Ex-AFL Star Jake King, Hawthorn Player Ty Vickery Arrested For Extortion

Former Australian Football League player Jake King was arrested on Wednesday on six charges including extortion, threatening to kill and inflicting serious injury.

jake King is set to appear in court on Nov. 15

Another AFL star, Hawthorn’s Tyrone Vickery, was also arrested as part of a similar investigation Victoria Police is conducting.

Vickery signed with Hawthorn as a restricted free agent in October 2016 after seven years with the Richmond Tigers. He and King — a former back pocket/small forward — played together on the Tigers from 2009 to 2014.

The pair were interrogated by detectives from Melbourne’s crime investigations unit.

Police confirmed they had searched properties in Wheelers Hill, South Melbourne and Thornbury.

According to the Herald Sun, authorities are investigating whether 27-year-old Vickery hired 33-year-old King to extort a business partner he was in dispute with over a six-figure sum.

The probe began after allegations surfaced that King was following Vickery’s request to threaten the third-party person who owed him money.

It is alleged that Vickery had believed a partner in his Hawthorn East Italian restaurant Fat Monkey had robbed up to $100,000 from the business, per The Age.

It remains unclear whether Vickery spoke to the police over this matter, although it is known he was concerned about the reputation of the restaurant if the dispute were to be made public.

The Hawthorn star was released shortly before 7pm on Wednesday without charge, pending further probe.

“Hawthorn Football Club is aware that Ty Vickery is assisting police in an investigation,” the team said in a statement. “As the matter is under investigation the club will not be making further comment at this time.”

Vickery kicked 158 goals in 119 games for Richmond over seven seasons. The forward/ruck has faced a tough first season at Hawthorn, with long periods on the sidelines and only two goals in six matches. Last month, he was dropped (for the second time) to the Victorian Football League following the club’s loss to Port Adelaide.

The player’s manager Scott Lucas said information about the arrests was still incomplete.

“Whenever anyone is assisting police or is involved in the investigation there certainly is an element of surprise there, no doubt,” Mr Lucas told radio station SEN 1116. “We’ll just work through that, work through it with Ty and the Hawthorn football club and, in a sense, get to the bottom of it.”

Vickery — the son of former Collingwood player John Vickery — is married to tennis player Arina Rodionova, the only Australian player remaining in this week’s Wimbledon tournament.

Rodinova ignored questions about her spouse overnight at the tournament in London.

“Just before we start, I’d just like to say all the questions please (refer) only regarding tennis, my previous match, my current match and I cannot speak about my personal life,” she said following a first-round doubles defeat alongside her sister Anastasia. 

Rodionova said she “didn’t have to put anything aside” ­before her loss to Andreja Klepac and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

“I was just focusing on my match,” she added.

“I had a great day yesterday, obviously (a) worse day today and tomorrow’s another day.”

King — who was also charged with two counts of using a carriage service to harass — was released on bail and is scheduled to appear at Melbourne Magistrate’s Court on November 15. He retired from the AFL after seven years following a serious toe injury in 2014.

The probe into King and Vickery is ongoing.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MAY 20: Ty Vickery of the Hawks celebrates kicking a goal during the round nine AFL match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Hawthorn Hawks at Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 20, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)