The nature of the process of mediation of a matter of this type requires some fluidity. There are five parties involved, the AFL, the MFC and three individuals, whose interests don't necessarily coincide but who need to be respected. While I feel the process has been far too long and poorly handled by the AFL, it is what it is, and if there are some sticking points at Dean Bailey's end, then we can only hope that they get sorted out as soon as possible. The AFL already has plenty of bush fires to deal with and should be keen to extinguish this one.

Especially with the 1st Nab cup game in 2 weeks, & sponsors thin on the ground...

Maybe we should recruit Keka' & adopt Kebabs as one of our Protein foods.

Gillon has been practicing his best Vlad impersonations on the Teev.

Here is an interesting article from July 14, 2009. Written by Robbo ...

Melbourne Demons adamant they won't tank

Here is an interesting article from July 14, 2009. Written by Robbo ...

Melbourne Demons adamant they won't tank

So much for the "ashen faced" and disappointed Schwab description.

Emotions were bubbling after that win......

Here is an interesting article from July 14, 2009. Written by Robbo ...

Melbourne Demons adamant they won't tank

Good get 'Macca'.

So much for the "ashen faced" and disappointed Schwab description.

Emotions were bubbling after that win......

Yep, that's the whole problem with the retrospective nature of the investigation. What did they miss? What did they 'conveniently' ignore? It could never have been as thorough as possible because of the time lapse. Did Haddad and Clothier 'stumble' upon this article like I did? Maybe they did and chose to ignore it ...

Schwab sounded rather buoyant didn't he?

For all we know, they may have found lots of stuff along the way that might have helped us, but because of their 'attitude', that stuff may have been conveniently ignored.

Yep, that's the whole problem with the retrospective nature of the investigation. What did they miss? What did they 'conveniently' ignore? It could never have been as thorough as possible because of the time lapse. Did Haddad and Clothier 'stumble' upon this article like I did? Maybe they did and chose to ignore it?

Schwab sounded rather buoyant didn't he?

Probably because their ears were still ringing when AA barked, "interview anyone and everything until you find something, then do it again! Use whatever force necessary Haddad. If someone was joking, make it sound serious, just get something - my integrity is on the line here..."

Yep, that's the whole problem with the retrospective nature of the investigation. What did they miss? What did they 'conveniently' ignore? It could never have been as thorough as possible because of the time lapse. Did Haddad and Clothier 'stumble' upon this article like I did? Maybe they did and chose to ignore it?

Schwab sounded rather buoyant didn't he?

Might be worth e-mailing to the club.

Chances are they'll be aware of it, but it's an on the spot, independant interview piece that could be inflentual.

Especially if Robinson was called on to verify the mood at the time.

Shame if it was overlooked.

Might be worth e-mailing to the club.

Chances are they'll be aware of it, but it's an on the spot, independant interview piece that could be inflentual.

Especially if Robinson was called on to verify the mood at the time.

Shame if it was overlooked.

Maybe send it to Robinson who sometimes seems to struggle remembering what happened yesterday let alone 2009.

Maybe send it to Robinson who sometimes seems to struggle remembering what happened yesterday let alone 2009.

Have tweeted it to him.

Probably because their ears were still ringing when AA barked, "interview anyone and everything until you find something, then do it again! Use whatever force necessary Haddad. If someone was joking, make it sound serious, just get something - my integrity is on the line here..."

Yes. Someone posted something today that intimated that AA had us in his sights in order to 'get a result'. More than a few of us reckon his hasty departure is connected to having too much of a dogmatic approach to this whole affair.

Might be worth e-mailing to the club.

Chances are they'll be aware of it, but it's an on the spot, independant interview piece that could be inflentual.

Especially if Robinson was called on to verify the mood at the time.

Shame if it was overlooked.

Good point. Maybe a few of you blokes and ladies can do the honours ... it can't hurt ... my email service has been a bit unreliable of late due to their updated system.

Here is the clubs email address ... [email protected]

and the link ... Melbourne Demons adamant they won't tank

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/time-to-strip-points-for-tanking/story-e6frf9jf-1226575762398?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HeraldSunAflMelbourne+%28Herald+Sun+|+AFL+-+Melbourne%29

Normally the ridiculous articles that get published by this excuse for a 'newspaper' don't get much of a reaction from me. However what this imbecile, Rucci, suggests would effectively be the end of the MFC. Who the hell would support a club that effectively played games without a reason for 4 seasons. It would be ludicrous.

It infuriates me how these 'journalists'/bloggers just assume the MFC's guilt, without any evidence, and dish out what they believe the sentence should be. This is not how justice works. This article does not report fact. It merely is a soap box for Rucci to express his opinion to the broader football community. It may as well be the annoying, uninformed di¢khead at the bar/party who starts mouthing off about what he thinks the AFL should do, when in reality he is about as informed on the issues as, well, the next peanut 'journalist'/blogger that needs to justify their job by writing ill informed tripe that tarnishes a club's and individuals reputation.

From what we know, there is very little difference in what Melbourne has done and what Carlton has done, let alone what West Coast, Hawthorn, Collingwood and Richmond did. And yet we remain the single club to have been investigated. It is a farce.

I love the MFC. I have since I was knee high. I am loud and proud in a circle of Collingwood supporters, I fly the flag year in year out. Whatever Melbourne have done, I will continue to support the club. But my interest in the AFL as a fair and equal competition is waning rapidly and I find myself increasingly less interested in a league I long assumed to be the greatest. The draft will continue to be compromised until the AFL wakes up to itself and implements a lottery. Would you blame a starving person from eating a pie on the window sill? We were not the first team to go for the priority pick, but we were the last. For some reason that seems to have been a crime.

The AFL should be ashamed.

Yep, that's the whole problem with the retrospective nature of the investigation. What did they miss? What did they 'conveniently' ignore? It could never have been as thorough as possible because of the time lapse. Did Haddad and Clothier 'stumble' upon this article like I did? Maybe they did and chose to ignore it ...

Schwab sounded rather buoyant didn't he?

For all we know, they may have found lots of stuff along the way that might have helped us, but because of their 'attitude', that stuff may have been conveniently ignored.

So who says Wilson carefully checks her facts?

Witnesses have confirmed that a grim-faced Schwab walked up to the senior coach in the Melbourne changing rooms after the siren and reminded him to consider the future of the club and the ramifications facing the Demons at the end of the season.

Connolly, within earshot, allegedly made a comment along the following lines: ''Jimmy's just fallen out of his hospital bed.'' President Stynes had been diagnosed with cancer the previous month and was at that time recovering from surgery. The AFL investigators were told the inference was that Stynes would not have been happy about the win.

I believe Robinson's 2009 version over Wilson's 2012 version simply because it was three years closer to the truth. Had Wilson checked her "facts", she might not have written this piece of trash and Connolly and Schwab's reputations and that of the Melbourne Football Club might not have suffered.

Who are the "witnesses" who "confirmed" the BS about CS being grim faced?

Why would they have claimed Schwab was grim faced when, in fact, spirits were high?

Think about it?

Pope's resignation? Gotta have a big impact as well ...

Lots going down at the moment, we'll be pushed off the back pages yet.

That was a different sort of tampering.Their game is in disrepute more often than not.

So who says Wilson carefully checks her facts?

I believe Robinson's 2009 version over Wilson's 2012 version simply because it was three years closer to the truth. Had Wilson checked her "facts", she might not have written this piece of trash and Connolly and Schwab's reputations and that of the Melbourne Football Club might not have suffered.

Who are the "witnesses" who "confirmed" the BS about CS being grim faced?

Why would they have claimed Schwab was grim faced when, in fact, spirits were high?

Think about it?

Wilson will no doubt claim that according to her sources that is what the "witnesses" told the investigators.

If that's the case, then the evidence of these "witnesses" should be in the 800 (or 1,000) page report and their identity known to the club. Perhaps they should be named and shamed? In any event, their "evidence" would easily have been refuted.

I've always regarded the paragraphs reported above from a Wilson article as risible and indicative of the lowest form of agenda based journalism and an insult to the intelligence of the readers of the Age newspaper.

Surely, the wise men at the AFL wouldn't fall for that rubbish?

The closer the announcement gets to the Commission meeting next monday, makes me suspect it is likely a deal has been or is close to being done.

If a deal is in the pipeline - I am ok for there to be a vague acknowledgement of unfortunate words said, but total confirmation that the club did nothing wrong.

I have heard all this deal stuff before, and I don't like it.

The ramifications of accepting a deal is enormous.

When you accept a deal people will always assume you are guilty.

The amount of money that would cost us down the track by accepting a guilty verdict would totally destroy our club.

The deal would have to, not involve any hint of guilty.

Just think about the consequences, losing the gaming rights at Bentleigh and Leighoak. Losing sponsorships and supporters.

Unless we are totally exonerated from these charges,we must fight this all the way through the courts.

-14 (phase II)

AFL under more pressure as Pope announces retirement

and WTF is Michelangelo Rucci at the little paper - ignorant little muppet

-14 (phase II)

AFL under more pressure as Pope announces retirement

and WTF is Michelangelo Rucci at the little paper - ignorant little muppet

Just an Advertiser op-Ed they thought 'we' needed to read...

I very much hope he, and many others, are indignant this week.

Shaking their ham-fists at the sky and mumbling some unthinking jibberish as they froth from the side of their mouths.

That would be nice.

-14 (phase II)

AFL under more pressure as Pope announces retirement

and WTF is Michelangelo Rucci at the little paper - ignorant little muppet

He is a grubby Port Adelaide supporting hack who has no relevance east of Murray Bridge. Fugedaboutit.

Down to the last 60 hours people. I reckon this has to be done before Friday's NAB cup start.

Any semblance of a guilty finding would be incredibly damaging and resistance to that by DB and us is probably the hold up.

Leaks from the investigation have poisoned the mood at least among the commentariat as Rucci's remarks, and others from donkeys like Dwayne Russell attest.

If we are to be in the clear the AFL and MFC might be advised to release a Clothear-Haddit point by point summary of allegations, accompanied by point by point refutation from the MFC.

The risk with that is it sets amateur sleuths like those who reside at the Sun to run off and retest the allegations, but I think it would be worth it to shoot down the sort of shite that the Sun came up with when it suggested Sylvia was dropped as a tanking measure when he was, in fact, suspended.

It would also be a great backhander to the moral arbiter of the AFL, Wilson.

Someone here said weeks ago that the investigation had moved from an inquiry to a search for guilt. That was right, well let's see how it stands up under scrutiny.

Wilson will no doubt claim that according to her sources that is what the "witnesses" told the investigators.

If that's the case, then the evidence of these "witnesses" should be in the 800 (or 1,000) page report and their identity known to the club. Perhaps they should be named and shamed? In any event, their "evidence" would easily have been refuted.

I've always regarded the paragraphs reported above from a Wilson article as risible and indicative of the lowest form of agenda based journalism and an insult to the intelligence of the readers of the Age newspaper.

Surely, the wise men at the AFL wouldn't fall for that rubbish?

And at the every least unless you can do a tie up with the evidence in the 800 page report to what Wilson has written then how can make an informed assessment of what she has written?

And how do you know it was not elements in the AFL that were leaking to her and that some of the leaked information at the time may not have been reproduced in the report?

The closer the announcement gets to the Commission meeting next monday, makes me suspect it is likely a deal has been or is close to being done.

Exactly Redleg.

Neither party wants to go to Court. Both know its a lose-lose situation.

A negotiated settlement which allows the AFL to hold some veneer of integrity and elements at the Club to get a mere slap on the wrist with overall a no further case to answer.

Issue is dead. Process completed. The AFL can then concentrate on the AFL tsunami.

-14 (phase II)

AFL under more pressure as Pope announces retirement

and WTF is Michelangelo Rucci at the little paper - ignorant little muppet

Clearly His Holiness is resigning in protest at the length of the tanking investigation ... :-)

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/time-to-strip-points-for-tanking/story-e6frf9jf-1226575762398?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HeraldSunAflMelbourne+%28Herald+Sun+|+AFL+-+Melbourne%29

Normally the ridiculous articles that get published by this excuse for a 'newspaper' don't get much of a reaction from me. However what this imbecile, Rucci, suggests would effectively be the end of the MFC. Who the hell would support a club that effectively played games without a reason for 4 seasons. It would be ludicrous.

Rucci just needs to stick to his core business of screwing the Port Power football club, a club he supposedly supports and one he has consistently kicked while it's down.