Firstly we may lose the club. You really don't get the relationship we have with the AFL do you.

Secondly we may lose the court case.

'Lose the club'?

God, you are prone to exaggeration aren't you...

The 'relationship' with the AFL is something that might have to be pushed if they wish us to bend over and take a verdict we are not happy with.

Losing licences and and having poisonous PR will kill this club before the AFL can do 'magically' do it if we don't 'do what we're told.'

Firstly we may lose the club. You really don't get the relationship we have with the AFL do you.

Secondly we may lose the court case.

Sometimes you have to die in battle......Or forever be branded cowards and spend the rest of your life in fear....

Whatever, if all you diehards want to go to court put your money were your posts are.

I'll happily kick in some cash if it leaves me with a club I can be proud of. I'm not sure I've got it in me to follow a club that won't stand for something. I'm sick of us being rolled over and having to take it from all and sundry.

I'm an optimist but I'm not naive. There is a lot on the line here.

Go DEES!

Sometimes you have to die in battle......Or forever be branded cowards and spend the rest of your life in fear....

Or sometimes you have to live to fight another day.

'Lose the club'?

God, you are prone to exaggeration aren't you...

AFL give us terrible draws, remove our funding, don't guarantee our loans and at the end of the TV rights period we are the Tassie Demons.

We've got the lowest number of supporters in the AFL, we are expendable.

You really don't get it.

I'll happily kick in some cash if it leaves me with a club I can be proud of. I'm not sure I've got it in me to follow a club that won't stand for something. I'm sick of us being rolled over and having to take it from all and sundry.

I'm an optimist but I'm not naive. There is a lot on the line here.

Go DEES!

This club has stood for nothing for 45 yrs, one more incident wont hurt, they will not beat the AFL in court, they cant afford there own legal fees let alone someone elses, and last of all NEVER bite the hand that feeds you.

Why are we being fined then, for not 'clamping down' on CC's private joke?

being "an accessory after the fact" or maybe "harboring" or "failure to report" bad humour to the AFL putting the integrity* of the game at risk

* integrity=buzzword of the year

Or sometimes you have to live to fight another day.

If we don't fight this......There won't be another day...We will be forever hiding under rocks.....

Or sometimes you have to live to fight another day.

What would we be fighting for? We would have shown all and sundry that we'll cop any shite thrown at us. Better to take a stand and say this is the line. If we lose, we lose. At least we had a go.

Go DEES!

This club has stood for nothing for 45 yrs, one more incident wont hurt, they will not beat the AFL in court, they cant afford there own legal fees let alone someone elses, and last of all NEVER bite the hand that feeds you.

Said like a true quitter.....If they charge us and we don't fight it.....We wont have a club......Don't you get it yet....

What if CS and CC instructed Bailey to tank but he didn't do it?

I posed that scenario in one of my earlier posts. That would mean you could fine CS and CC for attempting to do something and the club and Bailey walk.

This club has stood for nothing for 45 yrs, one more incident wont hurt, they will not beat the AFL in court, they cant afford there own legal fees let alone someone elses, and last of all NEVER bite the hand that feeds you.

Thank God you're not coaching. The point is that one more incident will hurt. It's the final straw FFS. If this is not worth fighting for and you're prepared to take a big one up the back passage you need to be supporting someone else. I hear GWS are giving away memberships.

Go DEES!

mjt, on 12 Feb 2013 - 13:19, said:

Whatever, if all you diehards want to go to court put your money were your posts are.

I think you will find a lot of diehards will contribute to such a fund if they feel we have been unfairly shafted AND legal advice is that we have a good chance of winning.

In any case, the current discussion is between those beating their chests and those hiding behind pillows. No point in doing either until we know what the charges, evidence and penalties are, if any.

If we don't fight this......There won't be another day...We will be forever hiding under rocks.....

This negotiation is a little out of your league mate. Best to sit back and see what they're able to orchestrate with the AFL, so both parties save face,

I think you will find a lot of diehards will contribute to such a fund if they feel we have been unfairly shafted AND legal advice is that we have a good chance of winning.

In any case, the current discussion is between those beating their chests and those hiding behind pillows. No point in doing either until we know what the charges, evidence and penalties are, if any.

"Hiding behind pillows" must be new definition of taking direct action to extricate MFC and the AFL out of this mess

mjt, on 12 Feb 2013 - 13:19, said:

I think you will find a lot of diehards will contribute to such a fund if they feel we have been unfairly shafted AND legal advice is that we have a good chance of winning.

In any case, the current discussion is between those beating their chests and those hiding behind pillows. No point in doing either until we know what the charges, evidence and penalties are, if any.

Fair point, but it doesn't hurt to establish some principles and prepare for whatever might eventuate. It's not about chest beating. It's about saying we are a proud club and we will not be used to satisfy the AFL's need to have a scapegoat. I can say that without beating my chest.

but you haven't explained how PRIVATE injudicious remarks could bring the game into disrepute

this only came out as a result of the inquiry and more specifically because of a leak

when did his comments bring the game into disrepute? In 2009? I don't think so. In 2012 as part of a confidential inquiry? C'mon

Computer says NO

Bailey actually made a public comment. He said he coached to maximise draft picks. That could bring the game into disrepute if you took it the wrong way. A small fine for him and a small fine for CC for his silly joke could end it, with no finding of tanking.

On the other hand Bailey's comment is open to another interpretation. He coached, trying every player even in different positions, to see who should be gone at the end of the year, thereby maximising the number of draft picks the club would have, by getting rid of players that he saw wouldn't make it.

Why are we being fined then, for not 'clamping down' on CC's private joke?

Absolutely RP. If we can get out of this with a fine and the AFL banning CC for life, then I think we've dodged a bullet.

I am in total agreeance that if we are found guilty of tanking, that we should take it to court. I also strongly believe we won't have a case to answer in regards to tanking (due to the fact that it's impossible to prove). I have no doubt tha tif we took it to court, we would win, hence why the AFL will give us the no case to answer comment.

If what I expect happens and CC is banned, I can't see how anyone would want to take this to court, as we will not win. It will be up to us to prove comments from witnesses wrong, and I think that's something that we couldn't do. If one or more persons were offended or felt bullied by CC's "joke" about losing their jobs if they don't stay the course, then we have got zero chance of winning that.

End result, the main players are happy;

AFL - got some form of outcome by banning CC, and knowing that they won't be going to court

MFC - dodged a bullet because there is no proof of what everyone knows we did (and we're not the only club)

Media - have got some blood out of the MFC, not the main target in CS, but enough to satisfy

Yes that's right - he quite clearly sufficiently upset some MFC employees with his "joke" to cause them to relay it to the inquiry. Quite simply on ANY level he should not have been saying that.

What a precendent!

Fark it then. Go for it. But know this - the AFL will tell us it is for this certain Zulus joke but they will spin it as a measure against our tanking.

'Senior member of MFC fined for proposing club tank in meeting'

Humourless people in room take joke wrong way - cost club and individual fine and expulsion from game repectively.

'Sponsors demand MFC fire Connolly'

Opel Chairman Hans Gruber demanded the firing saying "We Germans are an honest people - we do not care for this ferendernoogle."

This negotiation is a little out of your league mate. Best to sit back and see what they're able to orchestrate with the AFL, so both parties save face,

I'm getting a bit riled here BH. Why should we care about the AFL's face? They clearly haven't shown any consideration for ours or they wouldn't have let this farce go on for seven months. I want to have a face at the end of this and I don't want to be wiping egg, or worse, from it.

Yeah, they're big and scary but there just comes a time.

I'll happily kick in some cash if it leaves me with a club I can be proud of. I'm not sure I've got it in me to follow a club that won't stand for something. I'm sick of us being rolled over and having to take it from all and sundry.

I'm an optimist but I'm not naive. There is a lot on the line here.

Go DEES!

Count Me in...i won't support a club that rolls over...If that happens kiss the 13th goodbye...

This negotiation is a little out of your league mate. Best to sit back and see what they're able to orchestrate with the AFL, so both parties save face,

I would suggest it has got out of the AFL's league too - LOL

and if internet forums aren't for opinions i don't know what is. last time i looked there was no pre-req to be a mensa member

This negotiation is a little out of your league mate. Best to sit back and see what they're able to orchestrate with the AFL, so both parties save face,

Thanks "OH great one".........I take your advise.......Gee I hope one day I will be able to play with the 'Big Boys'

Your most humble sevant

Boss

PS.....I did say If we are charged....

This club has stood for nothing for 45 yrs, one more incident wont hurt, they will not beat the AFL in court, they cant afford there own legal fees let alone someone elses, and last of all NEVER bite the hand that feeds you.

That is not the club i support.

This club has stood for nothing for 45 yrs, one more incident wont hurt, they will not beat the AFL in court, they cant afford there own legal fees let alone someone elses, and last of all NEVER bite the hand that feeds you.

Clearly not the post of a Melbourne supporter.