The AFL's Big Brother Antics - Give Me A Break !!!!

[LordLucifer]

From an article in today's AGE :

McLean's comments have prompted the AFL to re-open an investigation into tanking, and he will be interviewed by league operations manager Adrian Anderson.

The AFL refused to say what the Demons could be charged with if McLean's comments prompt further investigation, although it is possible this could include bringing the game into disrepute.
There were calls yesterday for the Demons, if found guilty, to face a penalty even bigger than the fine of almost $1 million and the stripping of draft selections handed to Carlton in 2002 for its salary-cap rorting.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/demons-a-developing-issue-20120731-23d36.html#ixzz22FgjqlGi

You'll have to excuse me for the cynicism but what the hell does that p1ssant Anderson think he is doing here ??

Re-opening a case they closed some time back which they unilaterally rubber-stamped & approved everything that had taken place only to now back-pedal faster than a clown on a unicycle because they have been found out to be completely ineffective, unprofessional & superficial in their actions.

Furthermore, the Demons were pretty ordinary that year and basically deserved to finish where they did, it really didn't matter how much tampering with the team selections or the player positioning they engaged in, they were probably going to lose anyway.

However, the big kicker here is that they (and many other clubs mind you), have used the rules, the ones the AFL set themselves, to their advantage. They have not cheated, they have not perverted the course of justice, they have not been guilty of under the table payments etc, all they have done is used the rules in the manner they are/were written to leverage the maximum benefit available for their club.

If they are penalised with further draft concessions etc as hinted at in the article, I think it is time for something serious to happen across the complete football landscape from the clubs, the supporters, the sponsors & the media as this would be a complete & utter travesty of justice.

I'm goddam sick to death of the way this game is being run & the 'soap opera' mentality of those in charge.

If those in the ivory tower don't like the way clubs are using the loopholes in their system, then change the system and let them know its changed. Penalising a club for working within the rules is completely counter-productive to having them in the first place and will only force clubs to find even sneakier ways (ie. illegal) of beating the system time & time again.

 

[JockStewart]

The AFL is out of control, but it's hardly their fault. When they have thousands and thousands of discipiles each week ready to rock up in sheep-like formations and hand over big bucks for a sub standard product well then the AFL will believe it's actually bigger than government and start doing things like this.

Seriously who the f do the AFL think they are with all these investigations!! If I was Brock McLean (glad i am not casue the guy lacks a lot of things upstairs) i would laugh at AA and then threaten him with legal action if he dares try to pull anything. But ALAS these are bots we are talking about so i doubt anyone would have the kahoonas to stand up to the AFL which then reverts back to my original point.

 

[Bazzar]

Nice to see a Carlton supporter support tanking. Makes for a refreshing change.

 

[Quivorir]

Carlton fans getting worried?

 

[LordLucifer]

Nice to see a Carlton supporter support tanking. Makes for a refreshing change.

Let's be serious for a moment, "tanking" as you have called it is not a crime !!

There is nothing in the rules to say that you can't do it and for as long as the AFL had a bonus priority pick for a team finishing last with a less than desirable number of wins, there was always going to be clubs who would take advantage of that bonus.

People seem to think that "tanking" is only a bad thing when their club hasn't taken advantage of it, the sooner you face that reality the sooner you will start agreeing with me.

The AFL themselves are a joke and those in charge need to be thrown out of office, problem is, they are a law unto themselves and answerable to no-one.

 

[LordLucifer]

Carlton fans getting worried?

What's there to get worried about ??

There is nothing in the rules to say you can't lose games if you want to is there ??

 

[Quivorir]

You are bringing the game in to disrepute, and surely it can be legally classed as match fixing.

 

[LordLucifer]

The AFL is out of control, but it's hardly their fault. When they have thousands and thousands of discipiles each week ready to rock up in sheep-like formations and hand over big bucks for a sub standard product well then the AFL will believe it's actually bigger than government and start doing things like this.

Seriously who the f do the AFL think they are with all these investigations!! If I was Brock McLean (glad i am not casue the guy lacks a lot of things upstairs) i would laugh at AA and then threaten him with legal action if he dares try to pull anything. But ALAS these are bots we are talking about so i doubt anyone would have the kahoonas to stand up to the AFL which then reverts back to my original point.

Spot on Jock !!

If the AFL want to do an investigation, then by all means do it but FFS make it a complete & thorough one at the time so that it doesn't come back to bite you on the backside.

This whole saga smacks of "oops, we c0cked up, better throw some weight around to deflect cricitcism".

 

[Bazzar]

The AFL themselves are a joke and those in charge need to be thrown out of office, problem is, they are a law unto themselves and answerable to no-one.

So would you like the AFL to appoint an independent body to setup a type of royal commision into the throwing of games? It would bring up some interesting results wouldnt it.

I bet behind closed doors Kernahan would be absolutely filthy with McLean because of the possible ramifications.

 

[LordLucifer]

You are bringing the game in to disrepute, and surely it can be legally classed as match fixing.

Match fixing ??

Paaalllease, you are are trying to suggest that a team that is basically woeful and has faced numerous smackings in a season, is going to be 'fixing a match' because they are going to lose again ??

Get your hand off it mate !!!

 

[Falchoon]

Anderson simply wants to find out why Blind Freddy knows more than he does.

 

[JockStewart]

If there was a royal commision in the AFL there would be a lot of findings which will pant the sport as unfair, corrupt and all that.

It's crazy how much the AFL engineer stuff right under our noises and because people are obsessed with the code they either ignore it or totally missed it due to them being hypnotised by the media parading another bot filled with pre conceived questions and answers.

One day someone will expose it all but for now we either allow it to happen and shut up about it OR do something about it like not attending a few matches in protest. But the die hards will always revert back to taking out such action will hurt your club.

 

[LordLucifer]

So would you like the AFL to appoint an independent body to setup a type of royal commision into the throwing of games? It would bring up some interesting results wouldnt it.

I bet behind closed doors Kernahan would be absolutely filthy with McLean because of the possible ramifications.

This is the sort of sh1te that the soap opera kings would do and it is why this game is fast becoming more of a joke on an annual basis.

As for Kernahan, if the AFL want to ping the Demons and then look at the Blues, you can sure as hell bet all of the other clubs (including your pathetic "can't win with 10-secs to go" rabble) will be worried too.

Every club has tanked in one form or another and you would have to be naive to think anything else.

 

[the distributer]

Win a game and get one top 2 draft pick, lose a game and get 2 top 5 draft picks, umm, let me think about this for a second.........

That's what Collingwood were faced with in 05, i wanted us to lose, pretty sure the coaches wanted us to lose, pretty sure every Collingwood person wanted us to lose, and we did, but you can't blame Collingwood/Melbourne/Carlton/St Kilda for that, blame the system.

 

[LordLucifer]

Win a game and get one top 2 draft pick, lose a game and get 2 top 5 draft picks, umm, let me think about this for a second.........

That's what Collingwood were faced with in 05, i wanted us to lose, pretty sure the coaches wanted us to lose, pretty sure every Collingwood person wanted us to lose, and we did, but you can't blame Collingwood/Melbourne/Carlton/St Kilda for that, blame the system.

My point exactly !!

If dems the rules, then why are clubs going to be penalised for using them as they are written ??

 

[JockStewart]

It is a strange one..the AFL is soley repsonsible for this yet they are trying to act all moral. The AFL really don't know what they are doing most times.

If anything AA should call AA into his office and tell AA off for allowing tanking to happen in the first place.

 

[LordLucifer]

If there was a royal commision in the AFL there would be a lot of findings which will pant the sport as unfair, corrupt and all that.

It's crazy how much the AFL engineer stuff right under our noises and because people are obsessed with the code they either ignore it or totally missed it due to them being hypnotised by the media parading another bot filled with pre conceived questions and answers.

One day someone will expose it all but for now we either allow it to happen and shut up about it OR do something about it like not attending a few matches in protest. But the die hards will always revert back to taking out such action will hurt your club.

Once again, exactly right Jock !!

How can the AFL get all high & mighty about teams "tanking" when they engineer the draw to maximise revenue instead of providing an even playing field for all clubs ??

No matter where they have finished on the ladder the previous year, Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon & Richmond always play each other twice ................

 

[sydjackson]

Methinks the AFL has had a plan stored away for several years for exactly this eventuality. They always knew that innuendo would rise, and claims of deliberate tanking would be made once players retired, wrote books etc.
They will simply pull out the plan, and go through the steps.
This will result in:

• nothing concrete will be determined - they will always be able to find mitigating circumstances for a result. Players unavailable, coaches having the right to play players wherever they like etc.
• no findings of any deliberate action to lose a game. eg. team is down by a point, player takes mark in goal square, siren goes, player deliberately kicks ball in opposite direction to ensure no score
• therefore no findings, no penalties. McLean confirmed as entitled to his opinion, but that's where it will be left.

I don't think the AFL will be too worried - I think they will have run through all the scenarios long before this.
If you want a pointer, just look at the fiddling with Swans and Kieran Jack, and tha absolute SFA they did about that bending of the rules. This will be the same.

 

[JockStewart]

Like how you just had to mention another club. FWIW that was a **** up on the AFLs part and had nothing to do with the swans.

Carlton did throw games, but thats hardly their fault when they were given an option as they were. Same goes for Melbourne and to an extent Collingwood in 2005.

It's the AFL that should be questioned, not any of the players or clubs.

 

[sydjackson]

Like how you just had to mention another club. FWIW that was a **** up on the AFLs part and had nothing to do with the swans.

Carlton did throw games, but thats hardly their fault when they were given an option as they were. Same goes for Melbourne and to an extent Collingwood in 2005.

It's the AFL that should be questioned, not any of the players or clubs.

Oh, really?? Consider Tim Lane's analysis, and then tell me it "had nothing to do with the Swans"

To accept assurances that nothing untoward happened when Kieren Jack was recruited by Sydney you have to believe three things:
First, his draft registration papers were lost in the mail in early October 2005. As a dubious excuse it ranks with the-dog-ate-my-homework and it is statistically a-chance-in-thousands; but it could have happened.

Second, when Kieren Jack told a Sydney journalist 15 months ago that he actually hadn't registered for the 2005 national draft, either he was making it up or the journalist misunderstood him.
And third, when Kieren's father gave precisely the same account to a Fairfax journalist a year later, either Garry Jack confected the same story or the journalist made the selfsame error as his News Limited counterpart 12 months earlier.


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/investigated-whitewashed-20111210-1oovx.html#ixzz22G1OjgLB​

 

[PumpyChowdown]

It's all a storm in a teacup. Due to the allegations the AFL must be seen to be doing something. A flimsy investigation will occur that won't produce one iota of evidence and it'll all be forgotten about in two weeks time. If the AFL were actually serious about tanking they would have already acted.

In my opinion, it's abundantly clear that both Melbourne and Carlton have tanked for draft picks. "Blind Freddy" could see it. I also believe that Hawthorn and Collingwood have tanked in the past. West Coast...not too sure, they were indeed belted by injuries that year.

Move along people, nothing to see here.

 

[mcuzzy]

how about instead of punishing melbourne they just change the draft pick system, make it a lottery between the bottom 10 teams or something for the first 10 picks.

 

[JG38]

You are bringing the game in to disrepute, and surely it can be legally classed as match fixing.

LOL funniest thing I have read all day -- will you place a bet on a team coming last or second last gunning for priority picks? lol idiot

 

[Bazzar]

I like the idea of an amnesty that was brought up on one of the footy shows last night. Give all clubs a chance to privately come clean with detailed information, and no penalty handed out. If a club withholds and are investigated and found to have artificially influenced a match, then the book thrown at them big time.

 

[JG38]

I like the idea of an amnesty that was brought up on one of the footy shows last night. Give all clubs a chance to privately come clean with detailed information, and no penalty handed out. If a club withholds and are investigated and found to have artificially influenced a match, then the book thrown at them big time.

Loopholes in any system are there to be taken advantage of. It's the AFL's fault for putting such a system in place. Clubs are aggressive and want to be succesful