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Draft Tampering

Guest Cigeexift
Guest Cigeexift
in Melbourne Demons

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Does anyone know if there's an AFL definition of the term "draft tampering"?

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    Does anyone know if there's an AFL definition of the term "draft tampering"?

    Yes. It's in the AFL dictionary just below 'tanking'. Oh wait....

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    Yes. It's in the AFL dictionary just below 'tanking'. Oh wait....

    beat me to it LOL

    i was going to say look after the "tanking" definition and just before the "bringing the game into disrepute" definition

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    Draft tampering was one of the charges recently brought against Adelaide and Kurt Tippett along with salary cap breaches but that was a case where the Crows admitted to hanky panky over Tippett's contract negotiations.

    The AFL does issue the odd threat about draft tampering but, a few years ago, it ignored Luke Ball's refusal to talk to clubs other than the one he wanted to go to and even his medical files were not made available for assessment by any other club. They should have thrown the book at him but Collingwood was involved and, these days, you don't want to upset the stronger teams, do you?

    You do have to go back a long way to find any meaningful action from the AFL on draft tampering.

    In 1989, Brett Chalmers of Port Adelaide (SANFL) was drafted by Richmond but he remained in SA (MFC draftees from around that time who did the same were Darren Jarman and Paul Rouvray). Three years later, the Tigers tried to trade Chalmers to Collingwood as their hold on him was about to expire. The Pies offered peanuts in return and Chalmers subsequently went into the 1992 draft a hot favourite to be selected in the top three. Collingwood was investigated at Richmond's request but there was no evidence of any breach by the Pies and they were exonerated.

    On draft day, the clubs were reluctant to select Chalmers who finally went to Collingwood at 10. Melbourne selected Martin Pike at 9 although its recruiters had been keen to select Chalmers.

    It transpired that, on the night before the draft, Chalmers faxed a letter to the clubs with picks 1 to 9 indicating that he would be staying with Port Adelaide in 1993 and following that wanted to go to his chosen club, the AFL Magpies.

    In May 1993, Chalmers was one of three Port Adelaide Magpie players brought up on draft tampering charges (Andrew McKay and Robert Pyman were the others). All were adamant they only wanted to play for Collingwood. McKay and Pyman were subsequently fined $10k each for refusing to speak to any other club but Chalmers had gone a step further with his fax saying he wanted only to play for Collingwood. He was fined $30k and banned from playing for the AFL Magpies for 3 years. Later, he had a stint with each of the AFL's SA teams.

    Of course, the draft tampering in that case was far different to that which has now been apparently raised against Melbourne, but given Dean Bailey's vehement denial of allegations that he instructed his players to lose, one wonders about the validity of such a charge? How could this "tampering" have affected any other club or any players involved in the draft if nothing was actually done on the field to influence any of the results which ultimately determine the team placings upon which the draft is dependent?

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    Does anyone know if there's an AFL definition of the term "draft tampering"?

    "Whatever the AFL says it means at the time ..." :) If there is any doubt, they send in their best investigators, B1 and B2. :)

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    Thanks for the great back info WJ. Had no idea that a charge of draft tampering even existed before our (and Adelaide's) current situation, let alone that someone in the past had been charged and banned from playing as a result.

    Seems like a very grey area.... one that a legal challenge may prove near impossible for the AFL to substantiate with any credibility. Dimwitreau must be annoyed that this is still hanging around and hoping that no mud sticks onto his good name.

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    Dimwitreau must be annoyed that this is still hanging around and hoping that no mud sticks onto his good name.

    'good' name?

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    'good' name?

    Yes.... good name.

    But his dimwittedness was going on holiday mid season - and handing the keys to Anderson. Fortunately there's been that much mud around him that he's been buried already.

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    The ironic point has been missed.

    It's the AFL which tampers with the draft. As it has done with 'the draw'. Which is now a 'fixture', with the emphasis on the first syllable.

    The 'draft' is something which the AFL has orgainsed to manipulate for the attainment of its own ends. It doesn't like it when other entities try to achieve their own ends.

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    Spot on LH. All things stsrt with the AFL and its meddlings and ambiguities.

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