Caroline Wilson's descent into gutter journalism

[Whispering_Jack 27,914]

Caroline Wilson is a journalist whose sources are usually impeccable and, unlike many others in her trade, she is unlikely to rush into print without having a good handle on her story. That would raise some concerns for Melbourne but it still leaves the question open of what is required to make the activity in question in breach of AFL rules. This is particularly so in view of the past pronouncements by people like Demetriou and other investigations that have been carried out by the league.

The other thing is the question of what weight do you put on the evidence of coaches and players, some of who are now former employees who might not have left the club in happy circumstances? Were their actions sanctioned by clear instructions from club officials or were they acting off their own bats in the belief that they were seeking the best outcome? I note while the article says "league investigators re-interviewed several players and coaches", it does not indicate whether club officials or administrators have been interviewed.

Whichever way this plays out, I suspect that heads will roll including possibly some high up and some of the witnesses themselves might also be in a spot of bother. If any of the coaches have admitted to involvement in tanking, I think they can kiss goodbye to their careers. One also can't dismiss the possibility of this playing itself out in a court of law if Melbourne finds itself punished hard for something that might have happened 3½ years ago.

What I do find unsavoury about this is the possibility that Wilson's information was leaked by the investigators themselves which, while not unusual where sporting bodies are concerned, would be outrageous in these circumstances.

Moreover, Wilson's work is unusually sloppy for her. Apart from the gaffe about the wrong year in which alleged conversations took place, her version of Brock McLean's comments on Fox Footy's On the Couch that "tanking" prompted him to leave the club is not quite right. McLean, did insist that "tanking" wasn't the right word and he preferred to call it "experimenting". A number of people (including AFL officials) have gone on record as endorsing experimentation when applied for the long term good of a club.

Finally, you don't have to be "Blind Freddie" to work out that Wilson has been consistently pushing an agenda against the current club administration for some time now. This sort of thing is not only prevalent in journalism but it seems it's now also acceptable.

[TheVoice 33]

Shoddy article from Wilson . . . . . Again!!

Reporting that there is fresh evidence from unnamed sources about a meeting about something. Followed by standard, rehashed media beatups of our supposed tanking over the last 5 years. . . . Hmmm.

Pathetic!

[Satan 2,722]

Who does aaron edwards play for again?

[Biffen 12,298]

Re-fried ,re-fried beans.

Not exactly breaking news Caro.

Who won that match?

[The Great Pretender 430]

we all know that is the truth, but in the official proceedings it's not like anyone is going to say 'hey but they did it too! no fair!'

that's like getting arrested for a crime and citing some other case where the guy got away with it

That might well be right but if we go down and the other seven or eight clubs involved in the same activity are not scrutinised for their activity then it would make those who control the game corrupt beyond description.

[Barney Rubble 1,576]

Morally, we won that match against the tigers she was talking about.

In front at the final siren only to be done by the only straight kick Jordan McMahon did that day.

What part of that game suggests we tanked?

[The heart beats true 16,012]

She obviously gets paid to write a minimum article a week over the off season and she threw this together in about 15 minutes.

If the MFC does face sanctions over this then it will get really ugly for the AFL. All of a sudden your implicating 4-8 possible other clubs and they would then need to investigate and act accordingly.

And what would it mean for the club? We'd struggle to get any sponsors involved and it would put the AFL under more financial pressure as they'd have to prop us up for exploiting a system that they put in place.

It just seems like they'd be crazy to make a spectacle of this. The Tippett thing is an obvious breaking of the rules. What happened with Melbourne is murky and only gets murkier if we get sanctioned.

It's lose lose. If we were a better side you could argue that we took advantage but if anything it's obvious that we haven't taken advantage. You just have to watch Rounds 1-23 of 2012 to see that.

[nutbean 8,837]

fresh evidence from unnamed sources - Caro sounds like half the posters on demonland.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

There is a difference between tanking and winning not being your top priority.

[DirtyDees DDC 171]

The irony is - if Richmond had lost that round 18 match (and assume all other results stayed the same) then the Tigers would have finished bottom. They would have had the first pick in the draft and picked Scully - a fanatical richmond supporter - and Melbourne would have lost their priority pick.

In the last 5 minutes Richmond gave up a 2 goal lead by letting Petterd and Grimes run through the middle for easy goals. If Melbourne were tanking that day, what on earth were Richmond doing?

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

Melbourne v Carlton - round 22, 2007 is the clearest example of tanking in any game in which I've ever seen the MFC participate.

Pity it was Carlton that tanked it though.

As a result, we got Cale Morton with pick 4. Carlton managed to get Kreuzer AND Judd.

Straighten up Ms Wilson - you strike me as not particularly astute. Bring some balance to your reporting - at present, it's far too inductive.

People may say she's an okay AFL journalist, but let's face it - sports journalism in this country sets a pretty low bar. In fact, I find the standard of all journalism to be depressingly bad in this country, but AFL journalism sets lows that make the weather systems over New York at the moment look like they might bring reasonably clear skies.

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

And surely you'd have to be worried about the prospects of winning any case in which Brock McLean was your key witness.

He'd be doing doughnuts in his Maloo outside the court house just before being called to give evidence.

[green_machine 36]

There is also an article on north melbourne's mis-handling of a concussion investigation. I would read these articles as an attempt by the afl to distract from the Tippett afair.

[Crompton's the man 635]

Shooting the messenger,folks

Funny thing is - we won the game under discussion ( until the unpredictable post-siren kick): so I find it hard to see how the charge is sustainable

[Pipefitter 2,008]

We've traded all our draft picks away anyway. What are they gonna take off us?

[MadAsHell 4,088]

Nothing to see here in my opinion.

This article is nothing more then a page filling puff piece in the wake of the whole Tippett fiasco!

The words 'believe' and 'possible' say it all if you ask me inthat it's extremely non commital and no one has been quoted and this story in no where else in any form of media. Any evidence would be simple hearsay in any judicial system unles someone high up from within the club at the time, eg Schwab, McLardy, Bauley or McDonald came out and said yes we went out to throw games. Which is highly unlikely to happen.

Worst case scenario and we do face sanctions eg draft picks, I don;t reckon it would be till next year. Reasons being is we've already won the rights to Jack Viney as father son and our Pick 4 is compensation for loosing a player which we're entitled to, not a 1st round draft pick.

Fingers crossed this all blows over, and worst case scenario, if there is something more, it doesn't come out until after the PSD and rookie draft. The fact that Vlad is in out corner puts the odds in our favour if you ask me.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Two things are very clear

1. Caro enjoys throwing dirt at the MFC ( especially Cameron Schwab);
   
2. Whatever we did or didn't do in 2009 to help our draft picks - other clubs had done in prior years
   

It would be a stunning injustice if we were singled out for a penalty

Any thought that MFC provides ample fodder for journos. We really have been keystone cops in recent years.

Is the evidence against other clubs as strong as the apparent evidence against MFC?

[beelzebub 22,225]

Shes on a witch hunt which i now find appropriate ...she being a witch that is.

Undoubtedly she has an agenda. Almost makes you wonder what her beloved Toiges have been up to for us to be targeted with such vitriolic deflection .

This is a can of worms the AFL must tread intelligently about.

I trust the Melbourne wigs have been preparing for battle .

Edited October 29, 2012 by belzebub59

[Jonesbag 487]

Theres is too much of a potential domino effect if the MFC gets stung for this. Its so much more practicle and easier for the AFL to say 'we have completed our investigation and find the MFC are not guilty of tanking'. I highly doubt someone has come out and given Caroline Wilson factual evidence on a meeting that had happened. Seriously this is D grade journalism at its best. Get your head out of your ass Caro.

[Outside fifty 967]

Given there has been along history of tanking in the AFL prior to our alleged miserable effort, one has to wonder why we have been singled out for such treatment by the AFL and in particular the media. It does seem as though our esteemed CEO has more than a few enemies amongst the swill that call them the third estate.But I can't help but think the root cause of all this ill feeling is generated from within the club itself. Most clubs are tight, water tight. Supporters, Board of Dirrectors, Coterie groups and Administration would by enlarge always put the clubs interests first even if they felt aggrieved. At the MFC we seem to have breed a culture of self interest that proceeds everything we do. A case in point is our former President Paul Gardner. What other former club Pres do you know that would willingly stick the knife into the club he supposedly loved.The Club has a poor history in showing loyalty to it's staff be they football department our back office. We have only one 300 game players at our club despite being the oldest. It seems to me that our lack of a genuine club culture over the last couple of decades is our undoing in some of these matters. Yes we are an entity but are we a club in the true sense of the word.

[MadAsHell 4,088]

We have no 300 game players at our club despite being the oldest.

David Neitz says hello.

[beelzebub 22,225]

Just occurred to me she must really consider a reformed Melbourne very dangerous to her clubs success .

And shed be right.

This exposes her for the scurroulous and erroneous creature Shes now created of herself.

Now a pitiful shadow more belonging amongst the trolls of the media ; more akin to the Denham's and Stevens etc.

[Outside fifty 967]

David Neitz says hello.

Apologies to Neeta, but still one is a sad reflection.

[jumbo returns 6,484]

Time to purge the club from the worst culture in history.

Complete basket case, it's time to bring those who brought this great club into disrepute to be accountable.

Cleanse, cleanse, cleanse.

I say bring it on.

When it's all done, the rebirth can begin.

[John Crow Batty 8,221]

Schwab, McLardy and Connolly. Better start making arrangements to clear your offices.

I wonder what the recently departed former leadership group have to say about all this?