Demons Drug Crisis - Why not the same scrutiny as West Coast?

[Algorithmic Hot Takes]

All clubs, or their supporters say the media is out to get them when a scandal blows up. The explanation, or part of it, is the media is out to generate content, they're selling your eyeballs to advertisers, so they need to engage, outrage and keep you hooked.

If Melb v Perth is a good angle to do this, that's what they'll do. If it's how Essendon risked the lives of young players*, well, that's a good angle. Now it's Melbournes culture that's a good angle.

There's some truth in all the reporting, clubs are full of young, wealthy lads with plenty of time and more than a few won't have level heads or 'stable' personalities, and just being young doesn't help make good choices. Then there's the club, coaches etc who have to get the players to perform -and do cut corners/ignore shady behaviour - and need good players, so they'll cover it up, pretend they're doing the right thing (or try to do the right thing), but they keep good players who are a problem because they think it's worth it to win. (However, I'm not privy to the internal workings of Melbourne, so have no idea what the real story is. )

Which makes fertile ground for a media frenzy when they find an angle....

Anyway, I don't know what my point was, but I've run out of crap to write. Stip Collingwood of the last flag, and hand it to Essendon as a participation award seems a fair outcome.

*I'm not arguing that Essendon were hard done by.

 

[garlic munchers]

Genuinely, would like to hear other thoughts on what I may have missed.

This isn’t some stupid attempted hit job on the Demons, more a comparison I’ve noted from observing the daily front page headlines and furore about the Eagles drug culture in the 2000s compared to what’s currently going on at the Demons.

Already enough 'hits' down demon way, so no need for anymore.

That place has stunk it up for years now, with a certain admin exec doing his best Woosha impersonation ...

Woosha - "Hi Ben, glad you could drop by. Need to ask if you are doing drugs?"

Ben - "No".

Woosha - "Great, glad we could clear that up".

Woosha - "If you see Kerrey, Hunts, Fletch and Chicky, can you let them know I need to catch up with them for a quick word?".


Maybe Glen Bartlett shouldn't have been given the "irrelevant" and "troublemaker" tags and there would have been a Demon dynasty.

Actually on second thoughts......................nothing to see here.

 

[NorthernBastard]

Give it time...

 

[Red Bull]

The best culture he’s seen in 40 years
Why can’t people just take Perty’s word for it and move on …

 

[Mr north man]

The best culture he’s seen in 40 years
Why can’t people just take Perty’s word for it and move on …

View attachment 1910291

Hay leave Pert alone this is the only job being CEO of Melbourne that he got on his own every other job his had 2 chin Eddie got him.
After all his been to hell and back in the past being CEO of Collingwood and filling in for FIGJAM Buckley When he was unavailable to put Eddie Electric Blanket on 3 at night.

 

[Shane Heard]

Let’s never forget the wonderfully phone recording of D.Kerr taking about the joy of a ketamine high to his dealer.

Can’t find it on the interwebs…but it did happen and it waS glorious

 

[Shane Heard]

Times have changed. It was 17 years ago.

Society was more uptight about drugs then, and the Eagles didn't just unravel... they spun out of control in a very public way, right in everybody's face.

Cousins did his triathlon in 2006 and then, in the space of about six months in 2007:

• The story about Fletcher flatlining dropped (was leaked to Andrew Rule by a footy official)
• The photos and story of Cousins of his face and asleep in the street appeared (given to the media by a member of the public who took them)
• Cousins left to go to rehab in the US, then returned and released a video statement about his substance abuse problems
• Chris Mainwaring passed away of an overdose
• Cousins got arrested in the street for drug possession and was paraded around half naked

It was all a media wet dream. Drugs were pretty edgy stuff back then so it was a great scandal. People are more accepting of drug use now.

But give the Dees time, if they keep messing up in public then the heat will come.

Not enough Chicky in that summary.

D. Chicky was the architect of all those WC drug links.

He had all the connections. A great man.

 

[Young Redleg]

It clearly has to add another * next to their already * flag.

Yeah true. The bulldogs were so embarassing and pathetic in that game to the point where our flag does deserve an asterisk.

 

[marcmurphy3]

Alot of the Westcoast stuff got swept under the rug at the time. There were rumors like there is now with Melbourne but I wouldn't say there was a whole bunch of scrutiny. The fact they were winning meant the administration wasn't that interested in looking to hard. And then it blew up.

Same could still happen to Melbourne. Not saying it will but if the rumors are true it's still early.

 

[Scritchyscroony]

The best culture he’s seen in 40 years
Why can’t people just take Perty’s word for it and move on …

View attachment 1910291

Perty was one of the masterminds behind Collingwood's transition from an unsuccessful "volcanic" culture in 2010-11 to the far more successful culture of the Bucket years.
I mean apart from onfield success...and Sam Murray, Josh Thomas, Lachie Keefe getting suspended for drug use..plus the Degoey and Stevenson antics; apart from all that; Perty and Bucks did a great job with cultural transformation.
Great Success

I'm loving seeing him continuing the good work at Melbourne.

 

[Iamspock]

Remember when you would say 'We're playing the druggies this week, and it was assumed it was Essendon... now you need to clarify who you will be playing..

 

[Red Bull]

Remember when you would say 'We're playing the druggies this week, and it was assumed it was Essendon... now you need to clarify who you will be playing..

And the common denominator is …

 

[Sumwun]

I think the scrutiny is yet to come. It's still relatively early in the piece (re: Joel Smith) in that it is still being investigated and it hasn't had the same number of West Coast 'stories' yet.

Even the 'flatlining' piece quoted in the OP didn't name West Coast, didn't name Chad Fletcher (until much later) and was a story several other journos refused to run until Andrew Rule went with it.

West Coast had a former player die, had their star player and captain on the run from police, found in a bad way outside multiple venues, avoiding drug tests, enrolled in rehab - in the same year that he played a key role in them winning a flag. They had another player die (i.e. flatline) before being revived, a car crash, stolen prescription pads, etc, etc.

Even then, most of the perceived scrutiny is in retrospect - as whilst there was reporting at the time - most of the real scrutiny came later when everything had been piled up at the full extent of the issue had reached fruition. I mean, it wasn't until 2017 that West Coast was properly investigated! (through the Gillard report). Even then, they weren't allowed to investigate anything prior to April 2007 (conveniently the start of the season after their flag) - which was also after the worst of it. Gillard’s report was unequivocal in concluding that the club’s management had “covered up” years of blatant illicit drug abuse and allowed a rotten off-field culture to fester before 2007 but wasn't permited to investigate any of it. Hell, drug issues had emerged at West Coast as early as 1998 (the benders in Spain), was a club wide problem by 2000 but the reporting didn't come until years later and the real scrutiny, later again.

I think the scrutiny will still come for Melbourne (as it should), especially if they start building up the same number of stories/circumstances West Coast did.

I blame the sycophantic media in WA for much of West Coast's issues in the early 2000's. If they weren't covering up what was going on, when it was going on, maybe things would have been better.

 

[DQ 4EVER]

One club "won^ a flag with drug cheats
The second club had 1 player go off the rails on drugs 2 years after a flag& another fringe player involved.
I don't see the similarly at all

On SM-G960F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

One club "won^ a flag with drug cheats
The second club had 1 player go off the rails on drugs 2 years after a flag& another fringe player involved.
I don't see the similarly at all

On SM-G960F using BigFooty.com mobile app

Doing drugs while playing finals, isn’t an issue for you? I am sure he is not the only one using drugs at Melbourne.

I suspect every club has a couple of players who use drugs, but to blatantly do it while playing in a final series, is another level.

 

[Angus Young]

Until it involves performance enhancing drugs and cheating in the game, I´m finding it very difficult to give a *.

 

[My_Username]

With west coast, the problems grew behind the scenes until nobody (club/media/AFL) could deny it any more.

Partly due to that, there is a lot more monitoring these days (AFL drug code), so the Melbourne problem is still probably a year or two less developed than where WCE was at when their case exploded.

I also think that the AFL/media has learned that name and shame/scandal reporting might get a few clicks (etc), but it doesn't help the situation, and the AFL has a lot more control over 'their' media these days.

So I think it's more about the times than the clubs involved. (although WCE being a bigger club was always going to be a bigger story)

 

[kane249]

With west coast, the problems grew behind the scenes until nobody (club/media/AFL) could deny it any more.

Partly due to that, there is a lot more monitoring these days (AFL drug code), so the Melbourne problem is still probably a year or two less developed than where WCE was at when their case exploded.

I also think that the AFL/media has learned that name and shame/scandal reporting might get a few clicks (etc), but it doesn't help the situation, and the AFL has a lot more control over 'their' media these days.

So I think it's more about the times than the clubs involved. (although WCE being a bigger club was always going to be a bigger story)

Only reason this saga with Smith has gotten any exposure is because it was a match day result, so it fell under SIA's watch and not the AFL. AFL couldn't do what they usually do and cover it up.

Can only imagine the names and hits over the years who have triggered one and two strikes under the AFLs system and retained their anonymity.

 

[PieBeast]

Until it involves performance enhancing drugs and cheating in the game, I´m finding it very difficult to give a *.

Same stance like you with meth being the only serious worry.

Aware it's not in Big Footy spirit but I'm willing to bet any moolah the proportion of boys at any Club dabbling in the good stuff is roughly the same.
The main issue here is being dumb enough to get exposed.

 

[the harry]

I think people forget how big Cousins was in the mid 2000's.

Oliver is high profile, but he's not the most recognisable player in a State while Smith is just delist material really.

Look forward to the Melbourne old boys calling for heads to roll.

Be interesting if this takes the shine off Gawn and his leadership given the alcohol and drug issues that have festered under his watch.

 

[Philhawk]

I think people forget how big Cousins was in the mid 2000's.

Oliver is high profile, but he's not the most recognisable player in a State while Smith is just delist material really.

Look forward to the Melbourne old boys calling for heads to roll.

Be interesting if this takes the shine off Gawn and his leadership given the alcohol and drug issues that have festered under his watch.

If anything, I think the fact Gawn seens like such a good bloke is what's masking more scrutiny.

He may be a terrific guy, but if he (and others at the club), can't recognize they have a serious leadership problem that's led to this point, they all should go.

 

[kaiserchief13]

Because Melbourne is located in Victoria and afl media are biased towards Victorian teams. I see no articles about 1 non Victorian premier since 2013 and 2 since 2007

 

[Golumless]

Winning covers all ills.

If Melbourne implodes, they'll get dragged for this to get people fired. Another finals appearance and the world won't care.

 

[Hoops]

I reckon the trafficking charge is overreach.

A guy offering to get a baggy for a mate is technically trafficking, and while it’s obviously against the law I just can’t give a * when it’s something that hundreds of thousands of professionals are doing weekly in this day and age, when organizing social occasions with friends.

Like Mathew Stokes

 

[blackus]

What i thought was amazing was Max Gawn having to do the presser yesterday and answering the questions over it. Surely the Pres or CEO at a minimum are fronting a press conference to deal with an issue of this magnitude? At least Glen Bartlett had the guts to raise it as an issue back in his day...

This.

If any positive came from the spotlight on the Eagles, it changed the culture and made them clean up.

Meanwhile we have Demons officials and the coach himself continually claiming they have no problems with their culture.

At what point do heads roll and the overdue cleanup finally happens?