All clubs should be investigated

[The Spornstar]

Well, fair's fair. I expect us to be guilty, and I'm prepared to cop the punishment. However, I believe all AFL club retirees should be investigated, just like all ours have been. I'm not talking about that audit that Demetriou talks about that happens to all 16 clubs, that's just for the current season payments. I am talking about going back over the last few (or more) seasons and checking the payments made to recently retired players.

I think you'd be surprised what you'd find. If we are guilty, then fine we do the time. But all should be investigated. The only reason this is out in the open and has occurred was due to an irregularity in the way Fraser Brown filled out a long service leave form. Then the AFL have gone on a witch hunt looking for details on our other players. So why shouldn't it happen to all players?

 

[Port01]

I have no doubts all clubs rort the system in one way or another.

Essendon's payments to Lloyd for a website they have done nothing about for 2 years now is one of the more obvious examples.

In fact the mattlloyd.com.au domain name he was paid for is no longer registered. Essendon fans would be furious about the complete waste of a lot of money if it was just a business transaction, and not a salary cap rort.

The 2 year lease they had on the domain name from Lloyd is up, so even if he owned the domain name again (which he doesnt, they just let it lapse), it is still a 6 figure sum for nothing deal, hardly good business, and an investigation now would probably have enough to proof that there was never an intention for it to be a business deal.

Thats just an example though, I'm sure all clubs do it.

 

[The_Flying_Egg]

Originally posted by Port01
I have no doubts all clubs rort the system in one way or another.

Essendon's payments to Lloyd for a website they have done nothing about for 2 years now is one of the more obvious examples.

In fact the mattlloyd.com.au domain name he was paid for is no longer registered. Essendon fans would be furious about the complete waste of a lot of money if it was just a business transaction, and not a salary cap rort.

Thats just an example though, I'm sure all clubs do it.

Im guessing the Dogs and North don't

 

[Port01]

Originally posted by The_Flying_Egg


Im guessing the Dogs and North don't

Not now no, but they probably did at some stage.

I have little doubt that Port has a few shady dealings they would have trouble explaining away.

 

[Yianni]

A friend of mine plays for Sydney City Roosters and he says that sneak payments, etc, etc are a part of life in the NRL. It's so common and all the clubs do it.

I would not be at all surprised if AFL was the same. In fact, I'd be very surprised if they weren't...

 

[Wrath]

We would all be niave if we thought Carlton were the only guys rorting the system. Their problem is they got caught, the others have not as yet. Its a bit like the taxation system, the laws are there, but l am sure more cheat it to some extent than not.

Until the AFL put a punishment that deserves the crime, it will continue to be rorted. l wouldnt take draft picks of clubs for going over.

l would actually reduce their salary cap limits substantially, and conduct yearly audits for the next 5 years at the clubs expense, and finally, give them a $500k fine.

Not sure if this possible, but l would also fine the people responsible for the rorts, the directors of the club, make them accountable for their decisions or the people underneath them.

These measures l believe would make clubs think twice in rorting the system. Harsh l know, but at least it makes guys accountable.

Wrath

 

[HoRsE]

Wrath, great idea! That would hurt clubs big time.

 

[fabulousphil]

Where would Cameron Schwab go then.

 

[rubberman]

Yes all clubs should be and probably are investigated. There are many ways to rort the system though. It is also not Carltons first offence at exceeding the salary cap. The only problem being a deeper investigation could unearth a lot of detail on payments that the AFL would not like to be made public eg the majority of clubs rorting the salary cap. And that would be bad publicity for the AFL.

 

[dillo_09]

It is my understanding that a number of clubs have been investigated and punished over the years.

Collingwood - yes
Essendon - yes
Melbourne - yes
Carlton - soon

Can anyone else confirm any other clubs?

I would doubt that Collingwood have deliberately done it over the past 3 years given Eddies declaration of openess and honesty and his need to protect his credibility. But you never know!!

 

[DaveW]

"Oh, but everyone else was doing it" is no defence.

I don't think investigations into every club are necessary as such. But surely the AFL should have strict auditing procedures in place as the salary cap is a difficult law to enforce. (i.e. proactive measures rather than reactive measures)

 

[redback]

Come on spornstar it isnt the first time you guys have been caught cheating you know you did stop bleating the other clubs have also been caught & punished but the point is you guys didnt learn & are still doing it cop it on the chin & move on maybe after Elliotts gone the cheating will stop.

 

[Generalissimo]

Geelong wouldn't be able to get away with it even if we wanted to. Geelong's financial tight-rope walk has been covered extensively this year, if there was anything shady going on someone would have spotted it.

 

[saiak]

But the point is a good one.

There is a witch hunt going on all of a sudden.

It should be done for every club...and I think one of the sides in the west would be guilty (Adelaide and Port included)

 

[GOALden Hawk]

I think just about every club has been found guilty at some stage- and certainly all clubs came forward during the amnesty a few years back. Hawthorn got a $50,000 fine from memory because the breaches were minor and the AFL couldn't ascertain the exact details (in other words, we hid it better than others!)

There is no doubt Carlton aren't the only club cheating, the problem is getting caught.

For example, a firm I used to work at shared offices with another firm, who happened to do the taxes of a current AFL footballer. I can reliably say he received some interesting "bonuses" on top of his income.

 

[Andre]

Originally posted by saiak
But the point is a good one.

There is a witch hunt going on all of a sudden.

It should be done for every club...and I think one of the sides in the west would be guilty (Adelaide and Port included)

Well all clubs should be audited. At least back ten years since the most serious rorting seems to have went on (and a lot so far escaped official notice) in the early to mid 90's. As long as the investigation is going to go back far enough at least 10 years as a Port supporter I'm all for it - admittedly partly as Port have had less time to get the rorts into effect and therefore less chance of having done anything - so more potential gain from other clubs being penalised then potential losses, though the principal is right anyway

 

[dougthelegend]

Originally posted by Yianni
A friend of mine plays for Sydney City Roosters and he says that sneak payments, etc, etc are a part of life in the NRL. It's so common and all the clubs do it.

Thats uncalled for - heres a hint - next time you slander my NRL club's good name - get the facts first not just "i heard from a mate of mine....."

 

[The Spornstar]

Originally posted by DaveW
"Oh, but everyone else was doing it" is no defence.

Who said it was? Read what I wrote. If we are guilty we will do the time. All I ask is that we aren't the only ones being hunted.

Originally posted by DaveW

I don't think investigations into every club are necessary as such.

Errr...why not? If we have to put up with it so should other clubs. Why hasn't Lloyd's website been investigated? If the AFL don't have the resources to properly monitor the salary cap then we shouldn't have one.

Originally posted by redback

Come on spornstar it isnt the first time you guys have been caught cheating you know you did stop bleating the other clubs have also been caught & punished but the point is you guys didnt learn & are still doing it cop it on the chin & move on maybe after Elliotts gone the cheating will stop.

Nice use of punctuation there.

I know it's not the first time...if you guys were found guilty for Lloyd's website it wouldn't be the first time for you either. However, it shouldn't matter in the investigation if it's a first or hundredth offence, only in the penalty should that matter. We will cop it on the chin, we will move on....hopefully without Elliott. I am not bleating about us being caught, all I want is for the AFL to look into other clubs dealings.