Caroline Wilson's descent into gutter journalism

[Northern Summer 292]

Ho

Agree. I consider myself a mate of Chris's and I feel very sorry for him. None of this has anything to do with personal gain but rather gain for our club. He is copping sh-t and a lot of it unfairly. I will not cut and run. He has my support and remains my mate no matter what the outcome.

Wilson or VM ( Vendetta Mouthpiece) has lost me forever, with her single minded attempt to enact revenge on Cameron Schwab.

Hope you're all right, that was 7 years ago that Freo stuff and in fairness to him his mind was on the coaching job, though I still have to say that a simple hello here and then wouldn't have gone astray. Maybe he's changed since leaving the coaching scene.

[Whispering_Jack 30,575]

Here's a conspiracy theory for you*:

A. The AFL finally reach tipping point on the issue of tanking. Under pressure from the state and federal governments (due to gambling implications), they launch a genuinely thorough investigation. MFC are the scapegoat.

B. The AFL intentionally undermines its own investigation by leaking explosive information to the press.

C. The press report this information, prejudicing the AFL's investigation.

D. The AFL hands down a heavy handed punishment, including massive fines and loss of first round draft picks for two years. The AFL is widely applauded for this action in the press.

E. MFC takes the AFL to court, where the prejudiced evidence and flimsy definition of tanking makes it relatively easy to overturn the AFL's sactions.

F. The AFL decides not to appeal, stating that they respect the court's decision but also warning all clubs that such actions will not be tolerated in the future. The AFL is again widely applauded in the press.

G. MFC isn't fined and its draft picks are reinstated. The AFL continues to provide funding to financially vulnerable teams and is happy that MFC isn't placed in further financial peril.

H. MFC gains an unintended side effect of the saga, which is a galvanised supporter base and focussed playing list.

*Disclaimer: Brian Wilson has not, nor ever will be associated with Caroline Wilson, her family, associates, Facebook friends or Twitter followers.

The problem with this scenario is that while I consider the leaking of information from the inquiry by the AFL to the media to be outrageous behaviour, I'm of the view that its not, of itself, unlawful or prejudcial to Melbourne's position.

It might be different if the AFL or the investigator is leaking information which they know is false and /or is being used to entrap one of the parties but I'm not an expert on such fine points.

However, the AFL (and the club) needs protracted legal proceedings like a hole in the head so the likelihood is that, if the inquiry recommends an adverse finding, the parties will sit down and arrive at some form of mediated settlement.

[Guest José Mourinho]

...

Now we have the Dustin Martin saga and it appears that he is out of control and even though he is living with the Club President he is so uncontrollable that KB on SEN has said the may have to delist or trade him. Their new recruit Aaron Edwards was found guilty of being drunk in a public place; it seems the [censored] rubs off on them as soon as they sign up.

Wonderful club she supports and I can see why she wants to divert attention away from them.

A good mate of mine works for VRC (& is a Richmond supporter).

Guess who he said was the first person he saw of note in the birdcage today?

1 guess.

[mjt 640]

Agree. I consider myself a mate of Chris's and I feel very sorry for him. None of this has anything to do with personal gain but rather gain for our club. He is copping sh-t and a lot of it unfairly. I will not cut and run. He has my support and remains my mate no matter what the outcome.

Wilson or VM ( Vendetta Mouthpiece) has lost me forever, with her single minded attempt to enact revenge on Cameron Schwab.

i dont feel sorry for him if found guilty,that guys probably on 300,000 bucks a season, hes really gained for the club, the only things hes gained is a fat wage off our membership tickets,if you feel that way you should not post in these threads, that mans stupidity if found guilty could bring our club to its knees.

[rpfc 28,734]

i dont feel sorry for him if found guilty,that guys probably on 300,000 bucks a season, hes really gained for the club, the only things hes gained is a fat wage off our membership tickets,if you feel that way you should not post in these threads, that mans stupidity if found guilty could bring our club to its knees.

Guilty of what?

We list managed and experimented to a tee. It was a thing of beauty.

The club did it because losin seasons are only useful if they are truly terrIble seasons.

We made sure of it with perfectly legal actions and we, and no-one at the club at the time, should be sanctioned for doing what losing teams do.

We did not tank.

[Sir Why You Little 37,120]

Just found this on my facebook travels....Typical.

http://www.vexnews.com/2008/09/cruel-age-sports-writer-caroline-wilson-sledges-paralympics-as-not-really-like-sport/

[beelzebub 23,382]

Just found this on my facebook travels....Typical.

http://www.vexnews.com/2008/09/cruel-age-sports-writer-caroline-wilson-sledges-paralympics-as-not-really-like-sport/

Daffy Duck would have a one word description for her !!

A tad kind id suspect.

[Sir Why You Little 37,120]

Daffy Duck would have a one word description for her !!

A tad kind id suspect.

as a person with a disability my disdain for this woman has just gone up tenfold.

Hope you are reading this Wilson....

[mjt 640]

Guilty of what?

We list managed and experimented to a tee. It was a thing of beauty.

The club did it because losin seasons are only useful if they are truly terrIble seasons.

We made sure of it with perfectly legal actions and we, and no-one at the club at the time, should be sanctioned for doing what losing teams do.

We did not tank.

if you conspire to murder someone but dont you can still be charged, think about it.

[Tatu 416]

All the media hype is a way of flushing out somebody who knows something..... Possibly an AFL directive.....

It's possible that they have found nothing..... I could be living in dreamland.... But I won't believe it until I see it..... And even then I'm going to be biast supporter of the demons.....

[Biffen 12,944]

if you conspire to murder someone but dont you can still be charged, think about it.

Very hard to prove a conspiracy on the word of a jilted Journeyman and some disgruntled failures who have been moved on.(BP-The Non Acheiver)

Paul Johnson looks to me like the "deep throat" in all this .

The stupid articles by Robbo on the Swans match and now the Richmond game again ?

Fact is ,Pau Johnson had the uncanny ability of being able to loose a game off his own boot .

He was in both so we looked more hopeless on those days.

[dees189227 12,395]

Umm. I think thr point was that in 2011 she said Kane was sacked. Yet in 2012 he won the best and fairest for Port Adelaide. Eitherway, the silver lining in all this is that the club will come out stronger as a unit just like Melbourne Storm.

The thing is the melbourne storm were a consistent winning team who hadnt missed the finals at all under Bellamy. They won the premiership 2 years later. I know we will be a strong unit but I wish we were a winning one like the storm.

[Jumping Jack Clennett 1,806]

Does anyone know how to get into the Carlton equivalent of "Demonland?"

It would be interesting to see the posts before and after the Kreuzer Cup.

After attending round 22, 2007, and facing derision from the Carlton fans after the final siren, I lost any qualms I'd previously held about "list management planning".

I was hoping to hear some criticism of Carlton from the AFL after that, but it wasn't forthcoming .

That made me think...once you reach the point where you can't make the finals,it's OK to plan your tactics to aim for the best possible draft picks.There is the advantage then of giving young players experience that they otherwise wouldn't get, and the opportunity to try players in new positions. Though there did appear to be a hint of lack of ethics in this, it had escaped scrutiny for several years before with other clubs. We were being naive by not doing it.

I think our Club's administration must have felt the same way.

In fact, AFL clubs are supposed to strive for excellence. Could it be argued that we weren't doing our best to improve if we DIDN'T maximise our chances of optimal drafting?

[beelzebub 23,382]

if you conspire to murder someone but dont you can still be charged, think about it.

and if you conspire to thieve and dont.... No foul i believe .

Your point , well intended, is moot id suspect .

[rpfc 28,734]

if you conspire to murder someone but dont you can still be charged, think about it.

Great analogy (eye roll).

What I am saying is that we didn't conspire to tank, we didn't tank, we did nothing illegal or against the rules nor did we 'conspire' to.

We did not tank.

[titan_uranus 25,042]

if you conspire to murder someone but dont you can still be charged, think about it.

That doesn't work for all crimes. Only the most severe ones.

Ever heard of 'attempted fare evasion'? Didn't think so.

And even if 'conspiracy to tank' is a thing, what kind of club conspires to do something, but doesn't?

If we wanted to tank, we would have. If there is evidence showing that we 'conspired' to tank, then we'll be found guilty of tanking. There just won't be evidence of us conspiring to tank, or wanting to tank, or tanking.

[daisycutter 29,704]

Shouldn't the title be "descent from the gutter to the sewer"?

[Biffen 12,944]

Shouldn't the title be "descent from the gutter to the sewer"?

"All of us are lying in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars"

Wilde wrote this when he was a footy journo.

I've just been reading "yellow and black forum"

A lot of them have decided that we should give them a priority pick to make up for their winning that match.

They also talk about how crap we are in terms of success and finals etc.

They make us look professional .

[dee-luded 2,959]

its the administrators that are in strife, not the coaches or players, Bailey experimented, the players gave there all, CC and CS by all reports from [censored] in the media have conspired to lose games, there in big trouble, Baileys covered his ass a treat, he never told the players to lose, in the AFL eyes he was experimenting, i dont think they will lose draft picks,because on field they tried to win, off field those two are looking at life time bans, and i hope thats the case.

I can't believe that some here are content to wear the AFL's burdens, re the last 12 years of AFL list managing ways.

We followed others as it seemed condoned.

We have never been trailblazers with outside the rules ways of things & thats part of what has caused our downfall over the last 40 Years.

If now you think the world is slipping back into christian ways of honesty & wholesomeness, then they can give us all a amnesty.

Otherwise we have to be doing nothing more than whats gone on before us.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Ricky Mclean also played for Carlton.

It won't be Wilson that destroys Schwab it will be the AFL if he's done something wrong, her rantings will have nothing to do with it. It's more likely that the worms within the club, handing out confidential information, will bring about his downfall.

Corporations never destroy they're CEO's, they give them hush money to retire quietly.

[dee-luded 2,959]

"All of us are lying in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars"

Wilde wrote this when he was a footy journo.

I've just been reading "yellow and black forum"

A lot of them have decided that we should give them a priority pick to make up for their winning that match.

They also talk about how crap we are in terms of success and finals etc.

They make us look professional .

I've got an Idea, we'll give them Cale Morton from the year Car'ton tanked the last half year, & us & the Tiges missed out.

[diesel 420]

"All of us are lying in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars"

Wilde wrote this when he was a footy journo.

I've just been reading "yellow and black forum"

A lot of them have decided that we should give them a priority pick to make up for their winning that match.

They also talk about how crap we are in terms of success and finals etc.

They make us look professional .

Then we'll have one off Carlton for the year before. Richmond can hand back one for their ill gained pick that yielded Cotchin. That's where all this would head.

[Biffen 12,944]

I've got an Idea, we'll give them Cale Morton from the year Car'ton tanked the last half year, & us & the Tiges missed out.

Throw in Gys and Cook.

[Redleg 41,405]

"You’re kidding Caroline aren’t you? You have the audacity to come out with a comment like “it’s not really like sport”. You’re an offensive, sneering and nasty woman. They should call you Caro the Grouch because most of the stuff that comes out of your mouth is absolute trash! Is anyone going to chat to you about your offensive behaviour I wonder? And who are you to talk about what people’s intentions are when they watch the paralympics, I have thoroughly enjoyed celebrating the achievements of these great athletes whenever I’ve had the chance to watch them competing. Keep your bigoted views to yourself and focus on the positives in future!

Posted by Kate | September 17, 2008, 12:53 It beggars belief that Wilson would make such a callous comment about the Paralympic Games not being seen as sport(Offsiders 14th/9/08).

Hello, one wonders who builds this woman up as being a competent journalist when you only have to watch ‘Footy Classified’ to quickly find her contribution as gossip -lacking positiveness most times and self opiniated to the extreme. And this is what is served weekly to the viewers. Now that should give you some understanding of where her sporting prowess lies because Caroline understands little other than the AFL competition.

Her comments were definitely prejudiced against the decision to hold these games in equal billing to the non disabled olympics. Unfortunately her comments have done an enormous amount of damage to the acceptance years ago of equality and inclusion of all people in all types of sport be it at an elite level or not.

Somebody should tell Wilson that these competitors are elite sports people who were chosen to represent their repective countries and they did it with such great aplombe, dignity, self confidence and professionalism. And those who won or not were just so happy to have had the opportunity to represent their respective countries.

But why did Cassidy have to play that footage showing the unfortunate side of a what happens in all sports. Now was he trying to elicit this type of response from Ms Wilson for discussion and if so it didn’t work.

As far as I am concerned there was no need to select this footage to highlight whether this is sport or not.

I demand that Caroline Wilson make a public apology to all the Australian competitors when they arrive back to Australia.I also demand that she apologise to the dedicated viewers of the Offsiders program as well.

Posted by pam mcintosh | September 20, 2008, 17:28 Absolute disgrace. She can now join that other sports journo Patrick Smith that I will refuse to ever read again. What a prejudiced [censored]! They are genuine sports champions and to see the steelers play murder ball was very exciting. Go for it, you are all champions in my book!

Posted by Paul McMahon | September 24, 2008, 7:53 "

The above comments were made 4 years ago in response to Wilson saying that the Paralympics weren't sport. What a disgraceful thing to say. This is the type of person the Age has as its chief football writer. You really are trash. You would be right at home on the Jerry Springer show.

Edited November 3, 2012 by Redleg

[Redleg 41,405]

"At the end of an embarrassing week, it's worth pondering what the acquisition of a priority draft pick by Melbourne in 2009 and the recruitment of Israel Folau by GWS in 2010 actually achieved. Both were attempts at tinkering with the natural order and both have ended badly. If they share a common outcome, it is loss of respect.

More distressing for Melbourne is the likelihood of carnage. Evidence is mounting that during the second half of the 2009 season specific actions were taken by important figures at the club designed to ensure the team didn't win so many games as to disqualify itself from a priority draft pick.

The degree of evil in this, it must be said, is debatable. Obviously it is a practice that can't go unaddressed. Yet it's nothing like the corruption of horse racing or cricket or sports in which the use of performance-enhancing drugs influences outcomes. Self-interest was not at play.

In this case, a club stands accused of exploiting a bad rule by under-performing in what were meaningless games. It was acting in what it reasonably regarded - according to the rules - as its long-term interests. Many of its supporters sensed what was happening and approved of it.

Nevertheless, the idea that a substantial coterie could be embraced within such a conspiracy, without high risk of eventual disclosure, was totally amateurish and utterly foolish.

And it was indisputably against the spirit of sport.

But so was the rule relating to priority draft picks as it then stood. It didn't just invite but encouraged what has happened. The AFL's failure to change its rule at the first hint of the possibility it offered is also condemnable."

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/dark-artists-drop-the-ball-20121103-28r36.html#ixzz2BAI97B9g

Article today in the Age by Tim Lane.

Bit more balanced than Wilson's invective.

Edited November 3, 2012 by Redleg