- Nixon, 61, is accused of obtaining property by deception
- A police informant is due to give evidence at his hearing
Disgraced AFL player manager Ricky Nixon has sacked his lawyers only three weeks before he planned to fight allegations he sold fake premiership memorabilia.
Nixon, 61, was due to face a two-day contested hearing in February but he told Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday he no longer had lawyers acting for him.
He instead wants to represent himself and question at least three further prosecution witnesses over claims he fraudulently sold footballs in October 2021.
He allegedly claimed the balls were signed by Melbourne Football Club players after their 2021 AFL premiership win.
He has been charged with 10 counts of obtaining property by deception after allegedly receiving $595 per football.
Nixon is also charged with making or using a false document in relation to authentication certificates sent with the footballs.
Disgraced AFL player manager Ricky Nixon has sacked his lawyers only three weeks before a court hearing in Melbourne
Nixon (pictured right, with Collingwood legend Dane Swan) wants to represent himself to answer claims he fraudulently sold footballs in October of 2021 following the Melbourne Demons’ premiership triumph
Three civilian witnesses and the police informant were due to give evidence in the contested hearing, starting February 12.
But Nixon’s plans to call at least three more witnesses would blow out the two days designated for the hearing, the prosecutor said.
Magistrate Tara Hartnett ordered the contested hearing be vacated and another administrative hearing be listed on February 6 to ‘iron out’ any issues in the case.
She originally asked if Nixon would be available to attend court on February 7 but he said he had a Ted Whitten charity golf tournament to compete in.
Ms Hartnett ordered Nixon and the police informant appear in court on February 6 where a new contested hearing date could be listed.
Nixon, who faced court via video link on Thursday, appeared frustrated before his matter was called shortly after 11am.
He told the clerk he could not wait any longer because there was a removalist at his house who had been ‘patiently waiting’ since 7am to go to a storage facility with him.
Nixon has denied the allegations of fraud, claiming he was duped by a fake AFL licensee who sold him the footballs
The clerk advised Nixon to stay on the link because his case was about to be called.
Nixon is currently serving a community corrections order after he was found guilty in June 2024 of unlawful assault and discharging a missile.
Magistrate Vincenzo Caltabiano determined Nixon punched and kicked an Australia Post worker at his Port Melbourne home on March 10, 2022, before throwing a package at him.
