Don McLardy's Statement

[frankie_d 1,410]

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Don't know how to feel - we rolled over, but cleared the air, did we?

[The Chazz 4,077]

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Don't know how to feel - we rolled over, but cleared the air, did we?

No mention of Bailey. What happened to the one in all in?

And the comment about Connolly returning to the Club at the end of his suspension, surely we have learnt not to make stupid jokes like this.

[monoccular 16,443]

I have read the AFL website release - just what offence have we been fined for? Vlad "didn't like" what our guys said?

[TheoX 1,218]

Shouldn't the headline on the AFL website read: Cleared, Instead of Suspended, Slapped 500K

[Sir Why You Little 34,979]

What was the charge??

Feel very disillussioned right now.

No mention of Dean Bailey?

Dam club rolled over..

[Bossdog 2,002]

No mention of Bailey. What happened to the one in all in?

And the comment about Connolly returning to the Club at the end of his suspension, surely we have learnt not to make stupid jokes like this.

Do you have any idea of the work that CC does for the club?????

[The Chazz 4,077]

Do you have any idea of the work that CC does for the club?????

Hopefully it brings in more than $500k a year.

[The Chazz 4,077]

What was the charge??

Feel very disillussioned right now.

No mention of Dean Bailey?

Dam club rolled over..

Disappointing to say the least WYL. We left him alone at his final presser, and we've left him alone again, even after saying that we're all in it together.

[jabberwocky 2,301]

What was the charge??

Feel very disillussioned right now.

No mention of Dean Bailey?

Dam club rolled over..

If you have your director of football and coach of the time making admissions to manipulate teams and positional changes to support a loss then it doesn't give the club a lot of room.

[Vipercrunch 2,818]

Reports were that the clubs and Dean's laywers were negotiating this out together. We worked with him up to this point, didn't leave him to hang out to dry and now Adelaide (he's current employer) will support him through.

[rpfc 27,646]

This is the ONLY result that would see us cleared without going to the courts.

We wanted to be found not guilty. We got that.

The AFL wanted something for the fervour created by their own investigation. They got that.

We keep our name, and the AFL 'keeps its integrity' and two men fall.

And we thank them for falling.

CC's 'joke' performed something of a release valve that the AFL used to great effect. It allowed any shadowy behaviour to be put at his feet and those below - Bailey - and keep the focus off the club's higher echelons.

He screwed up but he didn't deserve what he has accepted. He has borne the brunt and we should be thankful to someone with the best interests of the club at heart.

[Pates 9,537]

If the club had rolled over this thing would have been over 5 months ago and we would've been on our knees begging for mercy. We publicly stated many times that we would fight and I reckon had it gone to court we would've have a massive crack.

But this has already been drawn out and as Don said the costs of this going on for longer could do more damage than good.

I support the clubs decision. No draft penalties and a financial fine that I believe we (as a collective) can cover.

It's done, I'm happy.

[Jens Lehmann 75]

Some might forget how important it is that the club was found to have not tanked.

So Bailey, Connolly and the club all suffer penalties under vague headings, and our pokies remain untouched by the govt.

[Dedogtor 66]

This is the ONLY result that would see us cleared without going to the courts.

We wanted to be found not guilty. We got that.

The AFL wanted something for the fervour created by their own investigation. They got that.

We keep our name, and the AFL 'keeps its integrity' and two men fall.

And we thank them for falling.

CC's 'joke' performed something of a release valve that the AFL used to great effect. It allowed any shadowy behaviour to be put at his feet and those below - Bailey - and keep the focus off the club's higher echelons.

He screwed up but he didn't deserve what he has accepted. He has borne the brunt and we should be thankful to someone with the best interests of the club at heart.

[Sdemon53 15]

If the club had rolled over this thing would have been over 5 months ago and we would've been on our knees begging for mercy. We publicly stated many times that we would fight and I reckon had it gone to court we would've have a massive crack.

But this has already been drawn out and as Don said the costs of this going on for longer could do more damage than good.

I support the clubs decision. No draft penalties and a financial fine that I believe we (as a collective) can cover.

It's done, I'm happy.

Pates I agree with 100%. The club should set up a fund so that all members and supporters can contribute what they are able to spare.

What worries me is that the footy department will have their program modified because of lack of funds.

We now have a MFC heading in the right direction so we need to show that we want it to continue doing so.

[Dedogtor 66]

But we were not cleared not at all!! we will forever be known as the tanker's.. It will stick no one buys it..

[mjt 640]

This is the ONLY result that would see us cleared without going to the courts.

We wanted to be found not guilty. We got that.

The AFL wanted something for the fervour created by their own investigation. They got that.

We keep our name, and the AFL 'keeps its integrity' and two men fall.

And we thank them for falling.

CC's 'joke' performed something of a release valve that the AFL used to great effect. It allowed any shadowy behaviour to be put at his feet and those below - Bailey - and keep the focus off the club's higher echelons.

He screwed up but he didn't deserve what he has accepted. He has borne the brunt and we should be thankful to someone with the best interests of the club at heart.

Yeah thanks for the 7month investigation Chris and 500,000k fine, your a bleeding heart.

[DemonWA 3,536]

But we were not cleared not at all!! we will forever be known as the tanker's.. It will stick no one buys it..

lets not kid ourselves. To the masses we were always going to be called tankers, ever since we got picks 1 & 2. No matter what the investigation concluded we are going to get the tanekrs sledge from other fans.

Neelds new look FD has not been punished.

We move on

[Thehardtackler 785]

I do not think that the vast majority of fans accept this fine and the charges against Connolly and Bailey. We can and will make our feelings known this Friday at Etihad and AFL House should be targeted for protests by Melbourne fans.

[sue 8,479]

Disappointing to say the least WYL. We left him alone at his final presser, and we've left him alone again, even after saying that we're all in it together

Since we don't know what the evidence was, nor what penalties/charges the AFL initially intended to make, isn't it more likely that DB, CC and MFC mutually agreed to the outcome. For all we know MFC went into bat strongly for DB. Indeed it would be wise policy to do so regardless of loyalty issues,

[heartbeatstrue 57]

But we were not cleared not at all!! we will forever be known as the tanker's.. It will stick no one buys it..

I was driving home and heard those words on the news... "MELBOURNE CLEARED OF TANKING". That was pretty, pretty good!

If you're worried about Caroline Wilson's incessant "tanking" allegations in The Age newspaper,

a) stop buying The Age;

b) remember how wrong she has been and the damage to her reputation; and

c) keep reminding anyone and everyone of this fact:

Wallace Tanked for Top Pick

Terry Wallace admits not trying in AFL game to secure Trent Cotchin

TERRY WALLACE ADMITS NOT TRYING IN AFL GAME TO SECURE TRENT COTCHIN

Former Richmond coach Terry Wallace has confirmed he did "absolutely nothing" in a game two years ago, knowing a win would cost the club prized recruit Trent Cotchin.

As the AFL continues to deny tanking exists, Wallace told the Herald Sun he was compromised as the Tigers took on St Kilda in Round 22, 2007.

"It was a no-win situation for everyone in the coach's box," Wallace said.

"We decided the best way to operate was just to let the players go out.

"I didn't do anything. I just let the boys play. There weren't any miracle moves in the last couple of minutes."

Richmond led by nine points 12 minutes into the final term, but the Saints kicked the last three goals to win by 10 points.

[McQueen 17,864]

But we were not cleared not at all!! we will forever be known as the tanker's.. It will stick no one buys it..

And when we win a flag you can say GAGF we're Premiers you pelicans.

[Thehardtackler 785]

$20 from every member this year would more than pay the fine. Maybe we could all chip this in Round 1.

[Chook 14,616]

Some part of me suspects that Mark Neeld put a bit of pressure on the board to forget about legal action, so that we would not have this issue hanging over the players' heads for the forseeable future (as would no doubt have happened otherwise).

[Demon Disciple 11,140]

$20 from every member this year would more than pay the fine. Maybe we could all chip this in Round 1.

A good idea, or put up membership an extra $20 next year, explaining the obvious reasons.

Either way, i'm pretty sure our foundation members will see to it that this $500k is wiped off pretty quickly, be it now or at the foundation heroes dinner event. Don't thank the likes of Schwab, Connolly, Neeld, Bailey, McLardy and even big Jim (to a much lesser extent), thank this select group of supporters who continually dig deep into their own pockets to help bail the club out of financial woe, and will no doubt again pay off the largest part of this debt.

I have little doubt that without Jim coming on board when he did, this club would cease to exist. But i have no doubt that without our foundation heroes, this club would cease to exist.