Geelong AFL player Tanner Bruhn has firmly declared his innocence, urging authorities to investigate those who brought forth unfounded rape allegations against him.

Today, prosecutors decided to drop the charges against both Bruhn and his co-defendant, Patrick Sinnott, following their legal battle against accusations stemming from an incident alleged to have occurred in February 2023.

Throughout the legal proceedings, Bruhn’s identity was kept confidential, but his lawyer, Dermot Dann KC, requested that this restriction be removed.

According to Dann, the complainant has since confessed to fabricating the allegations, labeling the situation as a glaring “blight on the criminal justice system.”

In his remarks to the Geelong Magistrates Court, Dann emphasized that Bruhn should be seen “now and forever as someone who was completely innocent.”

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, south-west of Melbourne.

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.

The woman was scheduled to give evidence today before the charges were dropped.

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.

“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.”

The AFL confirmed Bruhn had been stood down from playing in the AFL or VFL while the allegations were before the courts.

Bruhn said he was keen to get back to playing football.

“Tanner wants to put this nightmare behind him,” Balmer said.

“He’s hopeful for the future and looking forward to getting back to doing what he loves.”

The Geelong Football Club confirmed Bruhn would return to its program 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”.

While Geelong had been exemplary in its care for Tanner during the court process, the association described an AFL decision to stand him down after charges were laid as “premature and disproportionate”.

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.

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

Help is available from the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.