AAP October 27, 2009, 7:53 pm
Three teenagers have been charged over the alleged gang rape of two women during an end of season football trip.
The youths were among a group of 16 young men arrested on Tuesday morning over the alleged rapes at Phillip Island, about 140km south of Melbourne, earlier this month.
A 17-year-old and two 18-year-olds are charged with false imprisonment, rape and indecent assault.
The 17-year-old from Montmorency, and the other youths from Bundoora and Lower Plenty were to face an out-of-sessions court hearing on Tuesday night.
Police raided four properties in Melbourne's northeast at 6am (AEDT) on Tuesday and arrested the young men aged between 17 and 20.
They include players from Montmorency Football Club in Melbourne's northern suburbs who were on an end of season trip to Phillip Island.
Two local women complained to police that they were raped by a group of men on Saturday, October 10 at Cowes on Phillip Island.
One of Montmorency's coaches said the trip was not officially connected to the club.
"It was not an official trip, the only official football trip involved seniors and reserves players that went to Glenelg," he told AAP.
"There was no under-19s footy trip, I think a few of the boys went away with friends.
"We had a lady from the AFL come here halfway through the football season who gave a talk how to respect women.
"We don't want any trouble, we just want to play the game, be successful, give some of these young blokes a game and get them off the streets."
AFL Victoria chief executive officer Peter Schwab said he was "shocked at the allegations".
He also confirmed the club had participated in the AFL's Respect and Responsibility program aimed at creating respect and safe environments for women.
"It's an extremely distressing time for the two girls concerned and our thoughts are with them," he told AAP.
"Certainly we would hope anyone involved would come forward and co-operate fully with the police.
"We trust the police will get to the bottom of it."
The AFL has been liaising with the Northern Football League, in which Montmorency plays.
Mr Schwab said the NFL has the power to de-register players and officials from its affiliated clubs.
The NFL's general manager Kevin Crompton released a statement saying the league and club were bitterly disappointed with the allegations.
"The NFL takes the allegations very seriously and encourages anyone with information to come forward," he said.
The search warrants were carried out at two properties in Montmorency and one each in Bundoora and Briar Hill while CCTV footage was seized from Cowes nightspots.
Detective Inspector Glenn Davies from the Sexual Crimes Squad said violence against women would not be tolerated and all such offences would be thoroughly investigated.
"I encourage all women who are victims of sexual assault to report these offences to police," he said in a statement.
