The Inquistion continues until at least February ...

[old55 23,502]

Rubbish. We know about the investigative tactics, we know the meeting that is at the centre of the investigation, we know what Connolly was supposed to have said, we know that the main players have been interviewed multiple times, we know the general nature of the MFC position and if I cared to go back and read her articles again there would be much more.

We also know her opinion. I'm not worried about that because I'm not spooked by the journalist. If our club can't survive one negative journalist we really are stuffed.

I've found myself wondering what going on since her last series of articles and nobody can provide anything.

I'm looking forward to her next article, not because of the slant she'll put on it but because of the information it may contain.

I used to value and respect her articles too. She hanged us in that November article and quite frankly it freaked me out. She's not stating her opinion when she writes we'll be severely punished and Schwab and Connolly will be sacked - she's writing that as a fact. If that was so clear last November why hasn't it transpired by now? The alternative explanation is that for some reason she was wrong - and that's VERY wrong.

[Sir Why You Little 37,011]

I don't believe she lied. She was mistaken. There is a difference.

The most telling stuff in her articles was entirely contradicted by later reports in the Hun, and later in her own follow ups, but I think that was because she was being used by the investigators to state their case as powerfully as they could hope it to be presented, possibly to put the heat on other soon to be interviewed witnesses.

She was mistaken because she took the investigators at face value. Her biggest offence is failing to check the teeth of the gift horse. And you might say that is because she harboured ill feeling there towards us.

All that said, Fan is deluded. Poor Fan.

she ran with unsubstantiated information hoping it was right.

This is the first thing a decent journalist learns not to do.

Check & re check sources. Particularly on the first story, as it becomes like a template for any that follow.

Wilson seems to have not done this, unless she was lied to by multiple sources.

But as she has written nothing to that effect i believe she ran with flimsy info in the hope that CC & CS would walk the plank.

Epic Fail thus far Wilson.

[H_T 3,043]

As with others who have shown scant regard for wariness and circumspect adherence to such wise ideas as , dont poke the monster, "A" stepped forward and with great fanfare announced the lifting to the lid of Pandoras Box. As with Raiders an d the Ark , once the lid was prised off there were indeed Demons galore but not the type he had been hoping for. These would not be his prize, his trophy, his head upon the platter, they would be his undoing.

Here's "A" prising the lid off the Pandora's box in the absence of AD. As you see there's nothing (but sand), or is there?

If it looks and smells like a can of worms, it must be a ...

[Sir Why You Little 37,011]

Rubbish. We know about the investigative tactics, we know the meeting that is at the centre of the investigation, we know what Connolly was supposed to have said, we know that the main players have been interviewed multiple times, we know the general nature of the MFC position and if I cared to go back and read her articles again there would be much more.

We also know her opinion. I'm not worried about that because I'm not spooked by the journalist. If our club can't survive one negative journalist we really are stuffed.

I've found myself wondering what going on since her last series of articles and nobody can provide anything.

I'm looking forward to her next article, not because of the slant she'll put on it but because of the information it may contain.

Like i said you are easily entertained Fan.

Nothing Wilson has said is groundbreaking. Bitter yes but nothing that will stand up.

Feel free to re read all her tripe and if you do find anything that is really "pathetic" or "disgusting" let me know. I am all ears.

[Slartibartfast 17,241]

She's not stating her opinion when she writes we'll be severely punished and Schwab and Connolly will be sacked - she's writing that as a fact. If that was so clear last November why hasn't it transpired by now?

And what if she's right? What if it was the AFL opinion then but our threat to take the AFL to court has forced a differing position. What does it matter if it's wrong? You wouldn't read many journo's who said something wrong.

If the club being investigated was Carlton and not Melbourne would you have felt the same way?

The only thing that I'm interested in is what the AFL now does and she's the only one that will give me an insight.

[jabberwocky 2,301]

But she is the one reporting the facts and that is what I read her for. I couldn't give a stuff about the other stuff.

If you want to get upset at a journo's view that up to you.

If it was Carlton being investigated I bet you'd applaud her calling them "pathetic and disgusting..."

Toughen up Dandy.

I'm pretty tough Fanny, one avatar and all that.

Lets not do this again.

You like Caro, I don't like her disrespecting my club... surprise surprise. She is just another [censored] shock journo. I like objectivity.

[Sir Why You Little 37,011]

And what if she's right? What if it was the AFL opinion then but our threat to take the AFL to court has forced a differing position. What does it matter if it's wrong? You wouldn't read many journo's who said something wrong.

If the club being investigated was Carlton and not Melbourne would you have felt the same way?

The only thing that I'm interested in is what the AFL now does and she's the only one that will give me an insight.

if she is right Heads would have rolled long before now, and she knows it.

CC & CS would have both been stood down at seasons end if any of her original claims had any merit.

Not a word from the MFC or Stalag 13 on this matter.

Have we lost any sponsors since this all started?

Not that i have heard.

[H_T 3,043]

if she is right Heads would have rolled long before now, and she knows it.

Not necessarily. Denham stated late last week that "heads will roll, oh, they'll roll alright, mark my word"

Whether that happens early next year or in 3 years time from now, he'll consider himself right either way, just like Caroline.

[Tony Tea 2,806]

Starting to remind me of that old film 'Ace in the hole'.

Much of all this is simply being driven by media hyhenas who've got big tickets on themselves !!

Superb film.

"I can handle big news and little news. If there's no news I'll bite a dog."

[Sir Why You Little 37,011]

Not necessarily. Denham stated late last week that "heads will roll, oh, they'll roll alright, mark my word"

Whether that happens early next year or in 3 years time from now, he'll consider himself right either way, just like Caroline.

denham is just an audio book of Wilson. He harbours the same dislike for CS.

No i still say IF Wilson had uncovered real damming evidence then heads would have rolled in those first weeks.

Damage control would have been taken.

No emails or mobile phone messages or videos have been uncovered.

Wheras these items were reported in the press within days over in Adelaide.

Nothing has been found i believe. It has all hinged on what DB & Jnr have stated.

If anything is found between now and February i will be genuinely staggered.

The story has actually gone cold, even after Ralph's lame effort at relighting an old wet fire.

[Tim 3,416]

Brock McLean, who started all this, will probably be President of the Carlton Football Club.

Doubt it, Jack.

He'll probably be too busy working on a cure for cancer, brokering peace in Syria, and taking up his Rhodes Scholarship.

[Tony Tea 2,806]

You're kidding yourselves if you think Caro will eat humble pie if we cop a slap on the wrist or less. She will merely sneer: "I'm not wrong - everyone knows what Melbourne really did."

[loges 6,767]

This whole scenario has now become high farce

[Sir Why You Little 37,011]

You're kidding yourselves if you think Caro will eat humble pie if we cop a slap on the wrist or less. She will merely sneer: "I'm not wrong - everyone knows what Melbourne really did."

i hope G. Lyon is sitting next to her on national TV when she does say it.

"Caro on behalf of the members...."

[old55 23,502]

And what if she's right? What if it was the AFL opinion then but our threat to take the AFL to court has forced a differing position. What does it matter if it's wrong? You wouldn't read many journo's who said something wrong.

If the club being investigated was Carlton and not Melbourne would you have felt the same way?

The only thing that I'm interested in is what the AFL now does and she's the only one that will give me an insight.

Well she NEEDS to be right to have any credibility IMO. If the AFL had the evidence to punsih us severely and Connnolly and Schwab to be sacked then any manner of legal threat wouldn't have deterred them.

Whats does it matter if she's wrong? Surely you're joking. She stated we match-fixed.

If the club being investigated was Carlton I would have thought they were toast, then when nothing happened immediately I would have suspected she has mislead me and tarnished Carlton's name.

If you trust her "insight" then you may as well give up now.

[Tony Tea 2,806]

Picture this:

Hutchy: "So, Caro, first things first. You launched an unprecedented attack on the Melbourne Football Club last year - although you have been conspicuously quiet of late - and yet the AFL has all but exonerated them. That must make you look pretty foolish. "

Caro (head tilting to one side): "Oh, Craig, come on. Melbourne tanked. Everyone knows it. You. Grant. Even Garry."

Garry: "Hey! Don't drag me into your criticisms."

Mind you, I'm not convinced we will be exonerated. The weight of media criticism says the AFL, notoriously sensitive to the media, will be forced into punishment mode.

[Sir Why You Little 37,011]

Picture this:

Hutchy: "So, Caro, first things first. You launched an unprecedented attack on the Melbourne Football Club last year - although you have been conspicuously quiet of late - and yet the AFL has all but exonerated them. That must make you look pretty foolish. "

Caro (head tilting to one side): "Oh, Craig, come on. Melbourne tanked. Everyone knows it. You. Grant. Even Garry."

Garry: "Hey! Don't drag me into your criticisms."

Mind you, I'm not convinced we will be exonerated. The weight of media criticism says the AFL, notoriously sensitive to the media, will be forced into punishment mode.

i agree the media want blood, but what punishment will stand up?

One thing i do believe in all this is that the MFC has armed itself with a crack legal team, hence the absolute silence from HQ. They are well briefed.

And the AFL would be the same which may explain the present silence (stalemate).

"We'll see who rusts first" ....."I'm game..."

[hoopla 418]

It's not Wilson's fault we are where we are, it's ours. She is reporting on it and I want to know what's going on. She's the only one who is shedding any light on it.

She is also only reporting what she knows, not what the AFL knows which is a point I think many miss and really the only thing that matters. If Wilson doesn't report it doesn't mean it's not being investigated and if Wilson does report it doesn't mean the AFL agree with her position. I'm not spooked by Wilson at all. She's just a journalist.

She clearly doesn't like us but so what. I'm much more worried about what the AFL think. It's important to try and separate the wheat from the chaff with Caro and it's why I like her articles.

I can't believe that Fan is off again with his Wilson Worshipping.

Surely Fan you can concede two things

1. Wilson's information is not necessarily accurate and is not free from bias.She doesn't reliably separate the wheat from chaff - just as often she simply produces the chaff. If ( if) there was a time that she had influential and reliable contacts that time has passed.

2. By producing inflammatory headlines Wilson does influence the opinion of the casual observer. You acknowledge that she is against us - and so that influence is necessarily damaging to our brand.

By looking forward to her articles you are (1) looking forward to receiving potentially misleading information; and (2) seeing the public exposed to information damaging to the reputation of the MFC. Why is that?

Your views on Wilson may once have been justified - they are not anymore. You really need to rethink your position.

[hoopla 418]

You're kidding yourselves if you think Caro will eat humble pie if we cop a slap on the wrist or less. She will merely sneer: "I'm not wrong - everyone knows what Melbourne really did."

Hate to say it ..................... but you are right.

[Ouch! 2,258]

denham is just an audio book of Wilson. He harbours the same dislike for CS.

No i still say IF Wilson had uncovered real damming evidence then heads would have rolled in those first weeks.

Damage control would have been taken.

No emails or mobile phone messages or videos have been uncovered.

Wheras these items were reported in the press within days over in Adelaide.

Nothing has been found i believe. It has all hinged on what DB & Jnr have stated.

If anything is found between now and February i will be genuinely staggered.

The story has actually gone cold, even after Ralph's lame effort at relighting an old wet fire.

Not only has damage control not occurred, but it's very telling that our President has changed position from "Of course we'll fully co-operate with the AFL on this matter" to a position of "Bring it on, we'll defend ourselves and take this as far as we need to do defend the honor of the MFC"

Personally I don't think the club would take that position if you think you are about to get whacked. You take the submissive direction that AdelaideFC took through the Tippett affair, because you know you have done something wrong. You take up an aggressive stance when you have a dominant position.

So not only has the AFL stopped all leaks on it's end, the MFC has taken it's more aggressive stance out to the media and you can bet that the club has been given a set of directives by it's lawyers on ensuring nothing goes out.

Suddenly there is no story for the media to get a hold of, except for little Johnny Ralph who has yet again failed to raise his standards beyond those seen by 'Damo' and 'Hutchy'. That being gutter journalism.

[Redleg 40,875]

The longer the thing goes the harder it will be for the AFL to justify a "not guilty" verdict. ... and if that's what they do find - they should give us compensation.

Disagree. It is in fact the opposite. They can now say we did everything possible and used all available resources and couldn't find evidence of rule breaking by the MFC.

[old dee 23,784]

Disagree. It is in fact the opposite. They can now say we did everything possible and used all available resources and couldn't find evidence of rule breaking by the MFC.

As I have said previously it beggars belief that after six months there is still no result.

[monoccular 17,417]

Excelent read BB, one of the best on 'land for some time.

I have wondered if A is falling on his sword, however I have also pondered another scenario where this his departure has been on the books for some time, that CW was aware of it and that she was so fearful her arch enemy CS was potentially in the running for the position that she wrote the series of articles to destroy any chance he may have had.

While MFC may not in the end be charged with anything, it would be impossible for the AFL to employ CS at the moment given the CW created perception of a lack of integrity.

WOW.....and I thought that I had a Machiavellian way of thinking.

[monoccular 17,417]

You're kidding yourselves if you think Caro will eat humble pie if we cop a slap on the wrist or less. She will merely sneer: "I'm not wrong - everyone knows what Melbourne really did."

I suspect that you are right, though her already low credibility would surely take a further dip, were that possible. And of course you are right about the sneer - it is welded on ((( ;-(((

[rpfc 28,306]

How any self-aware, conscious humanoid can think Wilson has reported 'the facts' is beyond me (cue a facetious remark from what I will dub The Flaming Moderator ©).

She REPORTED we had a code-named meeting.

She REPORTED we had a specific tanking meeting.

She REPORTED that CC threatened staff in this tanking specific, code named meeting.

She was wrong on these major items that a large proportion of the public haven't been re-educated on. Her editorial was hers to do whatever she wanted with and she went off the deep end into a pool that is rapidly drying up.

Where be her gibes now?

They are nowhere, and so are the gibes of those that follow her.