News Jason 'McGrath' levels drug-taking accusation at the Lions - Which is categorically debunked

[POBT]

Damage control by the CM, sending Crash out to be interviewed.

The only way the CM can retain any sort of credibility is by maintaining this "fearless and frank journalism" line and hoping there is an element of truth to the story.

I reckon there might have been a convo or two at the higher level between News and the AFL. The local hacks up here might not appreciate it but the head honchos at News would know they have a symbiotic relationship with footy. While drama and controversy sells newspapers, long term damage to the code potentially affects the popularity of their flagship paper in Victoria. If people turn off footy, they won't buy the Hun or their Foxtel subscription.

What's bad for footy in the short term is good for News. People buy papers when there's a sniff of controversy. But what's bad for footy in the long term is bad for News too.

The News' media outlets tread a fine line between sensationalising a story to boost short term readership numbers and killing the goose that laid the golden egg. I reckon the local rag stepped over the line and are left to justify their story (Hammo's follow up) and to engage in a bit of defence (Crash on SEN).

 

[GingerGreatness]

PFK Conspiracy Theory Time!

Given that our co-captaincy was supposed to be announced this week, does anyone else suspect Hammo deliberately went searching random Facebook pages for anything he could find to try and ruin us?

Nah Kezz. I'd say that since the Essendon story broke Hammo has been desperately trying to find something to pin on us. After the Dank relationship was revealed to be all of 4 days, Jason Bourne's facebook page obliged him with something that, in his own mind, makes him relevant to AFL journalism.

 

[ZoBlitz]

It doesn't seem to be in any article yet but there's an update on the CM website:

MICHAEL Voss today admitted he couldn't rule out illicit drug use was happening during his tenure as Lions captain.

 

[MacMum]

God damn!.....I've smoked like a chimney this morning, what with having my elderly dad in hospital over night and all this crap.

Should've gone to work!.

 

[adey115]

I call B/S on the match-fixing in particular. It (as oppossed to spot fixing) is something that would be extremely hard to do in the AFL because of the number of players you would need - beyond that it would therefore be extremely hard to keep quiet.

Given we were still in the middle of our golden era it just seems like crap to me.

Totally agree LotR.

Match Fixing in Soccer is relatively easy, when the actions of two or even one player can basically decide a game - a fumbling 'keeper, a striker who is usually prolific but has a bad day....
Cricket is harder than that, but still possible. Clearly.
But AFL - you've got to be kidding me.... we use the term "won the game off his own boot", but reality is that people really can't "lose" the game off their own boot, and it requires a number of players to have an off day for a team to lose deliberately, so half the team would need to be in on it.

I hope that given that "sport is in crisis" and "match fixing" and such terms have been thrown in the air like confetti at a wedding over the past week or two, that the journos don't think they can get away with using the term "match fixing" in relation to an incident such as a backman knowing he'll be playing forward and throwing a lazy $10 on himself scoring the first goal at 100 to 1.

There is a big big big difference - while I dislike the concept of "spot fixing" or the like in AFL immensely (and it requires a players suspension if you ask me), the concept of "match fixing" would be abhorrent, but also near on impossible.

THe way the media is carrying on, I'm surprised no one is calling "tanking" "match fixing" at the moment.

 

[maroon and blue]

Hammo alias Bargarse chasing down the dirt on Skase and Cronin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=hCdi08dAVGU

 

[matwt73]

Crash Craddock is probably the most respectable sports journo at the Courier Mail. Whether he actually has any credible sources on the story is another matter.

Agreed but cricket is really his area of expertise. Not some comfortable during winter.

 

[Skoob]

PFK Conspiracy Theory Time!

Given that our co-captaincy was supposed to be announced this week, does anyone else suspect Hammo deliberately went searching random Facebook pages for anything he could find to try and ruin us?

I uspect more a case of trying to stay relevant. All the southern reporters have a drug scandal and so he figured he needed one of his own. If you can create a story, it means you are the one to break it. Instead of rehashing other's stories he is the leading news breaker for his rag.
Like a kid in the playground, he would have been jealos of the other journos with their new toys and built his own.

 

[ZoBlitz]

I uspect more a case of trying to stay relevant. All the southern reporters have a drug scandal and so he figured he needed one of his own. If you can create a story, it means you are the one to break it. Instead of rehashing other's stories he is the leading news breaker for his rag.
Like a kid in the playground, he would have been jealos of the other journos with their new toys and built his own.

That and there wasn't any decent rumours on Bigfooty that day for him to publish...

 

[freq]

Not even a quote from these so called staffers.. this is tragic.

 

[Ironmonger]

My first thought was that it makes no sense for us to 'throw' a game in a year we won the flag, when one win was the difference between finishing 2nd and 3rd.

My second thought was that there were plenty of nothing games in that era when we won comfortably and always looked like we would win comfortably, and it probably wouldn't have been impossible for half a dozen players to contrive to get us to win by less than whatever the line was.

But searching through the 2003 results I can't see a game that even fits that profile. Mostly we tended to wait until the last quarter to pull away.

I'm all in favour of match fixing being investigated to the fullest extent, whatever the fallout. But I just can't find a time when it could've happened.

 

[freq]

When this is all over and done and Hammo is proven to be a hack again I will be forwarding this onto Media Watch, it's about time this moron had his credibility called into question.

 

[Tassie4ever]

Lol.

Ok fess up who was it?

Acuguy? Tassie4ever? irel? C'mon you veterans, I'm looking at you here.

Moi? A "veteran"?

I may be old in body but not necessarily in mind.

At least according to some.

And no, it weren't me.

If I ever see Hamilton standing, earnestly incognito, up the back at Lions' training again I may be disposed to taking up my thoughts with him directly- again.

If ever I saw absolute crap produced from total rubbish this is it.

 

[ZoBlitz]

He's updated the story with some quotes from Voss.

No doubt the CM will be able to slightly tweak the story every day for about a week to keep it in the papers.

 

[freq]

He's updated the story with some quotes from Voss.

No doubt the CM will be able to slightly tweak the story every day for about a week to keep it in the papers.

Still can't see any quotes from the unidentified sources that he is basing his article on now.

 

[Mr Ripper]

He's updated the story with some quotes from Voss.

No doubt the CM will be able to slightly tweak the story every day for about a week to keep it in the papers.

It'll be like Marge Simpson's Chanel dress. They'll get away with it until the seams fall apart.

 

[Hollow Knight]

So did Craddock provide anything revelatory?

 

[Caiphus]

So did Craddock provide anything revelatory?

To be honest, I had the stream on and must have just tuned out because I did not hear anything at all.

 

[Ceebee]

News Ltd have a big conflict of interest to bag the lions at any opportunity. He will probaly get a bonus.

Sad but probably true.

 

[Davemonkey]

Well something has to explain Jared Brennan's dreadlocks. Not to mention Jared Brennan in general. Dope would certainly do that.

 

[Ceebee]

Well something has to explain Jared Brennan's dreadlocks. Not to mention Jared Brennan in general. Dope would certainly do that.

Sadly, I think he IS just a dope.

 

[luthor]

The thing that pisses me off the most is Hammo's obvious and unmitigated glee at the mud he's slinging at us.

The latest breathless "revelations" in today's rag are full of his trademark vague generalisations and lack of direct quotes.

I'm calling BS on the "match fixing" allegations now.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Timely article re: match fixing.

http://www.news.com.au/top-stories/...fixing-is-a-myth/story-e6frfkp9-1226580474730

Just ignore the bit where they call Jason McGrath an ex-Lions player.

 

[patfullfankezz]

Wonder how Hammo would react to a group of us taking him to task for his articles? No violence mind, just asking him what the **** he thinks he's doing, and why.

You mess with one Lion, you mess with all of us!

 

[Ceebee]

Wonder how Hammo would react to a group of us taking him to task for his articles? No violence mind, just asking him what the **** he thinks he's doing, and why.

You mess with one Lion, you mess with all of us!

Lets hope the Club deals with him this time.