AFL: GWS Giants official Robert Chancellor caught buying cocaine just months after joining the club

A senior AFL coach with the GWS Giants was arrested buying cocaine, and was seen by undercover cops picking up a bag from a dealer while out for a run.

Robert Chancellor, 31, the gang’s head of development, was arrested outside his home in Marrickville, in the inner-west of the city, shortly before 8pm on Saturday, December 10, after 0 .87 g of cocaine.

Chancellor pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a prohibited drug at Newtown Local Court on Thursday.

Court documents obtained exclusively by Daily Mail Australia reveal officers began following Chancellor after seeing him acting suspicious as he jogged down Addison Road around 7:50pm.

GWS Giants head of development Robert Chancellor (pictured right) pleaded guilty to cocaine possession

After turning down a few streets, Chancellor stopped near a black Toyota and leaned out the driver’s window before he was seen putting something in his left front pocket.

The vehicle drove off and Chancellor walked back to his home, where police stopped him and told him he was suspected of buying an illegal drug.

According to a police factual statement, Chancellor then “made a full admission,” pulled a small bag of white powder from his pocket, and told them, “It’s cocaine.” I paid $300.’

The chancellor was placed under arrest and the bag of cocaine was seized.

Officers searched his phone and found WhatsApp messages between Chancellor and the trafficker that they were setting up a meeting for the exchange.

At the time of the arrest, Chancellor had recently moved to Sydney after joining the club in September, having previously coached Victoria’s Western Jets for two years.

Chancellors’ other notable roles include working as an assistant coach at St Kilda, alongside new Giants head coach Adam Kingsley.

Chancellor began his career as a soccer technology assistant at Hawthorn before joining Melbourne in 2013.

He started out as the Saints’ opposition analyst and performance analysis manager before moving into coaching.

Last month, the Giants posted a photo on Twitter showing Chancellor with some of the team’s recent picks, captioned “the new kids on the block.”

It featured him standing alongside some of the teams’ recent picks, including Aaron Cadman, Harry Rowston and Darcy Jones.

Chancellor began his career as an assistant football technology at Hawthorn before becoming an assistant coach for St Kilda and manager of the Western Jets.

Announcing the Chancellor’s appointment last September, GWS general manager Jason McCartney said the club was “delighted” to “welcome Robbie to the Giants family.”

“He has a long-standing relationship with new head coach Adam Kingsley and will be a valuable asset to our soccer program,” McCartney said.

“In recent months we have identified a need to bolster our development program and are excited to have someone of Robbie’s caliber to add to this space, alongside our current development coaches.”

Daily Mail Australia has contacted GWS Giants for comment.

The revelation comes as the club has undergone a management shakeup in recent months after a difficult 2022 season, winning just 6 of 22 games and finishing 16th on the ladder.

Changes at the club included the parting of assistant coaches Steve Johnson and Amon Buchanan, who were sacked in September when Kingsley revamped their staff.

Johnson, a three-time presidency standout for Geelong, has returned to Victoria as manager at Ovens and Murray League club Yarrawonga, while former Lions player Buchanan has become development manager for the Sydney Swans.

The next chancellor will face Newtown Local Court on March 7, when he is expected to be sentenced. He is out on bail.

The Giants have undergone a coaching shakeup after a poor 2022 season