North Fined $20,000 - Ridiculous

[Tas]

Important difference there, though.

Melbourne especially and quite possibly Adelaide too, are likely to be hit with substantial fines for serious trangressions. The AFL might well say that those fines alone, being large, are enough by themselves without rubbing salt into the wound.

The fine for North, on the other hand, is seemingly for pissing off the AFL- nothing more or less.

Moral of the story is, don't piss off the fat Greek.

If you intentionally lie in an investigation on tanking or salary cap cheating you are going to light up the offences like a christmas tree.

 

[telsor]

The AFL wants to make it clear....cooperate or else.

10K isn't a massive "or else", but it's only a minor 'crime'.

The point of it all is that when a bigger issue comes up, they've set the precident.

 

[Shane Hird]

The AFL wants to make it clear....cooperate or else.

10K isn't a massive "or else", but it's only a minor 'crime'.

The point of it all is that when a bigger issue comes up, they've set the precident.

I suppose you're right. To compare, the NFL would dish out a fine 10 times that amount.

Gotta protect the head...to avoid getting sued in the future by brain damaged players.

 

[Doss]

This is more about the AFL needing to be seen to be tough on concussion stuff in any case. It is part of a wider campaign the AFL will be running to prepare the ground for very tough rules, that clubs will not like, re concussion and players going back on, the league will introduce to cover itself legally, and fair enough too.

Suspect you're on the money here.

Pretty sucky for you guys to be the ones that lucked out and became the sacrificial lamb for this, though. The AFL needed to make a statement, probably to lay ground work for future policies, and though North have done nothing wrong besides perhaps being slightly clumsy in assisting the investigation, they've become the scapegoat effectively.

The AFL is all about protecting itself and its image, and is not afraid to flex its muscle in doing so.

 

[Tas]

Suspect you're on the money here.

Pretty sucky for you guys to be the ones that lucked out and became the sacrificial lamb for this, though. The AFL needed to make a statement, probably to lay ground work for future policies, and though North have done nothing wrong besides perhaps being slightly clumsy in assisting the investigation, they've become the scapegoat effectively.

The AFL is all about protecting itself and its image, and is not afraid to flex its muscle in doing so.

I loved this line:

North Melbourne chairman James Brayshaw accepted the decision, but was relieved club doctor Andy McMahon had no case to answer.
"There were some breaches in the handling of the process and if that's the case, we accept that it wasn't done properly," Brayshaw said on Triple M.

Translation: I have no ****ing idea what we did wrong, but if we did then we were wrong because the AFL said so.

I do think the AFL should have proper procedures for investigations, especially for in-season investigations so clubs know what kind of time period they have to respond and when they have to make people available and what process or procedure there is if there are conflicts. I think the AFL harassing players on game day is unacceptable.

Clubs need to sit down with the AFL and ensure they protect themselves by demanding there be proper procedures in place.

 

[The Chiefton]

Doctor found to have done the right thing - Yes

Did the NMFC handle it in the correct manner? No

Works out to be a ten grand fine. Pay it, move on & don't ****ing let it happen again.

 

[mufassa]

Don't understand why the AFL would try to bankrupt a club over this. Guess this really is becoming personal for not moving to the Gold Coast.

Another stupid comment. You think 10k will bankrupt us?

 

[Dalphonso]

Fair call if you lie to Andy D.
Watch out Crows and Demons.$20,000 will be the first instalment only.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

The problem was the AFL investigators were pissfarting around interrupting training etc on the eve of a final when there had been far more serious concussions during the year (in fact Lachies was non existant) and a couple of the officials asked the AFL to stop interfering and "Get on with it".

Pretty reasonable request I would have thought.

The investigation went on for what? 2 months? Surely that is a bit excessive.

 

[MaddAdam]

Suspect you're on the money here.

Pretty sucky for you guys to be the ones that lucked out and became the sacrificial lamb for this, though. The AFL needed to make a statement, probably to lay ground work for future policies, and though North have done nothing wrong besides perhaps being slightly clumsy in assisting the investigation, they've become the scapegoat effectively.

The AFL is all about protecting itself and its image, and is not afraid to flex its muscle in doing so.

Has all the hallmarks of a Donald McDonald special. Lucky his kid can play.

 

[Ant_]

Next highly original "Derp dey poor" type comment gets a prize.

Don't understand why the AFL would try to bankrupt a club over this. Guess this really is becoming personal for not moving to the Gold Coast.

You win.

 

[Tas]

The problem was the AFL investigators were pissfarting around interrupting training etc on the eve of a final when there had been far more serious concussions during the year (in fact Lachies was non existant) and a couple of the officials asked the AFL to stop interfering and "Get on with it".

Pretty reasonable request I would have thought.

The investigation went on for what? 2 months? Surely that is a bit excessive.

12 weeks in total.

 

[cash]

What more did the AFL want??

AFL: "Was Hanson sent back on with concussion?"

Roos "No"

AFL "Are you sure?"

Roos "Yes"

AFL " We don't belive you - Hanson looks groggy"

Roos "That is his normal dopey look"

AFL "You are not being very helpful - give us $20,000"


The AFL are IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeh that's exactly how it went mufassa you genius.

 

[Pusswah]

People trying to defend North are morons. They didn't get fined for nothing and noone is out to get them.

 

[telsor]

The problem was the AFL investigators were pissfarting around interrupting training etc on the eve of a final when there had been far more serious concussions during the year (in fact Lachies was non existant) and a couple of the officials asked the AFL to stop interfering and "Get on with it".

Pretty reasonable request I would have thought.

The investigation went on for what? 2 months? Surely that is a bit excessive.

Any possibility that North pissfarting around and being uncooperative is why they took so long, and that North causing this waste of time and money is why they got fined? Remember, "hindering police investigations" is a chargable offence too.

 

[Rob]

The AFL wants to make it clear....cooperate or else.

10K isn't a massive "or else", but it's only a minor 'crime'.

The point of it all is that when a bigger issue comes up, they've set the precident.

The precedent has been set many times in the past. Clubs have been fined many times for minor breaches of technical rules. Lodging salary cap related documents late or incomplete is reasonably common.

If there's a rule that you have to co-operate, then there has to be a punishment if you don't do it. Irrespective if it's inadvertent or not (although the punishment should reflect the severity).

 

[telsor]

The precedent has been set many times in the past. Clubs have been fined many times for minor breaches of technical rules. Lodging salary cap related documents late or incomplete is reasonably common.

If there's a rule that you have to co-operate, then there has to be a punishment if you don't do it. Irrespective if it's inadvertent or not (although the punishment should reflect the severity).

Absolutely. I remember Richmond got done for about 15K a couple of years back for a breach of salary cap rules because we got the paperwork wrong...an incomplete form or something like that that. AFL sent it back, we apologised and re(did) is correctly and got fined for our breach.

 

[mufassa]

People trying to defend North are morons. They didn't get fined for nothing and noone is out to get them.

We made them look stupid while they were trying to find something that never happened. Fining a club because you are embarrassed is poor sooky form. They are deflecting from their incompetence.

 

[boncer34]

We made them look stupid while they were trying to find something that never happened. Fining a club because you are embarrassed is poor sooky form. They are deflecting from their incompetence.

Pretty sure its Norths sooky behaviour that cost you 20k.

 

[mufassa]

Pretty sure its Norths sooky behaviour that cost you 20k.

10k for laughing at the AFL while they were trying to get a photo of the Loch Ness Monster.

 

[NUFC Tiger]

What constitutes 'not cooperating' exactly? Were they trying to cover something up/deliberately not comply with the AFL's requests or perhaps or was it more of a moral case where they were trying to make a point about something?

Seems a bit harsh - reminds me of when we got fined something like $10k for an administrative error when lodging our player payments last year. Probably just another way for the money hungry monster that is the AFL to squeeze out some more cash

 

[Hard_to_Beat]

We basically told the AFL to piss off with their OHS big brother bullshit.

This pissed off the self interested control freak careerists at AFL house.

We don't need to be told how to care for our players.

 

[footscore]

We basically told the AFL to piss off with their OHS big brother bullshit.

This pissed off the self interested control freak careerists at AFL house.

Caddy

 

[jacko57]

Ummm no. North lied to the AFL and gave conflicting evidence. They have been subsequently fined. You should be happy, it was only $20k and half suspended.

When and who, specifically?

 

[jacko57]

Since when is it the problem of the AFL that your club doctor has a job away from the club and didn't make himself available for an interview?

It's YOUR club's responsibility for YOUR staff. If you employ someone who cannot commit sufficiently within AFL rules, then that is YOUR problem.

This is assuming this is the one and only reason for the fine...

An alternative view is that an investigator employed full-time by the AFL, who wants to interview a doctor who is not employed full-time by a club, ought to be able to schedule interviews around that doctor's hospital schedule.