These comparisons don't exactly hold up when the AFL has shown in the past that they would rather bury their head in the sand then actually confront tanking, they clearly didn't think it to be as big of an issue as those other examples to the point where they would handle it on the same level as those other examples. If the AFL had been that disgusted with tanking when the original suspicions were going on then Melbourne never would have had the opportunity to tank because they would have eliminated it from the game, even if they hadn't have punished anyone they would have at least removed the incentive, something that took them a very long time to do. Hell, Demetriou and Anderson defended Melbourne when the original tanking allegations were thrown and were quite vitriolic to those making the claims. I also don't think the AFL views the alleged tanking as being the same as the examples of match-fixing you've provided. Playing players out of position is not as bad as a boxer being instructed to fall over in the third round.
I'm not saying any of that will save Melbourne, but what I am saying is that the AFL won't punish Melbourne to the extent that you suggest, we will lose draft picks, we will get a fine, we will be publicly humiliated, that will be it.
B does not follow A
I agree that the AFL buried their head in the sand. But it does not follow that they considered it unimportant. It could be that they considered it so important that they preferred to deny then deal with it. In the hope that it would stop & never be proven.
Not a good coping strategy but a very common one, how many times does a large organisation get into issues & their first reaction is to deny & cover up until this becomes impossable? Even to the extent of refusing to change the policy causing the problem becouse to do so could admit that there is a problem. In fact this appears to be the most common reaction.
Just reading the newspapers this year brings many possable examples of such reactions. The Catholic Church's reaction to pedophilla allegations, the Governments reaction to increases in boat people numbers, the Republicans reaction to electoral loss. Deny there is a problem, attempt to cover up, refuse to alter polices that lead to the problem, attempt to blame others.
In fact that reaction is common among many of the posters in this thread.
Often when the denial becomes impossable they then turn on a scape goat, throwing said to the wolves in an attempt to protect themselves.
As I have already said I doubt that the AFL will find that Melbourne tanked, but coming down on some Melbourne people like the Wrath of God and a painful but limited slap for Melbourne. Yes that sounds like the typical next action for a large organisation facing a problem of their own making. The bad apple defence.