coast Mariners one of the most troubling and opaque failures he has seen in Australian sports management. He asserted, “There was already a buyer; the only thing lacking was the APL’s commitment, which they failed to provide.”
Conroy countered Hanlin's claims by reaffirming the APL's dedication to a thorough assessment process for potential new owners, insisting that they would not apologize for their careful approach. Hanlin has claimed that since September of the previous year, he had been financially supporting the Mariners and was urged to step in as their financial stabilizer. He stated that he had signed a binding contract with Charlesworth to acquire complete ownership of the club, describing that contract as legitimate and enforceable.
Hanlin revealed that he had invested over $2 million into the club, which helped cover player salaries, staff obligations, operational costs, and payments to creditors, all while hiring key personnel, including former Sydney Olympic coach Labinot Haliti. This led to the unexpected departure of title-winning coach Mark Jackson just a week before the upcoming A-League season began.
Hanlin noted that his agreement included provisions to ensure that all outstanding creditors would be settled upon completion of the sale, emphasizing that such an outcome was not only achievable but also well-planned and funded. However, he expressed frustration that communication from the APL had stopped entirely as of late last month, leaving him without updates or clarity regarding the sale process.
He lamented the lack of written correspondence or detailed engagement from the league’s representatives, stating, "We were left funding the club’s survival with no clarity, no timeline, and no engagement." The only direct interaction he received from the APL about the removal of Charlesworth's license was a phone call from Conroy just hours before the announcement was made public, which Hanlin found inadequate.
He remarked, "To strip a license without consulting an active buyer who was financially supporting and enhancing the club is extraordinary. I have navigated through months of uncertainty, covering wages and investing in both personnel and players. To be excluded from the process, without any consultation, is unacceptable."
