Unforced error
LIBS COURTING CONTROVERSY
EXCLUSIVE
Colleagues raise questions with deputy on relationship
- Herald Sun, 29 July 2025
The 'deputy' in question was Liberal deputy leader and former professional tennis player, Sam Groth, and the questions revolved around how and when he began dating his wife, Brittany, with a very serious and it should be said pretty grubby, insinuation at the heart of the story:
… Mr Groth and Brittany have admitted they got together when he was coaching at Templestowe Park tennis club in 2011 …
At the time, he would have been 23 or 24 and she would have been 16 or 17 …
- Herald Sun, 29 July 2025
Which the Hun told its readers might make Sam Groth a sex offender:
Under Victorian law, it is a criminal offence to engage in a sexual relationship with someone under the age of 18 if they are under your care or supervision.
- Herald Sun, 29 July 2025
In Victoria the age of consent is 16 but if Groth was teaching Brittany tennis, it becomes 18.
So did the second highest ranking state Liberal take advantage of a teenage Brittany?
Well, the Hun laid out all its evidence which included a previous interview where Brittany recounted first meeting Sam Groth at the tennis club and becoming hitting partners:
'I was like 'OK, nice to meet you, cool' and over time we ended up hitting with each other and connecting from there…'
- Herald Sun, 29 July 2025
And a second interview from 2017 where Sam gave a similar non-descript account of the couple's early days:
SAM GROTH: … I was coaching a club and Britt was playing a little bit there – yeah, we sort of met through that time.
- Tennis Channel, Facebook, 30 May 2017
Yes, that was the entire case.
But the real meat of this story was, we were told, the political upset the accusation had prompted inside the Liberal Party, which the Herald Sun claimed might be weaponised in next year's election:
The Herald Sun understands Mr Groth has been quizzed by a number of colleagues on the issue …
- Herald Sun, 29 July 2025
This was news to Sam Groth who later said he'd had no such conversations.
And just how many of these 'numerous' colleagues were quoted in the Herald Sun's story?
Not a one.
Well, that is except for the leader of the party, who had this to say:
'… Politics is a dirty business, but this attack has hit a new low in public life.'
- Herald Sun, 29 July 2025
Groth's colleagues did, however, show up to give their thoughts on the record to waiting television reporters:
MATTHEW GUY: I think it's a despicable story.
JAMES NEWBURY: Absolutely disgraceful to attack someone's wife. Absolutely disgraceful.
- Nine News 6pm (Melbourne), 29 July 2025
With Groth furious that his personal life had become the subject of public debate:
SAM GROTH: My wife and kids should be off limits …
- Seven News 6pm (Melbourne), 29 July 2025
Amid the storm, the Herald Sun doubled down on its exclusive.
With another serve the following day reporting Sam Groth was angry with Labor for making hay with the allegations.
And the day after that, reporting a legal threat but burying the fact that the threat was made against the Herald Sun itself, while quoting Herald Sun editor Sam Weir, who defended his paper's reporting:
'We stand by our reporting on a matter of public interest, covering important issues which could have a major impact on Victorian politics in the lead-up to an election.'
- Sam Weir, Editor, Herald Sun, 31 July 2025
But as all these blokes argued amongst themselves, what of the woman at the centre of the story, the apparent victim, Sam Groth's now wife of seven years, Brittany Groth?
So, what was her version of events? Did anyone even bother to check?
She says she was never asked.
And had to release her own statement:
The timeline they have suggested is baseless and false …
I was in a relationship with someone else until November 2011. I met Sam in September that year …
We did not engage in any conduct that would even arguably fall within the provisions quoted by the Herald Sun …
- Statement by Brittany Groth, 31 July 2025
And as for the Herald Sun's conduct:
… to speculate salaciously about my personal life from 14 years ago, when I was a teenager, is not journalism ...
Their conduct has amounted to pressure on me to disclose intimate details … including when I first had sex with my husband, to defend myself against fiction. It is despicable.
- Statement by Brittany Groth, 31 July 2025
This, of course, was a denial the Herald Sun might have been interested to know before pressing publish.
And a denial, as far as we can see, that they have still not bothered to print.
One of the few enduring conventions of political reporting in this country is that politicians' private lives and families are off limits, unless there is demonstrably a strong public interest.
So, did the Herald Sun commit a cardinal sin?
For some the answer was an emphatic yes, with The Age's Chip Le Grand writing:
In tennis parlance, the stories didn't land just wide of an ethical line – they lobbed seven rows back in the stands.
Any woman, even one married to a politician, should be safe in thinking their teenage sexual history is off-limits.
- The Age, 31 July 2025
And in an entirely predictable outcome, the Hun's foray into the Groth's private lives may end up costing it a pretty penny, with Sam and Brittany Groth now planning to sue the paper for defamation with this plain-speaking letter from Groth's legal counsel landing on the Hun's desk:
It would be too kind to describe the Article as 'gutter journalism' because it did not amount to 'journalism' at all.
- Concerns Notice, Giles/George, 30 July 2025
We asked the Herald Sun about its story but our emails went unanswered.
The intrigue and machinations of the political classes are, of course, worthy subjects of media scrutiny but when the accusations stray into private lives and families, the burden of proof and public interest become all the heavier.
The evidence of Sam Groth's apparent indiscretions appear to us speculative at best and whatever the political justification for the story might be, there really can be no excuse for failing to give the woman at the heart of the story a voice before splashing serious allegations about intimate details of her personal life on page one, leaving her to defend and debunk the story only after the damage is done.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Why Netanyahu calls Australia ‘shameful'
In a move that will further anger the Israeli leader, Australia will recognise a Palestinian state in September following declarations from the UK, France and Canada. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the situation in Gaza has gone beyond the world's worst fears. Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu says recognising Palestinian statehood is a win for Hamas and he's defending his decision to expand the war in Gaza. Today, ABC Middle East correspondent Allyson Horn on Netanyahu's war plans and why his own military is opposed to them. Featured: Allyson Horn, ABC Middle East correspondent Subscribe to ABC News Daily on the ABC listen app.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
RSPCA's Andrea Dawkins responds to announcement Tasmania's greyhound racing industry will end
Andrea Dawkins I heard about it on Saturday evening and my response was, as for many animal welfare advocates in Tasmania and indeed around the country, it was tears. I could not believe it. I had to call the person who sent me the message to confirm it and it still took me a minute to actually let it sink in that it could be real because there's very, very few days like that as an animal welfare advocate. We don't get many wins and this is considered to be quite the victory because it took a lot to get either Labor or Liberal to break ranks on greyhound racing and I applaud that decision. Ryk Goddard It's not the end of greyhound racing if the greyhound racing industry can fund itself. Do you think it's likely to continue? Andrea Dawkins I don't think it is likely to continue. I mean, that's probably more of a question for Saul Eslake or an economist, but it appears to me from everything that I've read and also from the media release from Jeremy Rockliff on the weekend that it would be phased out. Ryk Goddard What support have they talked about providing both for the industry and also welfare for dogs as the industry ends so there isn't just a mass euthanasia? Do you have any details? Andrea Dawkins No, we don't have any details yet and that's what that parliamentary committee would be set up to investigate. Sean Carroll, the Commissioner for Racing Integrity, it would be very important to have him at that table and other people with significant positions of power, but of course we need to make sure it's a just transition, not just for animal welfare advocates and organisations who'd be rehoming the dogs, but also for participants in the industry. People like the RSPCA, those who work here and the broader animal welfare ecosystem, we've got a social mission. Our mission is not at all costs to get what we want. It's to wrap services around everybody who needs them, including the people in the industry as they exit. It's very, very important that the community understand that. Ryk Goddard Lachlan from Gilston Bay said greyhound racing in Tasmania is not an industrial complex like New South Wales. It's more like Darryl Kerrigan from the castle and he says overwhelming majority of people love their dogs. Andrea Dawkins That's correct. I completely agree. It's not that machine. It's still considered an industry by Tas Racing, but certainly my interaction with those owners and trainers as they're surrendering dogs to us, it's absolutely more like that mum and dad kind of backyard. But honestly, it's not fit for purpose for those dogs. They might love them, but it's a very different kind of version of animal welfare than the one that we hold as the highest and we expect those people to be some of the first. If there is a just transition and a package available to be able to avail themselves of those packages. Ryk Goddard Andrew Dawkins, CEO of RSPCA Tasmania and until recently a Launceston City Councillor. Do you have any reasons why you stepped down last week? Andrea Dawkins I just woke up on Thursday morning and I knew it was my time. I looked back on my call. Ryk Goddard Really? It was that sudden? Andrea Dawkins Look, it was. I'd been leading up to it for some time, knowing that I wasn't going to contest again and knowing that I wanted someone to take my place and give them a chance to embed themselves, to have an opportunity to push through that next election. But after 10 years and trying to hold all of those complex issues, everybody's concerns and the way that I needed to advocate for my community, as well as being the CEO of the RSPCA, when I actually knew that greyhounds were going to need me. In fact, when people contacted me and said, why have you stepped down? I said, I just woke up and knew that I needed to be here to help greyhounds. And then three days later, the news breaks. So maybe it was some sort of precognition. Ryk Goddard What would be your next target as the RSPCA? Andrea Dawkins Oh, gee, it's pretty early days for that. I mean, we do have an advocacy agenda. There's still pets in rentals. There's still some sitting in Parliament, as is the amendments to the Dog Control Act and Animal Welfare Act around the dog regulations, which would mean there'd be a cap on breeders. So there's still some really important work that got stuck with this last election. But we're still very concerned about shooting ducks in Ramsar wetlands and a number of other issues. So cat management is not under control in Tasmania. As an animal welfare advocate in this role, I will never have a sperm in it.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
'How many children?' Israel's ambassador insists there is 'no starvation policy' in fiery interview
ABC host Sarah Ferguson has bluntly demanded Israel's ambassador to Australia disclose 'how many children' have died of starvation in Gaza as the Foreign Minister Penny Wong revealed she was 'haunted' by the images. Just hours after unleashing on Australia's decision to recognise the Palestinian state, Israeli ambassador Amir Maimon fronted up for an interview on 7:30. He was promptly taken to task over whether Israel was deliberately starving families in Gaza. 'Now, do you accept that Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to listen to both friends and allies about the conduct of Israel's war in Gaza, the unending killing and the starvation of civilians, has led to this decision by Australia and like-minded countries to recognise Palestine?,'' host Sarah Ferguson asked. 'Well, the Israeli government is determined to accomplish all the objectives that were set by the government right after October 7,'' Mr Maimon replied. 'The dismantling of the Hamas military and political capabilities, the removal of the threat that Hamas is posing towards our citizens along the southern border, and the immediate release of our hostages. 'Unfortunately, so far the Hamas ... is refusing the ceasefire proposal.' But the ABC host insisted she wanted to 'bring you back to my question' which was - whether or not Israel accepted that the refusal of the Israelis to listen to concerns about the way it has conducted the war had led to this decision by Australia to recognise Palestine. 'Do you accept the withholding of food and the starvation of civilians first of all is a crime under international law?,'' Sarah Ferguson asked. 'The government of Israel is not - is not - there is no starvation policy,'' Mr Maimon replied. 'That's not to say that we believe the condition on the ground are ideal. 'There are real challenges in recent two weeks, we're not responsible for the distribution. It's also very important to recognise the role of the Hamas - the negative role of Hamas - in preventing aid to reach all those needed Palestinians.' 'Do you accept 100 children in Gaza have died of starvation in recent months? Do you accept those statistics?,'' Sarah Ferguson responded. 'Let me pose this question. How many children do they say have died from starvation in recent months?' 'Well, I have no figures, but I can push back on the Israeli hostages that did not receive humanitarian aid since October 7, nor a visit from the - none of the organisations that are responsible to assist those who are in need,'' Mr Maimon replied. 'I can talk about the starvation of David, who was just released, and I don't hear much, you know, talk about him and about the very poor condition that he was held in. 'I am not also hearing any reports about the fact that he was forced to dig his own grave, he's not the first one.' The ABC host replied that the conditions the hostages are being held in, in Gaza, were 'repulsive and rejected by all decent-minded humans around the world.' 'But we're here to talk about decisions by the Israeli government at the moment,'' she said. 'Let me ask you a final question - as an ambassador, you are obliged in your position to maintain your government's position. In our own heart, do you believe the killing and starving of civilians in Gaza should stop?' 'Once again, there is no policy of starvation,'' the ambassador said. 'I feel very sad for any loss of innocent life. I lost two members of my family on October 7. Every child matters. Whether it's Israeli or Palestinian. 'And it is very sad. It's a tragedy. But it's also important to remember that the Hamas bears the responsibility, the Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. 'It's a war we didn't ask for, nor we started. It's a war we want to end. 'But we'll end it only when our security will be granted, when the hostages will be back, and when the Hamas will not play any role in the Gaza Strip. 'I'm a father, a grandparent, exactly as I'm moved by terrible photos of David, and moving photos of Palestinian children and others,'' he said. 'May I offer my condolences, the condolences of the program for the condolences of the program for the loss you suffered. Thank you for joining us, ambassador,'' Ferguson replied. Earlier, Foreign Minister Penny Wong has declared she was 'haunted' by the images of starving children in Gaza as she outlined the reasons for Australia's decision to officially recognise the Palestinian state. Despite international controversy over some of the images of starving children in Gaza, with Israel insisting some of the children have underlying health conditions, Senator Wong said. 'We all are haunted by the images that we have seen,'' Senator Wong told 7:30. 'Both of the horrors of October 7, and by what has occurred since, the deprivation, the deaths of so many innocent people and we are compelled to act by the circumstances. 'The world watched in horror the attacks by Hamas on October 7. 'And the world has watched in horror since as tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians are killed, thousands starving. 'The faces of children we cannot forget. 'Australians, people around the world, have been haunted by the images.'
