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I find the anger against the Dees a little mystifying. The system existed and they exploited it, fair play to 'em. Abuse of the set-up wide-spread and yet now we hear allot righteous talk about Melbourne's morally bankrupt culture whilst everyone else that had a crack (including ourselves most likely) is merely a victim. What a load of balls.
It was a corruption in which a significant majority had hand in. Why else the comparatively weak punishment? They can't explicitly punish them for tanking without it forcing out the evidence that a number clubs have done the same whilst AFL officials gave tacit approval. Everybody loses. Hence the pumped out outrage before and during the investigation followed by not actually doing anything. Hell they had prima facie evidence for the same investigation 3 and half years ago. Anyone who thought Melbourne as a club would carry the can for this were dreaming.
Spot on, but that doesn’t stop my dislike for them. With Melbourne it's a bit personal in that they tanked pretty much all year in 08/09 except when they played us- now we should have been good enough to beat them, but still, it annoyed me that bit more. Further, I don’t think any club have been as systematic in their tanking efforts, though granted we don’t know all the facts, but they stink pretty strong of it. Taken over from Carlton as the tankers par excellence AFAIC.
But for sure, Melbourne wears the emotional wrath at the moment, but the real nobs are at AFL headquarters. They’ve done a great job in recent years in many respects, I’m no Vlad hatter for the sake of it. But on this issue they’ve been truly stupid and they’ve set up a system where they can’t do anything but find a scapegoat, slap a wrist or two and wax lyrical that tanking doesn’t exist.









