GAMBLING PROBE [update MFC cleared]

[old dee 23,872]

WYL hope you like single malt.

Sure he does but it might be in short supply around tigerland.

[Longsufferingnomore 1,647]

Around tigerland it would be a good old crowny!!

[old dee 23,872]

Around tigerland it would be a good old crowny!!

Gee they have come up in the world the last few years ls.

I would have thought a Vic Bitter would have been top shelf

[Sir Why You Little 37,134]

WYL hope you like single malt.

oh yes a good whiskey is my friend LS!!

[hoopla 418]

Couldn't agree more DC. Over the last couple of decades of supporting the MFC I have come to the conclusion that it's not easy supporting such a spineless club. I was really hoping that this would be our line in the sand moment , a chance to really define ourselves, but alas we rolled over yet again. You only have to read the posts on these forums to realise that their are a lot of MFC supporters who baulk at the prospect of a fight and then try to disguise their retreat as pragmatism. I saw the same type of pragmatism at work in the merger vote in 1996. Pragmatism is the ultimate weak arse response.

Thankfully the conversation has moved on - but I couldn't let this nonsense just sit there!

How can you seriously say that the Board has been spineless in all this ?. They have held firm - and they have got the AFL to say unequivocally that the MFC didn't tank. We've stood tall in the face of scurrilous negative publicity and retained our draft picks.- nothing weak about that. What was left for us to challenge in court ? The AFL's view that Connolly acted against the AFL's best interests or the AFL's right to fine its member clubs? Months and months of distraction - backbreaking costs - no guarantee of success - and an enemy capable of sending us to Etihad for half our games and witholding our equalisation monies. Pragmatism has it all over suicide.

Well done Don and the Board. Now if we have to fight the Gaming Commission, we'll be able to do it with the AFL's money!!

[CBDees 3,167]

Thankfully the conversation has moved on - but I couldn't let this nonsense just sit there!

How can you seriously say that the Board has been spineless in all this ?. They have held firm - and they have got the AFL to say unequivocally that the MFC didn't tank. We've stood tall in the face of scurrilous negative publicity and retained our draft picks.- nothing weak about that. What was left for us to challenge in court ? The AFL's view that Connolly acted against the AFL's best interests or the AFL's right to fine its member clubs? Months and months of distraction - backbreaking costs - no guarantee of success - and an enemy capable of sending us to Etihad for half our games and witholding our equalisation monies. Pragmatism has it all over suicide.

Well done Don and the Board. Now if we have to fight the Gaming Commission, we'll be able to do it with the AFL's money!!

The voice of reason and pragmatism! I hope the message was absorbed!

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,909]

I've just re-read the statement attributed to the VCGLR. It's not published on the VCGLR website, so there may be more than what has been published. The Herald Sun quotes the statement as,

"The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation is currently

undertaking its own inquiries into the tanking allegations raised against
Melbourne Football Club and will be taking into account the findings handed
down today by the AFL. The VCGLR will release a statement at the conclusion of
its investigation."

There is an alternative interpretation which is that the VCGLR is not looking into the suitability of the MFC but into the ongoing suitability of the AFL to be approved as a 'sports controlling body'. The importance to the AFL of being approved as a 'sports controlling body' is that once approved all betting operators are required to have agreements with the AFL before they can take bets on AFL product. Those agreements would likely include some sort of financial payments. For the AFL to be classified as a 'sports controlling body' it needs to satisfy the VCGLR that it has appropriate integrity procedures in place. So, is the VCGLR looking at the AFL's integrity procedures rather than the suitability of the MFC to hold poker machine licences? Or both?

There's more information about sports controlling bodies on the VCGLR website here

Reason for edit: added website link

Edited February 21, 2013 by La Dee-vina Comedia

[Outside fifty 967]

The voice of reason and pragmatism! I hope the message was absorbed!

Absorb what message? Forgive me for letting the last 48 years of shite cloud my vision. I’m old enough to remember when the MFC was the powerhouse of the competition, feared by one and all . Hell we were the competition! I’ve seen all this before and it does get to be a bit like ground hog day. Mergers, Tanking , White knights a conga line of sacked coaches and administrators take your pick. The history of the MFC over the last forty years makes fascinating reading. A once great power in a free fall decline. Yes I wanted us to stand and fight because I can remember when the demons always fought and guess what we Won. Now we are simply satisfied to exist because we have forgotten how to fight. We have become the whipping boy of the AFL and now the press. We constantly [censored] and moan to one and all about how unfair the competition and yet when it's our turn to stand firm we again negotiate an outcome that in the eyes of the public all but admits guilt. You can kid yourself all you like about standing tall but in the end we complied when directed too. As for suicide? Well personally I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees. In the end I guess that’s the difference between appeasers and fighters. The prospect of being there just to make up the numbers doesn’t appeal to me so much these days. But hey don’t let my feeling of disillusionment spoil your party, you should be happy, you won and I lost. We capitulated again.

[hoopla 418]

Absorb what message? Forgive me for letting the last 48 years of shite cloud my vision. I’m old enough to remember when the MFC was the powerhouse of the competition, feared by one and all . Hell we were the competition! I’ve seen all this before and it does get to be a bit like ground hog day. Mergers, Tanking , White knights a conga line of sacked coaches and administrators take your pick. The history of the MFC over the last forty years makes fascinating reading. A once great power in a free fall decline. Yes I wanted us to stand and fight because I can remember when the demons always fought and guess what we Won. Now we are simply satisfied to exist because we have forgotten how to fight. We have become the whipping boy of the AFL and now the press. We constantly [censored] and moan to one and all about how unfair the competition and yet when it's our turn to stand firm we again negotiate an outcome that in the eyes of the public all but admits guilt. You can kid yourself all you like about standing tall but in the end we complied when directed too. As for suicide? Well personally I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees. In the end I guess that’s the difference between appeasers and fighters. The prospect of being there just to make up the numbers doesn’t appeal to me so much these days. But hey don’t let my feeling of disillusionment spoil your party, you should be happy, you won and I lost. We capitulated again.

Seriously mate - you have become so cynical that you need a break from the game. Instead of cheering when we beat Essendon last year, you were probably abusing us for losing the previous week!

"The prospect of being there just to make up the numbers doesn’t appeal to me so much these days" If that's how you see it I suggest you take up bowls - or , more appropriately - clay pigeon shooting!

[rpfc 28,779]

Absorb what message? Forgive me for letting the last 48 years of shite cloud my vision. I’m old enough to remember when the MFC was the powerhouse of the competition, feared by one and all . Hell we were the competition! I’ve seen all this before and it does get to be a bit like ground hog day. Mergers, Tanking , White knights a conga line of sacked coaches and administrators take your pick. The history of the MFC over the last forty years makes fascinating reading. A once great power in a free fall decline. Yes I wanted us to stand and fight because I can remember when the demons always fought and guess what we Won. Now we are simply satisfied to exist because we have forgotten how to fight. We have become the whipping boy of the AFL and now the press. We constantly [censored] and moan to one and all about how unfair the competition and yet when it's our turn to stand firm we again negotiate an outcome that in the eyes of the public all but admits guilt. You can kid yourself all you like about standing tall but in the end we complied when directed too. As for suicide? Well personally I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees. In the end I guess that’s the difference between appeasers and fighters. The prospect of being there just to make up the numbers doesn’t appeal to me so much these days. But hey don’t let my feeling of disillusionment spoil your party, you should be happy, you won and I lost. We capitulated again.

We got fined, have zero interruptions to those in our FD, and have been cleared of tanking.

We got into this through bad luck, bad management of employees made redundant, and Adrian Anderson.

We got out of it with our list intact and zero draft penalties.

Everyone thinks we are what we are and that would never have been altered had we taken this to court.

We managed a very difficult situation very well.

[mjt 640]

We got fined, have zero interruptions to those in our FD, and have been cleared of tanking.

We got into this through bad luck, bad management of employees made redundant, and Adrian Anderson.

We got out of it with our list intact and zero draft penalties.

Everyone thinks we are what we are and that would never have been altered had we taken this to court.

We managed a very difficult situation very well.

I have never seen a guy like you have 50 each way.

[bing181 9,328]

We got into this through ... bad management of employees

I know this keeps being brought up, but what's the evidence for it? Hard to sack people without having at least some of them feel resentment. Let's not forget also, it's a football club, built around a fairly hard, physical, demanding sport, and most of those employed - and sacked - came up through that. They're competitive by nature, and being fired was never going to sit well, at least with some. And perhaps a bit more with Ian Flack.

[Spirit of the Demon 256]

Could someone please name the rats who snitched?

I've heard Bailey, Flack, Prendergast and one other but please forgive me if I'm wrong.

[old dee 23,872]

Could someone please name the rats who snitched?

I've heard Bailey, Flack, Prendergast and one other but please forgive me if I'm wrong.

Not sure anyone really knows who is "deep throat"

Some people have suspicions but does anyone know?

[Bitter but optimistic 22,249]

Not sure anyone really knows who is "deep throat"

Some people have suspicions but does anyone know?

There was, in the good old days, a very charming and accommodating young lady who had the initials LL.

[old dee 23,872]

There was, in the good old days, a very charming and accommodating young lady who had the initials LL.

You have done it again Bbo

I do but in relative terms I am ancient

[Dockett 32 1,239]

Could someone please name the rats who snitched?

I've heard Bailey, Flack, Prendergast and one other but please forgive me if I'm wrong.

Sounds a bit of a shame if we ended up with 'hostile laggers' some of whom might have been given their first chance in the big league by the MFC, to only to turn on the club like snakes later on . What a great reflection of character should it be the case. I would suggest it might not be us with the problem. Where are they now?

Maybe we need to addopt a "Recruit Hard" mange "Soft" position and whip in a few confidentiality agreements for good measure.

[rpfc 28,779]

I know this keeps being brought up, but what's the evidence for it? Hard to sack people without having at least some of them feel resentment. Let's not forget also, it's a football club, built around a fairly hard, physical, demanding sport, and most of those employed - and sacked - came up through that. They're competitive by nature, and being fired was never going to sit well, at least with some. And perhaps a bit more with Ian Flack.

The evidence is the resentment that we have seen in past employees.

[rpfc 28,779]

I have never seen a guy like you have 50 each way.

Is that a criticism?

I have always said we didn't tank. The AFL agrees.

And we had to swallow some pride by letting a great servant and a bloke doing his job take the fall.

I could say something similar to what BH would say - that I am flattered that take such a notice in what I say but I understand why you follow me.

And anyone can follow me on twitter - @realrpfc!

Remember, I don't tweet often but when I do it is because I am in a good mood.

[Dockett 32 1,239]

Is that a criticism?

I have always said we didn't tank. The AFL agrees.

And we had to swallow some pride by letting a great servant and a bloke doing his job take the fall.

I could say something similar to what BH would say - that I am flattered that take such a notice in what I say but I understand why you follow me.

And anyone can follow me on twitter - @realrpfc!

Remember, I don't tweet often but when I do it is because I am in a good mood.

"And we had to swallow some pride by letting a great servant and a bloke doing his job take the fall".

Some might say he screwed up. I think I agree with them.

[Sir Why You Little 37,134]

Is that a criticism?

I have always said we didn't tank. The AFL agrees.

And we had to swallow some pride by letting a great servant and a bloke doing his job take the fall.

I could say something similar to what BH would say - that I am flattered that take such a notice in what I say but I understand why you follow me.

And anyone can follow me on twitter - @realrpfc!

Remember, I don't tweet often but when I do it is because I am in a good mood.

But we did tank rpfc. So did 6 other clubs.

The AFL just do not wish to use that word.

If we did not tank $500,000 would still be ours.

The priority pick existed.

The other clubs should be chased just as hard. That is the issue.

[Jumping Jack Clennett 1,809]

Thinking it through the Club holds the gaming licence and the Club (Board) were cleared of any charges. The fine was as an employer and the employees are no longer at the Club. I would think the licence is fairly safe. Then again I wouldnt be a MFC supporter without having a little doubt always in the back of my mind. As someone else pointed out we seem to be the bunny for everything (except the current drug broohaha) so I will never say never until CW hits the headlines with Dees Cleared.

We were cleared by the AFL ,who have a vested interest in trumpeting that match fixing doesn't exist.(gaming licences of Melbourne, Carl, Coll, Haw, Freo, WCE ,Gws and Richmond all in jeopardy).

The AFL studiously avoided investigating the latter clubs knowing the danger of implicating them.

They only investigated Melbourne on the whim of Anderson, who lost his job as a result.

The Gaming regulators have no such qualms.

So in a way, this works in our favour...the AFL are on our side this time. They've got to oppose the VCGRL(or whatever!) with all their might u, to protect the pokie income of so many of its Clubs.

[Dockett 32 1,239]

But we did tank rpfc. So did 6 other clubs.

The AFL just do not wish to use that word.

If we did not tank $500,000 would still be ours.

The priority pick existed.

The other clubs should be chased just as hard. That is the issue.

correct!

[Tatu 416]

Dose anybody know how much it would have cost the club, to take action against the AFL fine? Maybe half a mil was the cheaper option.....

[Outside fifty 967]

Seriously mate - you have become so cynical that you need a break from the game. Instead of cheering when we beat Essendon last year, you were probably abusing us for losing the previous week!

"The prospect of being there just to make up the numbers doesn’t appeal to me so much these days" If that's how you see it I suggest you take up bowls - or , more appropriately - clay pigeon shooting!

Your right I am a cynic. But in my defence I think following Melbourne for the last half a century and a bit may have something to do with it. I wasn't always a cynic, in fact for the first four decades I was positively optimistic. Something changes when you hit that magical 5th decade.