Alastair Clarkson: Hawthorn 'left finals go' in 2017

Rather than bust a gut in an attempt to scrape into eighth position, the Year was devoted to playing youngsters and experimenting with positional changes.

The late Dean Bailey copped a suspension for being suspected of doing much the same thing. Chris Connolly got one for joking about it. The MFC was heavily fined and had to spend time and money defending itself.

Carlton did it and wasn’t even investigated.

Surely though, Clarkson has brought the game into disrepute. The AFL needs to look into this scandalous behaviour.

2 minutes ago, Mister Ed said:

Surely though, Clarkson has brought the game into disrepute. The AFL needs to look into this scandalous behaviour.

Yeah. Good luck with that one.

Don’t be silly this is the AFL and rules are made up and followed as THEY please. 

Nothng will be done but I’m sure no one will be surprised. 

4 minutes ago, DemonOX said:

Don’t be silly this is the AFL and rules are made up and followed as THEY please. 

Nothng will be done but I’m sure no one will be surprised. 

Spot on DO, a surprise would be if something was done.

Nah

Dr. Who will get right onto it, after he has eradicated the Poker Machine revenue...

The AFL. such an upstanding ornament to society

one does wonder why they have an integrity unit

window dressing?

52 minutes ago, Mister Ed said:

Surely though, Clarkson has brought the game into disrepute. The AFL needs to look into this scandalous behaviour.

The AFL prefer soft targets, like minnow clubs without big memberships and without media support.

The thought of 70,000 members arcing up, scathing media panels week in and week out, and Kennett breathing down his neck will give Gil a queasy feeling in his gut.

Nothing to see here, folks.

 

52 minutes ago, Mister Ed said:

Carlton did it and wasn’t even investigated.

Libba the elder came right and said it. And Vlad shot the messenger. because the AFL are so committed to integration.. er, intergenerational .... oh, you know, something like that.

 

Gil will probably drop the price of pies by 50c to distract everyone. HEY, LOOK OVER THERE!!!!

2 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

The AFL prefer soft targets, like minnow clubs without big memberships and without media support.

The thought of 70,000 members arcing up, scathing media panels week in and week out, and Kennett breathing down his neck will give Gil a queasy feeling in his gut.

Nothing to see here, folks.

 

Libba the elder came right and said it. And Vlad shot the messenger. because the AFL are so committed to integration.. er, intergenerational .... oh, you know, something like that.

 

Gil will probably drop the price of pies by 50c to distract everyone. HEY, LOOK OVER THERE!!!!

Just so true Mazer

Terry Wallace said much worse than that about what he did at Richmond in 2007.

 

Tanking is over now any anyways - the AFL and the media fixed it!

Lets not forget collingwood who played the Lions in consecutive GFs in '02 and '03.
Then lost 10 of the last 11 games while sending star player Anthony Rocca out for early end of year surgeries in 2005 to enable them to pick up both Dale Thomas and Scott Pendlebury with pick#2 and 5 in the draft.

The weagles who played Sydney in consecutive GFs in '05 and 06 only finding them second last on the ladder scooping up Nik Nat with the pick after us in '08.

Carlton who were involved in both the Kruezer and Brice Gibbs Cup games.
Losing them both.

And we got done for tanking.

 

Edited March 4, 20187 yr by Fork 'em

3 minutes ago, Fork 'em said:

Lets not forget collingwood who played the Lions in consecutive GFs in '02 and '03.
Then lost 10 of the last 11 games while sending star player Anthony Rocca out for early end of year surgeries in '05 to enable them to pick up both Dale Thomas and Scott Pendlebury with pick#2 and 5 in the draft.
 

“Nothing to see here, you can all go home...”

"there is no such thing as tanking (whilst i am in the country)" - dimwit

Let me get this straight....

Why do we continue to dwell on this? 

We now are moving beyond that dark time and people want to dredge this up? We truly are a misery guts bunch.

Clarko clearly said that the aim was still to win after they started 0-4. That was clearly the case as they finished the year off well and were hovering just outside the eight.

There was no 'prize' awaiting them should they achieve a set amount of wins. They were going to get some miles into the legs of some of their blokes and if they got to September then so be it. THAT'S the difference.

I would suggest some look at the bloke who got the roughest end of the pineapple, Dean Bailey, when it comes to talking about this. Bails was bitter when it came to how he had been dealt with in the whole tanking imbroglio. He had every right to be as well. However, he didn't want bitterness to define him as a person. While there were a few people he still might have had some axes to grind with, he let it go.

One thing I can't get over with with this club is that we still have pizzing matches over inconsequential stuff that has long passed (be it the merger, Joe Gutnick, Cameron Schwab etc.) With this issue, some are starting to sound like those Essendon supporters they hypocritically bag for their willingness to grasp at any straw to vindicate them. 

It was a dark chapter in  our history. There was some double dealing at City Hall but we were far from angels. To pretend that was the case is delusional and ignores the fact that said dodgy strategy set us back 5 years plus.

 

 

Edited March 4, 20187 yr by Colin B. Flaubert
Two words regarding tense and one autocorrect mistake

They did not tank at all, what older players did they drop who where still playing well, hodge, Burgoyne poppy Isaac Smith, all still played, there were not going to make finals anyway, Clark is just trying to make his team look better then what they really where, some of the younger players where playing better anyway.

11 minutes ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

It was a dark chapter in  our history. There was some double dealing at City Hall but we were far from angels. To pretend that was the case is delusional and ignores the fact that said dodgy strategy set us back 5 years plus.

 

 

I doubt if anyone pretends we were angels.  You are chivalrously fighting straw men. 

The complaint is the selective behaviour of the AFL (and sections of the media).  I see no problem in us recalling iniquities of the past when relevant news appears. What is a club but a set of memories and hopes?  Of course we shouldn't dwell on the past if it stops the club focussing on the future.  But this does not, especially since what we posters say here has zilch effect.  

With the odd exception all the teams have tanked at various times and it still goes on and will continue to do so.  Tanking is a part of professional sports where those sports have a draft. 

I am not at all surprised at the Clarkson revelation.  Hawthorn tanked in his first year of coaching (2005) and picked up a prized priority pick before the first round.  So it's more a case of been there, done that.

And if you don't believe that the Hawks did tank back then (2004 as well) then I could point you towards any number of Hawthorn supporters that I know who know that they did tank.  Because of their successful tanking campaign in 2004 they got hold of 3 great players (Franklin,  Roughhead & Lewis) 

Tanking does work but sometimes tanking doesn't work (in terms of the resultant draft picks and whether those draft picks are any good or not) You want more proof go and have a look at what goes on in American sports (esp the NBA) 

In the MLB as well ... last year's World Series winners (the Houston Astros) tanked for 3 years running and therefore picked up 3 top grade batters.  There are numerous other examples.  And people are the same all over. 

 

2 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Yeah. Good luck with that one.

Nothing will happen. We cannot even imagine it happening.

15 minutes ago, Macca said:

With the odd exception all the teams have tanked at various times and it still goes on and will continue to do so.  Tanking is a part of professional sports where those sports have a draft. 

I am not at all surprised at the Clarkson revelation.  Hawthorn tanked in his first year of coaching (2005) and picked up a prized priority pick before the first round.  So it's more a case of been there, done that.

And if you don't believe that the Hawks did tank back then (2004 as well) then I could point you towards any number of Hawthorn supporters that I know who know that they did tank.  Because of their successful tanking campaign in 2004 they got hold of 3 great players (Franklin,  Roughhead & Lewis) 

Tanking does work but sometimes tanking doesn't work (in terms of the resultant draft picks and whether those draft picks are any good or not) You want more proof go and have a look at what goes on in American sports (esp the NBA) 

In the MLB as well ... last year's World Series winners (the Houston Astros) tanked for 3 years running and therefore picked up 3 top grade batters.  There are numerous other examples.  And people are the same all over. 

 

We all know about Tanking

The fact that Caroline Wilson went so hard at the MFC and not others was our main problem. 

Her attack was relentless and personal, meanwhile all the other clubs could walk away...

The only way to get rid of tanking is to change the rules of engagement of drafting. 

Rewarding losing will result in teams tanking.  Previously (here & elsewhere) I've put forward arguments where tanking could be largely eliminated. 

The NBA  look like they are finally trying to address the issue but whilst losing is rewarded,  I'm not sure how tanking could ever be eradicated.

1 hour ago, Adzman said:

 

Roosy tanked in his first two years at Melbourne. 

The issue has not gone away, only the management of it:

No longer sports’ dirty little secret, tanking is on full display and impossible to contain
http://wapo.st/2HZ6xGz

26 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

The fact that Caroline Wilson went so hard at the MFC and not others was our main problem. 

Her attack was relentless and personal, meanwhile all the other clubs could walk away...

Many are blissfully unaware of how widespread tanking is.  Both here in the AFL and in overseas sports.  It makes no difference as to whether people are interested in other sports - the issue is about tanking. 

As for Caro - she is often just a muck-raking gossip columnist.  Her actual football knowledge is quite poor.  I basically ignore her but I also ignore many/most in the media (of either gender - Robbo etc)

Edited March 4, 20187 yr by Macca