Don McLardy's Statement

[Sir Why You Little 34,529]

I think i just need more of an explanation after 7 months.

But yes we the supporters must ensure that our Football Department continues to grow.

I also want to fully trust the MFC Board, but right now i am wavering. I hope this feeling disipates over time.

Bring on Round 1 & bloody win Demons.

Winning is the only remedy for this dark day.

I have even had Collingwood mates ring me this afternoon telling me we got shafted.

Vlad you have lost me....

[Dee Fan 3,247]

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).

I agree with that and it's probably the reason that DMcL said we now have clean air to run out on the ground on Friday night without this hanging over our heads.

[Carlos Danger 380]

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.

And some might be weighing that up against the $500,000 fine as opposed to forgetting.

For a club with a statutory profit of $19,486 for 2012 that still relies heavily on donations, it's kind of a big deal.

[old55 21,352]

I think i just need more of an explanation after 7 months.

But yes we the supporters must ensure that our Football Department continues to grow.

I also want to fully trust the MFC Board, but right now i am wavering. I hope this feeling disipates over time.

Bring on Round 1 & bloody win Demons.

Winning is the only remedy for this dark day.

I have even had Collingwood mates ring me this afternoon telling me we got shafted.

Vlad you have lost me....

According to you now Webjet and Opel jumping off later this week and liquor and pokie licenses revoked next week?

[jumbo returns 6,488]

Let's start healing.

Let's move on.

We don't know the full machinations of the 'deal.'

[mauriesy 6,805]

According to you now Webjet and Opel jumping off later this week and liquor and pokie licenses revoked next week?

Don't forget the club dying by the end of the year.

[Sir Why You Little 34,529]

According to you now Webjet and Opel jumping off later this week and liquor and pokie licenses revoked next week?

i don't think any sponsor would be feeling great right now.

[Squarky 10]

Frankly, I'm delighted at the outcome. Given all that has transpired, it's the very best we could have realistically hoped for. Gaming licence intact, draft picks intact. We move on to bigger and better things.

I think the club has done an outstanding job with the negotiation. I'd be surprised if we were forced to give up any of our initial 'must-haves'.

[dees189227 10,800]

Im rapt that we wernt hit with draft pick sanctions. Yeah so we got cleared of tanking but still got fined. I think that was the AFL putting out a message out there for clubs who dare go down that path. I felt for Sam Stynes today who had to speak to media to defend Jim.

Yeah we could have taken it through the courts but who needs the distraction. Now we dont have to read about it in the papers and finally it has come to a conclusion.

Now Mark Neeld can focus on coaching this team and there will no offield distractions. God knows he had enough of them last season.

[jnrmac 18,980]

While I am happy this is over I am furious that our club has been so incompetent in its dealings with its own staff and the administration of our footy dept. That there are so many disgruntled ex-employees is very poor. That we needed to have a meeting to discuss tanking is insane. There was probably email evidence as well.

We have had a decade of footy administration incompetence. I hope to hell we are over it.

FFS we can't even lose properly.

[Tatu 416]

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

we have been branded tankers for well over two years by the media, it's already stuck whether we were cleared today or not, we will be looked at as tankers by others..... But who cares about them.... I'm just glad it all over..... For now.....

[rpfc 27,476]

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

This investigation started because of McLean's big mouth and The Bloated One's absence at the Olympics.

The CC stuff came out during the investigation.

CC's remarks gave the AFL a suitable scapegoat to end it and clear our name.

[old dee 22,875]

While I am happy this is over I am furious that our club has been so incompetent in its dealings with its own staff and the administration of our footy dept. That there are so many disgruntled ex-employees is very poor. That we needed to have a meeting to discuss tanking is insane. There was probably email evidence as well.

We have had a decade of footy administration incompetence. I hope to hell we are over it.

FFS we can't even lose properly.

which ever way you look at it Jnr. It comes back to that.

There has seldom been a club in the AFL that has made such a [censored] up of things for so long.

You just know there was a lot covered up in this sorry saga. lots of dirty linen has been kept in house.

I just pray that we have now turned the corner.

[rpfc 27,476]

i don't think any sponsor would be feeling great right now.

Why not?

The AFL has officially cleared us of tanking.

[old dee 22,875]

Why not?

The AFL has officially cleared us of tanking.

But the other 98% don't believe one word of it rpfc

[jumbo returns 6,488]

Melbourne Storm were branded cheats for their salary cap creativity........they won a premiership.

Is it ever brought up now?

This Club has been thrown a lifeline. I hope they get off their derrier and use this opportunity.

I have faith in Neeld and our leadership group.

[rjay 23,922]

While I am happy this is over I am furious that our club has been so incompetent in its dealings with its own staff and the administration of our footy dept. That there are so many disgruntled ex-employees is very poor. That we needed to have a meeting to discuss tanking is insane. There was probably email evidence as well.

We have had a decade of footy administration incompetence. I hope to hell we are over it.

FFS we can't even lose properly.

which ever way you look at it Jnr. It comes back to that.

There has seldom been a club in the AFL that has made such a [censored] up of things for so long.

You just know there was a lot covered up in this sorry saga. lots of dirty linen has been kept in house.

I just pray that we have now turned the corner.

...and I can't help but think as supporters we have just been screwed again. I don't trust the administration that has put us in this position.

[DemonWorshipper 296]

But the other 98% don't believe one word of it rpfc

To be honest, I couldn't give a f**k what 98% of the AFL thinks. Do you think the Swans care? The Hawks? The Filth? No they don't. These clubs go about their business without a care for anyone else. Look at 5 teams who have won premierships, They only care about themselves and how they can succeed.

Now that this 'tanking' saga has a full stop, I expect our football club to do the same.

Edited February 19, 2013 by DemonWorshipper

[Sir Why You Little 34,529]

Why not?

The AFL has officially cleared us of tanking.

its now time for the Gaming Licence Probe.

They could be a lot tougher than the AFL...

I told you not to drink the cheap champagne early...

This is why we HAD to go to court. The Beaks had to clear us of Tanking not the AFL.

[bing181 8,169]

That there are so many disgruntled ex-employees is very poor. That we needed to have a meeting to discuss tanking is insane. There was probably email evidence as well.

How many ex-employees were there in this? So many? I believe the number was 2, but if you have anything to support there being more than that, be good to share it with us.

As for there "probably" being email evidence? If you know for a fact there was, once again, why not let us in on it. If you're just guessing, with nothing to support that, why even bring it up?

Even when this whole charade is done and dusted, there are still people speculating ...

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

A sensible and practical approach adopted by the club here.

All the evidence I have seen to date in relation to the charge of 'tanking' is completely hopeless, but the cost to this club of a bloody knife fight in the courts would've been far worse.

As someone I work with often says, "hey, it doesn't always pay to be right". And that's all we would've achieved had we gone to court, and the cost of proving we were "right" would've much, much worse.

Congratulations Don - you've nailed it again.

This club has officially entered the professional domain. Finally.

[Biffen 12,331]

I must say that Don has gained my respect during the whole saga.

"Some men are born to greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them" and all that .

He is the John Curtain of our club.

He has done a sterling job in a no nonsense manner and he keeps his mouth shut when he needs to .

Seems to speak softly and carry a big Fink,..er stick .

[old dee 22,875]

A sensible and practical approach adopted by the club here.

All the evidence I have seen to date in relation to the charge of 'tanking' is completely hopeless, but the cost to this club of a bloody knife fight in the courts would've been far worse.

As someone I work with often says, "hey, it doesn't always pay to be right". And that's all we would've achieved had we gone to court, and the cost of proving we were "right" would've much, much worse.

Congratulations Don - you've nailed it again.

This club has officially entered the professional domain. Finally.

You have way more confidence than me RB.

I hope you are right.

But the real fight for our existance starts now.

The gaming commission may do what CW failed to do.

Lets see how clever they are now.

[old dee 22,875]

I must say that Don has gained my respect during the whole saga.

"Some men are born to greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them" and all that .

He is the John Curtain of our club.

He has done a sterling job in a no nonsense manner and he keeps his mouth shut when he needs to .

Seems to speak softly and carry a big Fink,..er stick .

Not sure being branded cheats and a $500 000 fine is such a wonderful result Biffen.

And then there is the little matter of a gaming comission investigation.

Far from over I am afraid.

Lets see how Don's mob handle that small item.

[Biffen 12,331]

Not sure being branded cheats and a $500 000 fine is such a wonderful result Biffen.

And then there is the little matter of a gaming comission investigation.

Far from over I am afraid.

Lets see how Don's mob handle that small item.

Half a mill isn't that much any more OD ,even when converted to metric.

The gaming commish has integrity issues of it's own OD.

Give yourself a minute to enjoy life before we spiral into the next panic cycle!