News Essendon Players allegedly involved int Third Party Payments.

[monty1104]

Damian Barrett just announced That "several Essendon players and one St. Kilda player" are being investigated by the AFL over payments made to them by the same charity (Unity) that has been involved in the Melbourne Storm Salary Cap breach.

Barrett stressed that the payments could be legitimate, but they would be investigated all the same. Essendon CEO Ian Robson has told the AFL that the players and club will assist in any investigation.

Interestingly, the charity, which is now in liquidation, was run by Xavier Clarke and Alan Murray.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

I'd assume they're legitimate, or inadvertant.

We're nowhere near 100% of the cap, so what's to gain from cheating?

 

[silk]

I'd assume they're legitimate, or inadvertant.

We're nowhere near 100% of the cap, so what's to gain from cheating?

Agree,
If we are cheating, then the admin must be incredibly stupid. I mean the storm cheated, but at least assembled a great team.

 

[monty1104]

My thoughts exactly. The payments could date back to 2003 though, according to the lady investigating the company.

 

[Frothies Mcveigh]

Yeah theres completely no reason to cheat as we have plenty of room.

 

[tha Freak]

Thankfully they can't strip our 2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09 flags from us.

Evans (CEO) has said that at first look, the payments seem legit. More to follow!

 

[GuzzLG]

I see a charity, I see Essendon players. Where's the third party?

 

[monty1104]

I see a charity, I see Essendon players. Where's the third party?

The club.....

 

[loopy_cam]

Strip us off all of our points in the 2007 season. So we finish bottom with 0 points.

Then we lose Myers and get to pick our priority pick 1 and pick 3 and we will choose Palmer and Rioli and we will win the premiership this year.

I like it.

 

[nylexbandit]

Strip us off all of our points in the 2007 season. So we finish bottom with 0 points.

Then we lose Myers and get to pick our priority pick 1 and pick 3 and we will choose Palmer and Rioli and we will win the premiership this year.

I like it.

Agreed. We may have to lodge an injunction if the AFL refuses [oops Hawthorn Board]

 

[nylexbandit]

I see a charity, I see Essendon players. Where's the third party?

Huh? I think the possible breach would be Essendon donating money to the charity, and then the charity pays out that money to Essendon players.

Honestly if we have breached the cap that is the stupidest thing in the history of the AFL. If we haven't Barrett should issue a full apology on the Footy Show. Even though he said stuff like it may be nothing he's dragged us through the mud already.

 

[Donakebab]

Why should Barrett issue an appology if everything is above board? He never accussed Essendon or St.Kilda of anything, he simply stated they were being investigated, which is correct.

Also this isn't a new story, it was reported in The Age on Saturday. Going by the article there is nothing to worry about due to the small size of the payments.

http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-leag...nto-storm-salary-cap-probe-20100430-tzeo.html

The charity, set up by former St Kilda star Xavier Clarke, was wound up two years ago. But its former chief executive, Peter King, last night confirmed that Storm's top player, Greg Inglis, was paid for some of his activities with the group - as were footballers with the St Kilda and Essendon AFL clubs.

http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-leag...nto-storm-salary-cap-probe-20100430-tzeo.html

Mr King defended the charity as worthwhile. ''My understanding is that players would only get $150 to $200 when they were involved in these sessions - we're certainly not talking thousands. I totally reject any suggestion of wrongdoing.''

http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-leag...nto-storm-salary-cap-probe-20100430-tzeo.html

 

[Slattery_20]

I see a charity, I see Essendon players. Where's the third party?

Essendon, the players are the 1st & 2nd; charity is the 3rd.
Basically if they can prove the club had anything to do with the charity, it's a 3rd party payment and dodgy.

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

To be honest I wouldn't worry too much as it's only speculation...

If you do get found guilty though I would assume the AFL would follow the precedent they set with Carlton and strip you of draft picks and also issue a fine.

Of course the severity of these sanctions would depend on the extent of the salary cap cheating.

Though for the time being it's all speculation, so I wouldn't worry yet

 

[Slattery_20]

It's payments of $150 to $200.
I have a feeling, even if the club is found to have somehow been involved - which I doubt, we probably could have fit it in the cap anyway, in the years in question - ie no motivation.

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

It's payments of $150 to $200.
I have a feeling, even if the club is found to have somehow been involved - which I doubt, we probably could have fit it in the cap anyway, in the years in question - ie no motivation.

Storm in a teacup then

If that is truly the case then the journalists who reported this and blew it up are class A ********s

 

[Slattery_20]

There's audits being done of every-bloody-thing following the Waldron storm. I don't think this'll be the last such minor irregularity.

Yet we all know there are players getting cars, shares in businesses, property deals, and partners getting dodgy 1-hour a week jobs.

 

[Pocket_Pears]

Anyone know which players it was? If we lose draft picks because of Richie Cole or Courtney Johns I'm going to be seriously pissed off.

 

[Kong]

Yet we all know there are players getting cars, shares in businesses, property deals, and partners getting dodgy 1-hour a week jobs.

This is what baffles me.

According to the reports we've done what many other clubs have publicly admitted to (see Frank Costa), but at a significantly lower price. Why is that we are being investigated, and not clubs such as Carlton and Geelong?

 

[Pocket_Pears]

No one has even said whether the club had these payments approved by the AFL or not. All we know is that they received payments from a charity that Melbourne Storm players also received payments from. Thats hardly doing anything wrong.

I think the fact that we're not the only club that has been involved is a good indicator that we haven't done anything wrong. If it was some bogus charity that only EFC was involved with, I would be more concerned.

 

[nylexbandit]

Why should Barrett issue an appology if everything is above board? He never accussed Essendon or St.Kilda of anything, he simply stated they were being investigated, which is correct.

Also this isn't a new story, it was reported in The Age on Saturday. Going by the article there is nothing to worry about due to the small size of the payments.

http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-leag...nto-storm-salary-cap-probe-20100430-tzeo.html



http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-leag...nto-storm-salary-cap-probe-20100430-tzeo.html



http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-leag...nto-storm-salary-cap-probe-20100430-tzeo.html

The fact it was reported already makes me think he owes more of an apology.

As I mentioned I know he stressed they were just being investigated but seriously what's the impression most people will get from that? Why couldn't he mention that it was for amounts of around $100 that they were looking at?

By reporting it the way he did it was a clear attempt to sensationalise it a bit and give the impression that there was a fair chance of salary cap cheating occurring

 

[tha Freak]

Can't see much in this. From the AFL players web site about the charity;

'Current St Kilda Footballer Xavier Clarke, former St Kilda Footballer Allan Murray and Peter King and formed the Unity Foundation as an inclusive not-for-profit organisation which utilises indigenous athletes and community leaders to deliver supportive and inclusive programs under the core principles of understanding, nurturing, identity, togetherness, and youth.

Unity’s founders are committed to inspiring Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians to reach their potential and develop a hunger to achieve their life long goals through leadership, support and education.'


I would expect payments made to Indigenous players would be to cover expenses in attending functions.

 

[Big Blow Hard]

Just drawing a tenious link to the Storm to try to sell papers. Nothing more. Smacks of media desperation to get AFL back to the front of sports news.

 

[Longy413]

Why is that we are being investigated, and not clubs such as Carlton and Geelong?

We're not being investigated are we?

Not by the AFL.

Our players involved are being questioned by the administrators.

 

[Kong]

We're not being investigated are we?

Not by the AFL.

Our players involved are being questioned by the administrators.

Oh, well our players are being investigated.