On 19/02/2013 at 03:39, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

The most troubling matter out of all this as far as I'm concerned is that the AFL leaks like a sieve to Caroline Wilson. She wasn't 100% correct, but she had enough correct information to satisfy me that she wasn't just guessing.

How do you know it's not Melbourne that leaks like a sieve? They would have known the result and sanctions last week just when CW started reporting them.

So Billy..when you fail in arguing you go packing huh.. ...go then.

We have been found not guilty of deliberately losing games, which is the key point in all of this.

No board knowledge and no directive from the club to lose games.

Therefore, according to both the narrow legal definition of tanking AND the broader public concept of tanking, we have been found not guilty.

That's the result we wanted.

The $500k fine is excessive but who knows who is really funding this amount.

I knew there would be some blood letting once this day came around.

But guys can you all take a breath, make a cup of coffee, take the dog for a walk and log back on in an hour's time.

please we all support the one club.

Just calm down

  On 19/02/2013 at 03:43, maurie said:

How do you know it's not Melbourne that leaks like a sieve? They would have known the result and sanctions last week just when CW started reporting them.

Good point...and if that were the case, it's even more depressing.

This is farcical, illogical, and totally consistent with recent AFL policy. How can the club be not guilty of tanking, but DB and CC guilty of 'conduct unbecoming'? How can .... arghh! It stinks like dead cat in the middle of the road, but it will probably do my head in trying to make any sense out of it ...

  On 19/02/2013 at 03:37, billy2803 said:

B59, CC accepted it. Regardless of if he had a gun held to his head or not, he knows he fcuked up and should be punished. There's every possible chance he was responsible in some way for the treatment given to these "ex employees" that made them feel they should blow the whistle.

I'm as one-eyed as anyone on here, but how can you not hold him responsible? Answer that rather than the idiotic insults.

Well the other way to look at this is; if he hadn't made that comment no experimenting would have gone on and we wouldn't have got that extra draft pick.

I think if you asked most clubs if they would pay 500k for a number one draft pick they wouldn't be able to get the cheque book out quick enough.

  On 19/02/2013 at 03:37, billy2803 said:

B59, CC accepted it. Regardless of if he had a gun held to his head or not, he knows he fcuked up and should be punished. There's every possible chance he was responsible in some way for the treatment given to these "ex employees" that made them feel they should blow the whistle.

I'm as one-eyed as anyone on here, but how can you not hold him responsible? Answer that rather than the idiotic insults.

connolly's not the one out of order for doing his job.

the rules implied of the day, were followed.

the ones out of order, are the ones who spoke out of school, out of vindictiveness.

& the ones who created a 'Witch Hunt'.

  On 19/02/2013 at 03:15, PJ_12345 said:

I nearly cried of laughing when the first person to ask a question was Caroline Wilson asking why DB's head wasn't rolling

...because she couldn't ask why her buddy Cam Schwab got off.

Guess she'll have to find another way for the "family payback ?

"Mr McLachlan said if any person came forward with new evidence involving clubs acting in a manner which was prejudicial to the interests of the AFL, the AFL’s integrity department would examine any such evidence."

So I guess Terry's OK then. Because he publicly admitted "conduct unbecoming", but it's in the past?

From The Age:

"Just to reiterate ... employees of the Melbourne Football Club (Dean Bailey and Chris Connolly) have been found to have breached player rule 1.6. Connolly has been banned from holding down any role with an AFL club for 12 months. Bailey can't coach in any capacity in the AFL for the first 15 rounds of 2013. The AFL has found that Melbourne was responsible for the behaviour of its employees and fined $500,000."

Anyone know what exactly rule 1.6 is?

I have a feeling that fine will never be paid in full...The AFL will not pursue it...

  On 19/02/2013 at 03:39, billy2803 said:

They were playing (losing) to get a home final. They weren't losing to have an impact of the draft order. There is a difference if you want to see it, but most won't, and I can appreciate that.

I see what you are saying Billy.......but if you are playing to lose,it doesn't matter the reason,does it???? You are not trying your best to win which is the rule Loseing to get a better finals outcome is no different to getting a draft pick......Playing to lose is PLAYING TO LOSE....

  On 19/02/2013 at 03:34, belzebub59 said:

resting 14 players isnt tanking....

BB

They had to be rested, they were so unfit.

Maybe a $ donation plee to the members, backers, supporters, sponsors etc would see this $500K wiped out in 24 hours! That would jam it up the A wful F ri66ing L ogheads nicely.

  On 19/02/2013 at 03:43, belzebub59 said:

if youre unable to decipher whats really going on here then Im really surprised. Do you really belieive that load of crup from McGillon.. That was bullspeak .

even if youre argument was to hold any water...then it would only be Bails fault for having no sense of f'n humour. But we know its nothing to do with that.

this is the AFLs way of saving face...nothing more , nothiing less. There is no guilty actions. He McG all but admitted that.

We have been charged and we have accepted those findings and sanctions. I have been saying for months that this was going to happen, and it did.

Take CC's "joke" out of the evidence, the AFL have nothing and case would be closed. Why a person in his position would be stupid enough to make a joke about it in the first place beggars belief. Everyone within the walls of the MFC knew what was best for us, why joke about it??!

  On 19/02/2013 at 03:44, belzebub59 said:

So Billy..when you fail in arguing you go packing huh.. ...go then.

?

I understand exactly what the AFL are saying

I just can't explain it based on the english language

AFL INTEGRITY,,,,Pfffft

  On 19/02/2013 at 03:45, old dee said:

I knew there would be some blood letting once this day came around.

But guys can you all take a breath, make a cup of coffee, take the dog for a walk and log back on in an hour's time.

please we all support the one club.

Just calm down

Good grief Old Dee we agree on something, wasting your breath I'm afraid, the queue for the spleens that need venting starts on the left I think....me I'm looking fwd to Friday...........no other comment on this,

IT'S OVER...MOVE ON...

well done dees, great result.....not guilty and no draft picks

wahoo

I reckon the AFL got this just about right - perhaps they were a bit soft on us.

Bailey and Connolly were behind the scenes making dodgy decisions leading to deliberate short term losses for expected long term gains that never came. And Jimmy - God bless him - was probably implicit also. We are very lucky not to have draft picks taken away.

We did everything else BUT tell our players to lose. I can't tell you how angry I am that officials of the MFC - the founding club and best club in the world - decided that a culture of losing would have long term gains. I have been a great fan of Connolly and thought Bailey had some things right, but I do not want to see Connolly back our great club. Think how Barassi, Flower, Viney, Lyon would respond if the club was doing everything to lose while the players were busting heads, guts, legs and all they had to try and win a flag???

We lost Brock McLean and Scully because of this, and probably others. Regardless of how we now feel about them they were good players who smelled a rat.

Never, NEVER again!!!

  On 19/02/2013 at 03:49, Choke said:

From The Age:

"Just to reiterate ... employees of the Melbourne Football Club (Dean Bailey and Chris Connolly) have been found to have breached player rule 1.6. Connolly has been banned from holding down any role with an AFL club for 12 months. Bailey can't coach in any capacity in the AFL for the first 15 rounds of 2013. The AFL has found that Melbourne was responsible for the behaviour of its employees and fined $500,000."

Anyone know what exactly rule 1.6 is?

Glad you put that in.

Do you think we can claim that $550k back on our insurance?

  On 19/02/2013 at 03:50, billy2803 said:

Take CC's "joke" out of the evidence, the AFL have nothing and case would be closed.

Maybe all along it wasn't a joke.

  On 19/02/2013 at 03:48, BangkokDemon said:

...because she couldn't ask why her buddy Cam Schwab got off.

Guess she'll have to find another way for the "family payback ?

He who laughs last...

Witch 'he' will keep on laugh in?

  On 19/02/2013 at 03:47, dee-luded said:

connolly's not the one out of order for doing his job.

the rules implied of the day, were followed.

the ones out of order, are the ones who spoke out of school, out of vindictiveness.

& the ones who created a 'Witch Hunt'.

Speaking out of school? I tell you what, I have worked for a number of bosses, some I would still protect to this day. On the other hand, there are some that I would have no hesitation opening up if I was invovled in an investigation.

Perhaps we should look at why these people felt that spilling the beans was the best option over keeping your mouth shut.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-02-19/afl-full-statement-melbourne-tanking-penalties?utm_medium=RSS

"The AFL Commission has also announced the introduction of a Whistleblower Policy, and this will include any matters that may relate to team performance, separate to information about performance enhancing drugs.

Well if that isn't an invitiation to take other clubs to the cleaners I don't know what is.