Scandal The 2016 finals series was rigged

RichLeMonde

Club Legend
Sep 26, 2019
1,929
3,539
Sydney
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Celtics
Its not like they have to send out a memo, all they have to do is sit around a table and say you know what, there's a lot of extra money in Vic clubs winning and hey presto, an umpiring display like 2016.
It doesn't have to be a directive, all it needs is a mindset.
If you’re saying that no directives are given, but that the supremos at AFL house make it known, generally speaking, that it would be great for the league if some team had a great year, and that umpires and tribunal members unconsciously - not consciously - carry that message into their jobs, then yeah, I would consider that possible.

But not directives being given, and not umpires consciously, deliberately favouring a particular team in order to try and engineer a result. I don’t buy that.
 
Mar 4, 2015
2,127
2,573
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Other Teams
Central Districts
If you’re saying that no directives are given, but that the supremos at AFL house make it known, generally speaking, that it would be great for the league if some team had a great year, and that umpires and tribunal members unconsciously - not consciously - carry that message into their jobs, then yeah, I would consider that possible.

But not directives being given, and not umpires consciously, deliberately favouring a particular team in order to try and engineer a result. I don’t buy that.
Well, what better way to kick things off than holding an inquest into the dire state of football in the heart land..

Troy Pannell and his 75-38 FF Bulldogs over 3 consecutive home games during 2016 suggests differently.
 
Oct 20, 2004
17,094
20,876
Brisbane
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Pompey
The one thing that's missing from this conspiracy (apart from a smoking gun) is the question of... why? What motivation?

Literally the best outcome for the AFL is sporting victories in expansion markets - GWS, Sydney, GC, Brisbane. A small, scrappy Melbourne-based team is probably the worst outcome, financially.
 

Dubai Quacker

Wily Old Campaigner
Aug 11, 2019
8,827
27,174
Western Australia
AFL Club
Sydney
The one thing that's missing from this conspiracy (apart from a smoking gun) is the question of... why? What motivation?

Literally the best outcome for the AFL is sporting victories in expansion markets - GWS, Sydney, GC, Brisbane. A small, scrappy Melbourne-based team is probably the worst outcome, financially.
Because they are (a) scrappy, (b) Melbourne based and (c) in trouble financially.

The romance of the underdog beating the powerhouses.

The AFL proving that (fraudulent) dreams can come true.

Bob Murphy tugging at the blue collar heartstrings.

Bevo, Gill and Stevic forging a life long friendship.

Statistics don’t lie. The free kick differentials cannot have been a statistical outlier. The probability is so minuscule as to be basically zero.

Can’t believe it’s not a central theme of Q Anon yet!
 
Oct 20, 2004
17,094
20,876
Brisbane
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Pompey
Statistics don’t lie. The free kick differentials cannot have been a statistical outlier. The probability is so minuscule as to be basically zero.
It's not quite zero. There have been other games with free kick counts that are just as lopsided, it's just that this didn't happen in a GF.

The other possible explanation is that the umpires were human, and caught up a bit in the romance of the Dogs story.

Occam's razor would suggest that's far more likely than an organised conspiracy involving either bribery or blackmail.

A GWS victory would have been an AFL wet dream.
 
Jul 25, 2019
53,234
78,465
AFL Club
Carlton
Other Teams
Leeds United
It's not quite zero. There have been other games with free kick counts that are just as lopsided, it's just that this didn't happen in a GF.

The other possible explanation is that the umpires were human, and caught up a bit in the romance of the Dogs story.

Occam's razor would suggest that's far more likely than an organised conspiracy involving either bribery or blackmail.

A GWS victory would have been an AFL wet dream.

Buddy and several other Swans fans were clearly unfit on Grand Final day, that to me had a far bigger impediment on Sydney losing the game then the umpiring.

Now I am one of the most vocal haters of the Bulldogs on this forum, but I never believed for a second the GF was rigged or biased towards them, they were the best team in the finals and on GF today, Swans were victims of just plain rotten luck, personnel wise, pure and simple..

Just annoys me that an otherwise fairly entertaining and hard thought Grand final/premiership by The Dogs is often unfairly questioned and tainted by conspiracy nuts.

Let it go. And let all the loyal and long suffering Dogs fans enjoy their moment in the Sun, so happy a Melbourne Institution and treasure in Ernie Sigley and other long time Footscray mad supporters got to enjoy seeing a flag before they passed away.
 

Dubai Quacker

Wily Old Campaigner
Aug 11, 2019
8,827
27,174
Western Australia
AFL Club
Sydney
It's not quite zero. There have been other games with free kick counts that are just as lopsided, it's just that this didn't happen in a GF.

The other possible explanation is that the umpires were human, and caught up a bit in the romance of the Dogs story.

Occam's razor would suggest that's far more likely than an organised conspiracy involving either bribery or blackmail.

A GWS victory would have been an AFL wet dream.
If it was only the GF, fair enough.

But the thread is “the finals series”, not just the GF.
 
Jun 29, 2010
4,409
9,777
Bombay
AFL Club
Sydney
Just annoys me that an otherwise fairly entertaining and hard thought Grand final/premiership by The Dogs is often unfairly questioned and tainted by conspiracy nuts.
It's not just GF day.

It was the whole finals series. As heavy a hand on the scales of justice as you're ever likely to see.
 
Feb 5, 2018
13,936
33,319
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Chicago Blackhawks Melb Renegades
If you want an idea of a real rigged season, I have photographic proof.

I work for a major sporting retailer and we just received the official Geelong premiership jumper.

Order date on the invoice was 10/05/2022!



Remember my name as I will likely be deleted from the universe for sharing this information.
 

ash_1050

Premiership Player
Nov 21, 2009
4,428
8,563
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Melbourne Victory and Arsenal
If you want an idea of a real rigged season, I have photographic proof.

I work for a major sporting retailer and we just received the official Geelong premiership jumper.

Order date on the invoice was 10/05/2022!



Remember my name as I will likely be deleted from the universe for sharing this information.

The Sydney premiership jumpers have been shipped to Sudan, where the kids were devastated that Melbourne and the Bulldogs were unable to match St Kilda's 2010 heroics of winning a flag after many decades.
 
Oct 20, 2004
17,094
20,876
Brisbane
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Pompey
The Sydney premiership jumpers have been shipped to Sudan, where the kids were devastated that Melbourne and the Bulldogs were unable to match St Kilda's 2010 heroics of winning a flag after many decades.
Can confirm - most leftover stock like this winds up in charity programs overseas. Seen it around the Pacific Islands quite a bit.

That said, I suspect that the order itself was made in May but the screen printing of the winner's image would have been made at some point during the finals.
 

VicBased

Club Legend
May 3, 2019
2,763
3,053
AFL Club
West Coast
Well, what better way to kick things off than holding an inquest into the dire state of football in the heart land..

Troy Pannell and his 75-38 FF Bulldogs over 3 consecutive home games during 2016 suggests differently.
Can't wait for the investigation into "Why aren't the Interstate teams winning GF's"
 
Mar 4, 2015
2,127
2,573
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Other Teams
Central Districts
Can't wait for the investigation into "Why aren't the Interstate teams winning GF's"
Nah, we just need to be more like them so..
Manipulate Free Agency
Draft Tampering
Systemic Performance Enhancing Drug Use
Umpiring Bias
Racism
Illegal Gambling
And everyones favourite
Infidelity

Problem solvered.
 

Doc1763

Norm Smith Medallist
Mar 29, 2019
8,641
13,071
AFL Club
Collingwood
It's not just GF day.

It was the whole finals series. As heavy a hand on the scales of justice as you're ever likely to see.
1669977241504.jpeg
 
Back