Opinion Non-Crows AFL 12: Willie and the Port Boys

[Brasher]

Regards Rioli, not sure there is much point arguing precedent to back either case, AFL has proven its rulings are random at best, more concerned with optics at worst.

 

[Scorpus]

Explain nothing for Willie and only 4 weeks for Balta as against the GWS/Powell/Tex penalties then?

I'll show you where the AFL's priorities lie

Jaidyn Stephenson - 10 game suspension and $20,000 fine for betting on 3 matches

Noah Balta - 4 week suspension for assaulting a person, which he was later convicted for and handed a criminal record

Willie Rioli - Nothing at all for threatening an opponent, on allegedly more than one occasion

So according to the AFL if you place $36 worth of bets on your own matches, that is a FAR worse thing to do then bashing or threatening someone. Betting is worse than violence.

 

[jo172]

It's the overreactions to the GWS stuff viz a viz the wet lettuce leaf that Balta was slapped with which will forever send me.

 

[Redline]

Rioli should of got a few games but at a minimum he deserved some kind of fine to make the point it was unacceptable. The no penalty is very weird.

Port have a real problem with him whenever something doesn't go his way.

 

[WetCrow1991]

There is no penalty, yet.

AFL love a backflip.

 

[AFC979810]

I'll show you where the AFL's priorities lie

Jaidyn Stephenson - 10 game suspension and $20,000 fine for betting on 3 matches

Noah Balta - 4 week suspension for assaulting a person, which he was later convicted for and handed a criminal record

Willie Rioli - Nothing at all for threatening an opponent, on allegedly more than one occasion

So according to the AFL if you place $36 worth of bets on your own matches, that is a FAR worse thing to do then bashing or threatening someone. Betting is worse than violence.

Well betting is far worse for the AFL than players committing random acts of violence (threatened or real). The AFL isn't a social policing agency. It's the AFL.

Players betting on games illegally can undermine the integrity of the league and destroy it or at best cost it millions in sponsorship.

I wouldn't have punished Balta and Rioli (although I can understand the reasoning behind the AFL doing it). The Stephenson punishment should have been a much much bigger fine and keep him playing.

 

[kirky]

Weak from Port, bet if it wasn't a showdown they would have internally suspended him

Port and AFL better hope nothing happens to Dale in Darwin otherwise in a whole world of pain. If some numpty attacks Dale then that message will come back to bite them.

 

[SugarShane]

I'll show you where the AFL's priorities lie

Jaidyn Stephenson - 10 game suspension and $20,000 fine for betting on 3 matches

Noah Balta - 4 week suspension for assaulting a person, which he was later convicted for and handed a criminal record

Willie Rioli - Nothing at all for threatening an opponent, on allegedly more than one occasion

So according to the AFL if you place $36 worth of bets on your own matches, that is a FAR worse thing to do then bashing or threatening someone. Betting is worse than violence.

Taylor Walker - 6 week suspension for using the colour of someone's skin as an adjective in a private conversation.

 

[MRB37]

Rioli should of got a few games but at a minimum he deserved some kind of fine to make the point it was unacceptable. The no penalty is very weird.

Port have a real problem with him whenever something doesn't go his way.

Flipping a bird will get you a $1000 fine, but threatening violence upon another player is apparently A-OK.

 

[kirky]

Well betting is far worse for the AFL than players committing random acts of violence (threatened or real). The AFL isn't a social policing agency. It's the AFL.

Players betting on games illegally can undermine the integrity of the league and destroy it or at best cost it millions in sponsorship.

I wouldn't have punished Balta and Rioli (although I can understand the reasoning behind the AFL doing it). The Stephenson punishment should have been a much much bigger fine and keep him playing.

“Undermine the integrity of the league”.

****, they jumped that shark years ago.

This league has very little integrity - compromised fixture, tribunal with inconsistent penalties, violence is lesser than betting.

I’m an AFL footballer and give a mate $50- to lay some bets - yeh, how easy is it to get around the no betting rule. What a ****ing joke! You can’t do the same thing with messaging or assaulting someone.

And your comments are laughable.

 

[AFC3000]

You would think anyone who had been suspended for cheating on multiple drug tests and then given another chance would just put their head down and quietly go about playing football but he can’t stop yapping. On field or off field.

Probably won’t be the last time. Obviously got a sympathetic lack of penalty here.

Pretty much everyone who has been penalised for doing anything less than threatening another’s safety the day after a match would be a little confused.

 

[Scorpus]

Well betting is far worse for the AFL than players committing random acts of violence (threatened or real). The AFL isn't a social policing agency. It's the AFL.

Players betting on games illegally can undermine the integrity of the league and destroy it or at best cost it millions in sponsorship.

I wouldn't have punished Balta and Rioli (although I can understand the reasoning behind the AFL doing it). The Stephenson punishment should have been a much much bigger fine and keep him playing.

Players going around bashing or threatening people and not being punished can also cost the AFL millions in sponsorship which is why they punish those things and do "social policing", as you put it.

Of course Stephenson should have been punished for integrity issues but when the AFL decides they will police both integrity and off-field indiscretions, the punishments handed down will be compared and should be proportionate.

That's not even getting into how a current AFL umpire is employed by a betting company and yet Stephenson was handed a massive punishment

The AFL punishing betting, use of offensive language and an offensive private function more harshly than violence is ridiculous

 

[weekend at bernies]

Flipping a bird will get you a $1000 fine, but threatening violence upon another player is apparently A-OK.

Imagine that was Ginnivan or Greene... min 1 week suspension.

 

[MRB37]

Repeat offender: Dale message not the first time Rioli has threatened opponent

"The other wrinkle is this, Rioli is allegedly a repeat offender."

www.sen.com.au

 

[Pugsley]

Willie needs a holiday with some counselling and deactivating all social media.

 

[ams4crows]

Repeat offender: Dale message not the first time Rioli has threatened opponent

"The other wrinkle is this, Rioli is allegedly a repeat offender."

www.sen.com.au

Well of course he's doing it multiple times he's not being disciplined by either his club or AFL.

 

[whattagun07]

seems willie needs some counselling / anger management assistance at the very least

 

[MatthewB]

Nice, they will be fresh and rested for us

 

[AFC979810]

“Undermine the integrity of the league”.

****, they jumped that shark years ago.

This league has very little integrity - compromised fixture, tribunal with inconsistent penalties, violence is lesser than betting.

The AFL is an entertainment league run for $$$ (despite it being a non-profit organization).

If players are betting on games it destroys the fabric of the game and its integrity. Sure the VFL is corrupt as shit - but its product (the players and games) isn't.

Players throw games for money and it all goes out the window. A player going rogue and being an idiot will not affect the AFL anywhere near as much.

I’m an AFL footballer and give a mate $50- to lay some bets - yeh, how easy is it to get around the no betting rule. What a ****ing joke! You can’t do the same thing with messaging or assaulting someone.

Well you can, and in this situation it's exactly what happened. Rioli threatened Dale through a mate.

And your comments are laughable.

Meh.

I watch football because I enjoy it and in a league that's talent pool is getting more and more watered down - I dont want to see players miss games.

Thats my opinion. I understand the reasoning behind the AFL and clubs suspending players even though I dont like it.

 

[GreyCrow]

Nice, they will be fresh and rested for us

Hahaha Nicksy and co are laughing , laughing at McRae - resting players - next minute someone will talk about rotating players around the ground

 

[AFC979810]

Players going around bashing or threatening people and not being punished can also cost the AFL millions in sponsorship which is why they punish those things and do "social policing", as you put it

Of course Stephenson should have been punished for integrity issues but when the AFL decides they will police both integrity and off-field indiscretions, the punishments handed down will be compared and should be proportionate.

They were proportionate. Illegal betting on your own game is one of the biggest no no's a professional athlete can do.

That's not even getting into how a current AFL umpire is employed by a betting company and yet Stephenson was handed a massive punishment

No issues there.

Foot is employed to be a racing betting expert in an AFL sanctioned role.

Should Pendelbury not be allowed to have a winery because Mac Andrew got busted drink driving?

The AFL punishing betting, use of offensive language and an offensive private function more harshly than violence is ridiculous

I am in agreeable that the bolded penalties were ridiculous.

 

[AFC979810]

Hahaha Nicksy and co are laughing , laughing at McRae - resting players - next minute someone will talk about rotating players around the ground

Great - we get a fresh Pendles, De Goey, Mihocek and Maynard.

 

[BRL121]

Illegal betting on your own game is one of the biggest no no's a professional athlete can do.

I reckon it should be compulsory, provided, of course, that all team members bet on a win.
That should result on the team turning up to play every week.

 

[GreyCrow]

Great - we get a fresh Pendles, De Goey, Mihocek and Maynard.

Thats planning

 

[Thrillthorpe7]

You would think anyone who had been suspended for cheating on multiple drug tests and then given another chance would just put their head down and quietly go about playing football but he can’t stop yapping. On field or off field.

Probably won’t be the last time. Obviously got a sympathetic lack of penalty here.

Pretty much everyone who has been penalised for doing anything less than threatening another’s safety the day after a match would be a little confused.

He also seems to think that his Instagram account is private and keeps posting pot shots at the AFL or other clubs there (which it technically is now); however, he already has 48k followers and I would guess he doesn't have 48000 friends.