Don Scott Claims Hawks Cheated Salary Cap

[Macca 16,900]

11 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I believe he genuinely believes it to be true.

On balance, I also expect it is true (perhaps not in the specifics but in its essence), but I also believe every other club was probably equally guilty around the same time. As mentioned above, 1987 was apparently the first year of salary caps. Those of us old enough to remember can recall the lengths many clubs went to to avoid proper scrutiny in the first few years of caps.

Also, while I think he's eccentric, I wasn't trying to suggest that the eccentricity made his views either incorrect or irrelevant for that reason alone.

And our argument that numerous others tanked during the tanking era served us no favours

The investigation was about the MFC and we were on our own (save for many other clubs clamming up so as not to draw attention to themselves)

For instance,  we heard nothing from the widespread tanking Carlton when we were investigated.  So there is no fairness and if Hawthorn do happen to be investigated (not likely) they will be on their own.

But again,  what are the chances?

[Fork 'em 6,983]

Essendon didn't get looked at when Nixon outed them for paying both Hird and Lloyd outside the cap in 2000.

https://www.zerohanger.com/ricky-nixon-explains-rorted-salary-cap-9852/

[Sir Why You Little 36,910]

That article is behind a paywall so i can only guess what Scott is saying, but it will be very hard to trace Brown Paper Bags. 
 

That said, i have no doubt that Whorethorn were paying the lists of that era an incredibly huge amount of cash to keep them all together 

They were just a wrecking ball in ‘88-‘89

[Demonland 71,126]

3 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

That article is behind a paywall so i can only guess what Scott is saying, but it will be very hard to trace Brown Paper Bags. 
 

That said, i have no doubt that Whorethorn were paying the lists of that era an incredibly huge amount of cash to keep them all together 

They were just a wrecking ball in ‘88-‘89

Sounds like it was more sophisticated than Brown Paper Bags unless that is how banking is done in Tasmania.

"Scott said club chiefs used a secret bank account in Tasmania to pay some of team’s biggest stars under the table.

He has cited impeccable sources with full knowledge of the scheme."

[Sir Why You Little 36,910]

Just now, Demonland said:

Sounds like it was more sophisticated than Brown Paper Bags unless that is how banking is done in Tasmania.

"Scott said club chiefs used a secret bank account in Tasmania to pay some of team’s biggest stars under the table.

He has cited impeccable sources with full knowledge of the scheme."

Ok thanks. I knew about Paper Bags back in those days (mostly Carlscum!!) so will be interested to see if this goes further. 
SEN haven’t mentioned it in the last hour!!

[daisycutter 29,599]

i'd expect the paper trail has long ago disappeared

hard to see what would be left to investigate

will go nowhere (officially that is)  

[Canplay 634]

This is old news.  I've heard Dermie talk about Hawks employing players wives to do nothing.

It was another era where I guarantee you any club with the cash would have been doing it.

[dl4e 5,851]

2 things I remember about Don Scott beside the merger.

1. One of the dirtiest players I have seen.

2. Dreadful t.v. commentary.

[chook fowler 19,431]

Invalidate their premierships as per Melbourne Storm

[John Crow Batty 8,860]

I used to work with a company who’s owner was a mad Richmond supporter in the early 80’s. A well known Richmond player recruited from interstate was an employee. His job description was a bit vague and he wasn’t around much. These kind of rorts were widespread. Let he who is innocent cast the first stone.

Edited July 27, 2020 by america de cali

[Ethan Tremblay 30,810]

AFL turn a blind-eye, it’s still done today. I know of a couple of recently retired players who were ‘employees’ of large companies whilst playing and still are ‘employees’ even though they’ve never worked a day for that employer. 

Edited July 27, 2020 by Ethan Tremblay

[Demon Disciple 12,011]

Wait, isn’t today’s 3rd party player payments virtually the same thing?

The big/favourite clubs of the AFL did it first, then to avoid liability, the AFL ticks off every other club being able to do it.

Either way, HQ makes [censored] up on the fly. They have done so for a while, only it has exploded under Gil’s watch.

 

AFL is no longer the fans game and hasn’t been for nearly 1-2 decades. The AFL is now played primarily to make money, not play football. The COVID crisis clearly indicates this. There would be no football games happening if this wasn’t the case.

Edited July 27, 2020 by Demon Disciple

[Adam The God 30,060]

6 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

No it wouldn't.  If there is hard evidence, it puts the integrity of the AFL in serious question if they sit on their hands and do nothing.  All that sucess that Hawthorn had through that era at the expense of everyone else and they are still reaping the benefits of the inflated membership base it allowed them to build.

Taking away premierships retrospectively would be hollow.  A fitting punishment would be for them to loose a bunch of first round draft picks and exclude them from free agency for the next 3 or 4 years to thwart the rebuild they need to have and make them mediocre for the next decade like other teams have had to endure.

Look, I'm quite happy for the AFL to simply take away their licence. Put them in the bin.

[whatwhat say what 22,579]

this was an open secret

the salary cap in the 80s was a farce - the tiggas and the filth had chequebook warfare, and hawks, blues, and the peptides paid whatever they wanted to whoever they wanted

blues cheated the 'cap' for over 30 years if you include the judd visy deal

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,788]

13 minutes ago, whatwhatsaywhat said:

this was an open secret

the salary cap in the 80s was a farce - the tiggas and the filth had chequebook warfare, and hawks, blues, and the peptides paid whatever they wanted to whoever they wanted

blues cheated the 'cap' for over 30 years if you include the judd visy deal

I recall from the time that there were plenty of rumors that the big interstate teams like West Coast and the Crows were rorting the system as well.  I wounder how many star players wives etc got paid jobs with sponsors hundreds of dollars above market rates?

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,788]

Would love to see the AFL follow through on this, just to see Jeff wriggle, squirm and squeal like a pig.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,669]

4 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Would love to see the AFL follow through on this, just to see Jeff wriggle, squirm and squeal like a pig.

I see it the other way around. Don't discount the possiblity that this story has been released now to distract the media away from Hawthorn's current problems. Kennett would know a thing or two about not wasting a good crisis. And if there's to be a Clarkson v Kennett brawl (and I suspect there probably won't be), it would be a beauty.

Edited July 27, 2020 by La Dee-vina Comedia

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,788]

5 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I see it the other way around. Don't discount the possiblity that this story has been released now to distract the media away from Hawthorn's current problems. Kennett would know a thing or two about not wasting a good crisis. And if there's to be a Clarkson v Kennett brawl (and I suspect there probably won't be), it would be a beauty.

As that Mexican food add says - why not have both?

[drdrake 3,155]

Didn't the AFL give clubs a get out of Jail free card back in the 90's if you self reported you got let off with no fines, no action just lose a few draft picks.  It was everywhere in the old VFL clubs and the administration at the time I reckon turned a blind eye as they knew West Coast and Adelaide had the potential to dominate the competition if it was an even playing field.

[Redleg 40,777]

10 hours ago, Demonland said:

How can they not be investigated? Scott provides details whereas Brock McLean’s evidence was based on Blind Freddy. 

I have the bookie bag open. Name your odds and I will lay the bets for you. More chance of me winning the Brownlow, than the AFL even considering it for a millisecond. 

[Redleg 40,777]

30 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Would love to see the AFL follow through on this, just to see Jeff wriggle, squirm and squeal like a pig.

A pig just flew past my window.

[ProperDee 1,698]

I’ll have $1 at a million to one. Tell me where to send my dollar.

[Redleg 40,777]

5 hours ago, daisycutter said:

i'd expect the paper trail has long ago disappeared

hard to see what would be left to investigate

will go nowhere (officially that is)  

All they need to do is see if anyone joked about it in their vault.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,125]

On 7/27/2020 at 7:54 AM, Rednblueriseing said:

Strip there flags, if they cheated they cheated. 

Glass houses - who else might have been cheating the salary cap in the late 80's? I doubt it was confined to the Hawks.

[Mazer Rackham 14,971]

1 minute ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Glass houses - who else might have been cheating the salary cap in the late 80's? I doubt it was confined to the Hawks.

I think you'll find it restricted to only around 14 clubs, and maybe only 13 as Fitzroy were in a position where they could only dream of paying outside the cap.