Ashley Geelan: more fibs.

Kinglake blogger Ashley Geelan has been again caught telling ‘porkies’.

Geelan, a disturbed 40-year-old who desperately wants to be a journalist, went on the internet this week, claiming Leader newspaperman Peter Xeni had described Geelan in 1994 as the “best work experience student we’ve ever had”.

Xeni says this is not true. Xeni did not even work at Leader Newspapers in 1994: “I worked at Leader until the early 1980s when I left for greener pastures.

“As for being his work supervisor … in 1994 I was a director of [a different company] and didn’t know that “he was the best work experience student I NEVER had,” said Xeni.

“Please don’t forward my details to him.

“(Incidentally, he called himself ‘Ashley’ – and I don’t drink beer.),” Xeni writes to The Local Paper. (See Geelan’s original claims in top image).


How can anyone trust a word that Ashley Geelan writes? Geelan confuses journalism and revenge. The Local Paper declined Geelan’s approach for paid work; he applied for a job that we weren’t offering.

Geelan wanted to be paid $250 per photo, and a $1 a word; that could work out at $1000 a week for a single country footy match report, which local clubs across Australia provide to local press without charge in return for the coverage and space.

Since the refusal, Geelan has conducted an 18-month campaign of bitter harassment and revenge. The only effect of his campaign has been for him to leave an indelible trail of hateful internet messages, and to signal to any prospective future employer to never give Geelan a job.

It is hugely sad that a person’s best shot at self-praise is a quote from a school work experience report from 24 years ago, where even the reputed author denies making the comment.

Ashley Geelan was caught out in past weeks, writing abusive online reports about, and messages to, Kinglake residents including Deputy Mayor Cr Leigh Dunscombe, Kath Stewart, Deidre Hawkins, Lee Lawrence and Wayne Hicks. He has also written abusive messages to Murrindindi Shire CEO Craig Lloyd.

Geelan wrote a nasty, vindictive and personal piece about decorated Kinglake policeman Cameron Caine. The chicken-hearted hit-and-run opinion piece has since been cowardly withdrawn from publication.

Ashley Geelan has written hundreds of abusive email and internet messages – some personal threatening – to Local Paper Editor Ash Long.

Geelan unsuccessfully sought to be paid by Murrindindi Shire Council for cutting-and-pasting their media releases. After being refused, Geelan published an online accusation against Deputy Mayor Cr Leigh Dunscombe, wrongly accusing the Councillor of hacking into Geelan’s Kinglake computer system. That article has since been cowardly withdrawn from publication.

Geelan’s reporting has become so out-of-hand that he says he has received “death threats” (plural). That piece has also been cowardly pulled from publication. Geelan seems to lack the personal courage to stand by his accusations. He hits, he runs.

Geelan concedes local people have described his writing as “unfair,” “not right” and “hurting people”. He says: “Those sending the threats said what I published was “of the lowest standard, even for you”.”

Kinglake identity Anthony McDonald publicly wrote to Geelan: “You wonder why nobody takes you seriously. You’re your own worst enemy.”

It is time for Geelan’s terror campaign against so many local people to end. These are not the actions of a person who wants to be of genuine service to the community.

The inability to know the difference between truth and fiction demonstrates a seriously troubled individual who is out of control, lacking in appropriate self-discipline.

Geelan’s latest untruthful report is yet another example of years full of irresponsible and wrongful behaviour towards fellow citizens.