Herald sun investigation into dees tanking saga

[Bunk Moreland]

Melb have suffered enough from this whole episode, mainly through their own doing. So I can't punish them any further.

My big issue is if the AFL knew what was going on, why did they bury their head in the sand? This is bordering on match fixing.

Please explain Gil.

It is match fixing. Planned and deliberate.

It was put in place by senior football club figures.

It was discovered by AFL executives who went on to effectively cover it up - and that includes the current CEO.

If the people involved aren’t brought to justice, the whole thing is a joke.

 

[Tbone McGraw]

It is match fixing. Planned and deliberate.

It was put in place by senior football club figures.

It was discovered by AFL executives who went on to effectively cover it up - and that includes the current CEO.

If the people involved aren’t brought to justice, the whole thing is a joke.

It is going to be hard to do now with the main witness Dean Bailey unfortunately not with us anymore.

 

[Clint Bizkit]

Some of the comments in today's article was about not winning more than 4 games.

Unfortunately the main witness has passed away.

Correct, Melbourne were fined for conspiring to tank (not win too many games to get priority pick).

I want to see evidence we actually tanked remembering that we were really rubbish in 2009.

 

[Tbone McGraw]

Correct, Melbourne were fined for conspiring to tank (not win too many games to get priority pick).

I want to see evidence we actually tanked remembering that we were really rubbish in 2009.

Honest question.

What is difference between conspiring to tank, and actually tanking?

 

[Oscarman]

It is match fixing. Planned and deliberate.

It was put in place by senior football club figures.

It was discovered by AFL executives who went on to effectively cover it up - and that includes the current CEO.

If the people involved aren’t brought to justice, the whole thing is a joke.

Carlton 2007 and Collingwood 2005 also need looking at. There should be a full investigation of these and more.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

It is going to be hard to do now with the main witness Dean Bailey unfortunately not with us anymore.

Not at all, his full testimony is on the record.

 

[Tbone McGraw]

Carlton 2007 and Collingwood 2005 also need looking at. There should be a full investigation of these and more.

Nice deflection.

 

[Taylor]

I don't think anyone would be surprised to hear the AFL covered up people twisting their rules to gain an advantage.

 

[The_Reaper]

Yes WC dropped down to grab Natanui an then made top 4 the next season.
It just felt like at Melbourne an Carlton more than most the plan was play as many kids as possible and one day they will be 25.

Our club didn't change until Paul Roos came in and started trading for older blokes an making kids be better than them to get a game

West Coast dropped down to get Naitanui the year after Cousins and Judd left and then Kerr missed most the season.

We then spooned 2 years later.

Don't invent facts to chuck us in the same boat as your dirty club.

 

[AndyLucimitis]

I think the tanking saga (at least for Carlton) was summed up with this immortal post from an opposition supporter:

'Carlton are scum for tanking to finish bottom - not that they needed to tank as they are s**t anyway !".


My point is - where do people think the Melbournes, Carltons and Bulldogs of this saga would have finished anyway - Top 4 ?

 

[BRWB]

Some posters playing the same semantics as Gill.


Indisputable fact is that as a club, Melbourne, did not do its utmost to win.

But that is not the story. The story is the AFL cover up and corruption facilitated by media collusion.

The AFL could never admit the tanking for fear of legal action from punters and/or betting agencies. Plus massive brand damage. Plus allegations that the AFL priority pick based rules made them almost complicit in tanking by creating the environment for tanking to occur.

The big untold story is how major journos and in particular, Caroline Wilson supported the AFL's cover up . It truly has been Gils crowning achievement to get vipers like Caro to eat out of his hand without biting him.

This cover up is only second to the Ess drug scandal, starting with Demetrious call to Ess telling them to get their house in order (ie start shredding) and finishing with an AFL appointed tribunal clearing Ess.

Kudos to Mick Warner.

 

[PP34]

Expert tankers that finished last when the first pick available was only #4.

And the year before when we could've taken #1 , we win 4 of our last 5 games because the AFL "had a word".

That's an interesting reality you're forming for yourself.

I do remember a lot of Eagles suddenly being shut down for surgery

 

[Taylor]

I think the tanking saga (at least for Carlton) was summed up with this immortal post from an opposition supporter:

'Carlton are scum for tanking to finish bottom - not that they needed to tank as they are s**t anyway !".


My point is - where do people think the Melbournes, Carltons and Bulldogs of this saga would have finished anyway - Top 4 ?

The difference between pick #6 or having picks #1 and #2 is significant. The AFL is still mostly a game of B and C grade players that have a sprinkling of truly elite players who can turn the result off their own boot, winning contests, contested marks, intercepts etc.

Having the best two players in the year over a middling pick in the bottom half is very big.

But you need to choose correctly and develop correctly.

 

[Tbone McGraw]

I think the tanking saga (at least for Carlton) was summed up with this immortal post from an opposition supporter:

'Carlton are scum for tanking to finish bottom - not that they needed to tank as they are s**t anyway !".


My point is - where do people think the Melbournes, Carltons and Bulldogs of this saga would have finished anyway - Top 4 ?

The thing for me is the alleged theory that melb had to make sure they did not win more than 4 games. Nobody is saying they were a good side.

It is the alleged deliberate losing games that is a worry.

 

[The_Reaper]

I think the tanking saga (at least for Carlton) was summed up with this immortal post from an opposition supporter:

'Carlton are scum for tanking to finish bottom - not that they needed to tank as they are s**t anyway !".


My point is - where do people think the Melbournes, Carltons and Bulldogs of this saga would have finished anyway - Top 4 ?

Possibly with more than 4 wins

 

[The_Reaper]

I do remember a lot of Eagles suddenly being shut down for surgery

We tanked for pick 26?

 

[DapperJong]

who cares

 

[Crankyhawk]

A very small minority.

I’m also not dumb enough to think that if only happened with Melbourne in 2009 or us in 2007.

Could name at least half a dozen sides going back at least to the infamous freo haselby game v geelong in 1999

Will add the hawks v tigers game in r 22 2005 where we manage to cough up a 7 goal half time lead to keep under 5 wins.
Karma does get you though, we draft X ellis and the 2 beaus that year; ellis passable career but the other two epic fails.

 

[Clint Bizkit]

Some posters playing the same semantics as Gill.


Indisputable fact is that as a club, Melbourne, did not do its utmost to win.

But that is not the story. The story is the AFL cover up and corruption facilitated by media collusion.

The AFL could never admit the tanking for fear of legal action from punters and/or betting agencies. Plus massive brand damage. Plus allegations that the AFL priority pick based rules made them almost complicit in tanking by creating the environment for tanking to occur.

The big untold story is how major journos and in particular, Caroline Wilson supported the AFL's cover up . It truly has been Gils crowning achievement to get vipers like Caro to eat out of his hand without biting him.

This cover up is only second to the Ess drug scandal, starting with Demetrious call to Ess telling them to get their house in order (ie start shredding) and finishing with an AFL appointed tribunal clearing Ess.

Kudos to Mick Warner.

Where is the evidence that Melbourne did tank?

Melbourne were effectively fined for conspiring to tank which is true.

Melbourne not doing "its upmost to win" is not tanking. Tanking is intentionally trying to lose so your argument and understanding of the situation is flawed from the beginning.

When Fremantle left half their team out late in the season a few years because they were resting players for finals they were not doing their "upmost to win" those late season games, but they weren't tanking.

 

[Crankyhawk]

This story would have had more impact if they had waited till the dees make a gf and put it out gf week

but this week is their grand final (well neither they or Essendon really would accept being 0-3)

 

[Tbone McGraw]

Where is the evidence that Melbourne did tank?

Melbourne were effectively fined for conspiring to tank which is true.

Melbourne not doing "its upmost to win" is not tanking. Tanking is intentionally trying to lose so your argument and understanding of the situation is flawed from the beginning.

When Fremantle left half their team out late in the season a few years because they were resting players for finals they were not doing their "upmost to win" those late season games, but they weren't tanking.

You have answered your own question.

If reports are true, Bailey was told not to win more than 4 games. So that is deliberate losing.

 

[BRWB]

Where is the evidence that Melbourne did tank?

Melbourne were effectively fined for conspiring to tank which is true.

Melbourne not doing "its upmost to win" is not tanking. Tanking is intentionally trying to lose so your argument and understanding of the situation is flawed from the beginning.

When Fremantle left half their team out late in the season a few years because they were resting players for finals they were not doing their "upmost to win" those late season games, but they weren't tanking.

Club officials were instructed not to win. Its fact. Its not even debatable that as club Melbourne did not try to win.. Not sure why you are getting twisted up. That is old news and açcepted by everyone except Gil, the AFL, Caro and now you.

The real story is the AFL covering it up and trying to leave wriģgle room for themselves and fans like you.

Have a good hard look at yourself m8 - you are sounding like a reality denying Bombers fan.

 

[blue harvest]

Nothing new in that article and there was no cover up.

Papers do anything these days to try and make a buck.

 

[Clint Bizkit]

Club officials were instructed not to win. Its fact.

Show me the evidence that Melbourne actually did actually intentionally lose games.

Melbourne were rightfully fined were conspiring to tank, no one is denying that but it doesn't mean they did intentionally lose games.

 

[Jesse Custer]

This story would have had more impact if they had waited till the dees make a gf and put it out gf week

But the Essendon paper (HS) is running an agenda I tell ya. All this to put them off their game in rd 3.