Caroline Wilson's descent into gutter journalism

[rpfc 28,967]

It's a scene from Firefly that I have had in my head for a couple of days now.

Schwab and Connolly maybe 'witches'...

But they're our witches.

**I realise this is a sideways reference but this show is great and this scene has relevance from where I sit...

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

It just seems so unfair. Other teams cheat and win Premierships. We are the only team to win a game that losing would have given us a priority pick and we did it twice. When we did get a pick the kid spent a year lying to us and his dying President before the AFL took him away from us.

add to that the ENTIRE thing has come about because of the comments of one individual - a person who by all accounts, and by his own behaviour, is a person of low moral character, with whom the circumstances of him leaving the club had a lot to do with the fact that his status amongst the club and its supporters had gone from captain-favourite to no-longer-rated. This weasal proceeded to follow his poor form at a new club for a year and a half - Unfortunately for us, he found form for a few weeks which gave him a spot on television, through which he was able to spout his garbage in the hope of soothing his rejected soul. The fact that this rubbish has now grown wings into something very tangeable and potentially very damaging is enough to make me scream. To think we all adored this bloke after the 2006 elimination final, look what he has gone and done to us. I tell you what, if I ever come face to face with him I will give him something o think about.

just have a look at him

[titan_uranus 25,212]

Today Caro steps it up: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/jobs-on-line-dees-warned-20121101-28mx2.html

She talks of employees being told they'd lose their jobs if we missed the PP.

She talks of Connolly advocating the importance of getting the PP in the 'vault' meeting.

She talks of people invoking Stynes' ailing heath as a motivation to lose.

It's about time she added some facts to her otherwise shoddy articles. Now it's time to see how many of them turn out to be true.

[Demon Disciple 12,496]

What about the "big" exclusive Mark Robinson was meant to have in today's paper, anything come of that yet?

[Flying Cloud 152]

So who is the grubby little person feeding the grubby little journalist, and why?

http://www.theage.co...1101-28mx2.html

And i've gotta say the little picture of her at the top of each article smiling away when she is trying to destroy the club makes me want to..... Well it looks like she is gloating.

[Brayshaws' Helmet 143]

can i just say, i never really understood the outrage at tanking, within all clubs not just Melbourne. I mean if a club is 4th and then they finish last i guess i get it, but if they're 15th and finish 16th, is it that big of a deal? the only thing people are really protecting within the "integrity" of the game is the betting companies and the gambling side of things.

Simple solution, lottery draft, and this stuff would never happen

[titan_uranus 25,212]

can i just say, i never really understood the outrage at tanking, within all clubs not just Melbourne. I mean if a club is 4th and then they finish last i guess i get it, but if they're 15th and finish 16th, is it that big of a deal? the only thing people are really protecting within the "integrity" of the game is the betting companies and the gambling side of things.

It's an argument that hasn't been properly fleshed out.

What exactly is wrong with tanking?

As we've all established the actions we took all had legitimate positive impacts on our long term prosperity. What is wrong with a club taking a long term view? In the end, the 2009 Premiership wasn't affected at all by our actions. There's no reasonable argument to say that we gave wins to teams who were in contention for the flag. We would have lost no matter what we did.

Of course there is the integrity argument, in that it's similar to match-fixing, but in my mind tanking is clearer, more justifiable, and easier to spot than a player/coach doing something secretively with no outward justification in order to make money.

I don't know. I feel I'm just saying stuff to try to defend the club. Oh well.

[rpfc 28,967]

Connolly was colourful and Schwab slimy...

That's not news. I wonder if those two were stupid enough to write anything down in an email? Because apparently Clothier has those.

Still Wilson's interpretation and extrapolation for much of it.

[Sir Why You Little 37,342]

"Investigators have been told that Connolly later warned a large group of football staff they would be sacked if Melbourne kept winning."

This Paragraph is the crux to me....

[s-t-i-n-g-a 439]

Connolly was colourful and Schwab slimy...

That's not news. I wonder if those two were stupid enough to write anything down in an email? Because apparently Clothier has those.

Still Wilson's interpretation and extrapolation for much of it.

The position that we did no wrong is becoming harder to justify.

[s-t-i-n-g-a 439]

It sounds like the leaking is coming from DB.

[rjay 25,362]

It sounds like the leaking is coming from DB.

Doesn't matter who it's coming from if true it's just dumb...and I thought adelaide were stupid with the tippett thing.

[Pennant St Dee 13,415]

Well that's it for me, now she has crossed the line. Pretty sure Chris and Jim were close.

I appreciate the club must stay quiet for now, but Chris needs to pull her into line for this latest article iif it is a big play on words.

If he is vindicated he needs to take this as far as he can, CW has left herself open to whatever comes her way now.

Doing your job is one thing, but this is a disgrace

[s-t-i-n-g-a 439]

Doesn't matter who it's coming from if true it's just dumb...and I thought adelaide were stupid with the tippett thing.

Agreed.

[s-t-i-n-g-a 439]

Well that's it for me, now she has crossed the line. Pretty sure Chris and Jim were close.

I appreciate the club must stay quiet for now, but Chris needs to pull her into line for this latest article iif it is a big play on words.

If he is vindicated he needs to take this as far as he can, CW has left herself open to whatever comes her way now.

Doing your job is one thing, but this is a disgrace

But if it's true...CW is not the disgrace...I think I need to read Redlegs post again to pick me up...

[Sir Why You Little 37,342]

Amazing that the AFL has allowed CW to report/leak all this bile whilst an investigation is in progress.

Shakes head.

[7-UP 107]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/dean-bailey-told-players-to-accept-new-strategy/story-e6frf9io-1226508732765

How is this tanking? spare me

[Pennant St Dee 13,415]

But if it's true...CW is not the disgrace...I think I need to read Redlegs post again to pick me up...

If it's true then, lets not go there - Im trying to remain united

To use the ailing president line defies logic

I mean seriously think logically only the previous round we carried the number 37 with pride against Meth Coast. Stinks to me of hidden agenda from a group within/previously within or hoping to be within.

[Demon Disciple 12,496]

http://www.heraldsun...o-1226508732765

How is this tanking? spare me

Tell me about it.

For starters, the season was done and dusted, so DB told the players that many were going to have their versatility tested, well FMD. This third player, clearly was not part of the leadership group, as he referred to the situation as "them" and "every one of them", so he wouldn't know what was said, just second hand info.

A new day, same old crap, hardly conviction worthy. Just unsubstantiated BS. Imagine how quickly a court of law would overturn any punishment, with evidence of this nature.

[Striker475 696]

I'd be happy with Schwab and Connolly removed.

Don't understand all the furore with the board apart from clear political interests in this thread - ultimately the Stynes/McLardy board initially made financial recovery and health the absolute priority over on-field success. By comparison, the Gardner board almost ruined the football club for good in this regard.

Ultimately, winning games is the priority, but off-field stability is the priority of this. Up until Jim's passing, the club was probably the most stable it had been since the 1950s, but now the wounds Jim had begun to heal and the fighting that he had suppressed for the good of the club is coming back.

Rather than making this about politics, though, we need it to be for the good of the football club. The members want flags, don't they? They want on-field success. [censored]-for-tat between Gardner and the current board isn't going to bring that about.

Assuming Caro is correct, the dismissal of Schwab and Connolly is essential. Beyond that, I think the board should stay in place. Let's be realistic - the board in 2009 was much more focussed on off-field situations than the on-field stuff, which is what allowed Schwab and Connolly to operate. The mistake has been realised and he has been reigned in but will probably go for indiscretions anyway. Nevertheless, to dismiss the board at the same time as the CEO risks a power vacuum and extreme damage being dealt to the club off-field.

[s-t-i-n-g-a 439]

If it's true then, lets not go there - Im trying to remain united

To use the ailing president line defies logic

I mean seriously think logically only the previous round we carried the number 37 with pride against Meth Coast. Stinks to me of hidden agenda from a group within/previously within or hoping to be within.

It would be quite ballsy even for her to write something like that if it wasn't told to her directly from a source and she was sure it was true. And since the conversation seems to be between two people it wouldn't be from the person in the wrong...

The thing that is annoying is that we are under investigation and so rightly not commenting...but getting potted along the way with no right of reply.

We can still be united and stick behind the club, we absolutely must do that. But unless there is a really good explaination or reply there seems to be some elements of the club that need to be dealt with...

[McQueen 17,867]

Can someone remind me of when the findings are supposed to be submitted for this?

Seriously, I am getting SFA done at work right now.

[Striker475 696]

Can someone remind me of when the findings are supposed to be submitted for this?

Seriously, I am getting SFA done at work right now.

When it's done.

[Sir Why You Little 37,342]

Can someone remind me of when the findings are supposed to be submitted for this?

Seriously, I am getting SFA done at work right now.

get used to it mate. This has only just started....

[mjt 640]

Can someone remind me of when the findings are supposed to be submitted for this?

Seriously, I am getting SFA done at work right now.

i hope its after the draft otherwise you can kiss hogan and viney goodbye.