The Essendon footy club were unrepentant about their systemic doping regime and the AFL did their level best to sweep things under the rug and minimise the damage.
So why would anyone be surprised about them colluding over salary cap cheating?
Culture.
Free agency was only going to work fairly for all clubs if the AFL was transparent about player salaries and vigorously policed the salary cap. But it’s quite clear from all the side deals which players are able to make that the salary cap rules are toothless and the current system is a farce.
But what do you expect from an organisation that ticked off the Buddy Franklin deal, effectively stealing him away from Hawthorn and paying him millions on the side to be the AFL ambassador & public face of footy in Sydney.
The AFL is a shitty corrupt competition where the people in charge just make up the rules as they go along.