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He is the one taking the grenade you ingrate.

I suggest CS sues Caroline Wilson and uses the settlement money to pay this disgraceful fine. At least this [censored] is over and we can get on with the footy.

Gild the lily all you like, the basics of it is that there is strong evidence that Chris Connolly pressured people not to win, and Dean Bailey succumbed to the pressure. In regard to the club fine, it is imposed because of the actions of these two, as employees of the club. I'd liken it to, say, a manager of a business breaking Workplace safety laws that resulted in an accident and injury, for example. The business would still get fined because of the actions of its employees. The finding that Melbourne FC as an entity, or the board, did not direct to lose games keeps the gaming licences issue off the boiler and is no doubt part of the negotiated settlement.

The decision of the Australian Farce League ... Since Terry Wallace is no longer employed by an AFL club, he can escape investigation and suspension but the Richmond Football Club clearly was his employer when h admitted to not trying to win a game, Now that the precedent has been set, I suppose they will also cop a $500k fine for conduct unbecoming. And the investigation of the Carlton Football Club for conduct unbecoming will also be announced shortly. Oh ... and pigs can fly too!

We have accepted the fine. Question. How do we get fined for "employing" someone? This is a Kangaroo Court. I feel very sorry for CC, but in particular Dean Bailey. This has been constructed to suit.

Caroline Wilson owes the club as an entity, and Cameron Schwab in particular, an apology. Here's her statements on the issue: In the article 'Secrets from the Vault' (Oct 31, 2012): Cameron Schwab was ultimately resurrected at Melbourne despite his past association with salary-cap cheating. The belief is he did not attend the pivotal meeting addressed by Chris Connolly but could still be incriminated, as could both Jim Stynes and Don McLardy, who - it could yet be established - knew and approved of the blatant strategy. In 'Senior Demons drove tanking' (Oct 31, 2012): Chief executive Cameron Schwab, who was not present at the Connolly meeting in question, is also being investigated for alleged incriminating conversations with coaches. In 'Demons: Shock and Awful' (Nov 3, 2012): The indication is still that Melbourne will fight this, but it looks shocking for all concerned ... Melbourne will be harshly punished. Cameron Schwab and Chris Connolly will be finished at the club. In 'Demon's lame duck excuses' (Feb 13, 2013) Melbourne manipulated football results in 2009 ... To let the club off the hook now would be as damaging to the game's image as Melbourne was back in that clumsy, divided and unhappy time four seasons ago.

JOKE POLICY: As a result of AFL policy as stated on Tuesday 19 February, 2013 all posters are warned that the consequences of joking on the site may have substantial negative implications on them and the Club.

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.

Just listened to Mc whatever-his-name-is dismissing the allegations about Freo (think Mark Robinson asked it) - totally missed the point - they weren't resting players in preparation for the finals - they were resting players TO LOSE THE FRIGGIN MATCH and get a home final. AAAAghhh! Screwed again.

This makes my head spin. No we didn't tank and the club is in the clear. But CC makes a comment and DB felt pressure to rest and move players out of position. But we didn't tank and still get fined. If you take this on the surface it is beyond dumb. The AFL are a bad organization today.

Hmm that sounds a little weird.

Anyone who cuts Morton, Cook and Gysberts and doesn't bow to soft as butter's (Jurrah) preferential treatment, gets my vote. Add to that, brings in guys who actually want to train, have values and work ethic in Rodan, Brynes and Dawes. I feel we are at least on the right track.

I think we did well to get the finding of Not Guilty on Tanking. We all know the benefits of that. Clearly it was a negotiated position. The findings and suspensions however are bizarre. CC is guilty of Conduct Unbecoming. That conduct was a private comment at the MFC which should never have been made public. Only the AFL leaking the Report has allowed that. He is supended for 12 months and Trigg for Salary Cap cheating as a CEO who knows better, got 6 months. Work that out. Please don't say "oh he got that for Tanking" as we all know the penalty must fit the actual offence, not one that is dismissed. The Club gets a $500k fine for employing CC, who made the comment. Please. The Crows for Salary Cap cheating get a $300K fine. As far as the fine goes, yes I know we get grants from the AFL and I will say no more here, other than, I wouldn't be too worried about paying the instalments, I am sure they will be deducted from our dividends from the AFL. As I and many others have said, this was purely about the AFL saving face and I think it has made a fool of itself. It has manufactured a situation that is at best farcical. It should have made the hard decision and exonerated all parties and got on with life. This will continue to fester in the media. The statement of McLardy that there was no evidence of Tanking is 100% correct, as was confirmed by the findings and two people I trust, who told me as much on the weekend. There was also no doubt in our legal adviser's minds that we would win this in Court easily. The settlement means we have innocence on the cheating charges now, save time, expense and distraction for the club and avoid making a big enemy of a powerful body, that could fixture us in New Guinea and affect our grants and financial position in the future. The MFC had no choice and did the right thing in resolving this. The AFL in my opinion is left a bumbling, biased organization, that makes rules on the run and clearly favours the big and interstate clubs. Just look at their reasons why they are not investigating the Lions. It is shameful. They disregard an informer and a former staffer who corroborates him yet launches into us, on the say so of Brocky. They continue to refuse to investigate other clubs despite far more "evidence" than mere Brocky. What clear evidence of double standards. I don't know how the AFL bosses sleep at night. We are a part of it however and have to live within it. So, on with the footy on friday and Go Dees.

The Caroline Wilson saga appears to be drawing to its ugly conclusion and after a torrid seven month investigation it appears that the Australian Journalists’ Association will treat the Chief Football Writer of ‘The Age’ leniently. Whilst the actual charges have been the subject of wild speculation, it is believed Wilson has been handed a ‘please explain’ from the AJA regarding her failure to, “report and interpret honestly” and her perceived reliance on providing her readers with “distorted emphasis”. Most alarmingly for Wilson was the potential for the AJA to charge her under sub-section 18 of the Code of Ethics that alludes to the importance of “respecting all persons’ right to a fair trial.” Wilson’s persecution of the Melbourne Football Club throughout 2012 and 2013 was viewed by many as a sensationalist witch hunt. At best, Wilson has abused her lofty position at the once great flagship of Australian Sports journalism, ‘The Age’ by masquerading fanciful, unsubstantiated conjecture as fact. At worst, history will judge her as the chief perpetrator of horrific crimes against the code of journalism ethics in this country. It is understood that Wilson may have to serve a small suspension from her duties at The Age, but disturbingly her face will still be seen on television. Age Insiders have spoken of a growing discontent amongst staff regarding the policies and procedures The Chief Football Writer has enforced upon her underlings. Wilson conducts many of her ‘informal’ staff meetings around the office water cooler. Sources close to the water cooler have revealed that great pressure was placed on junior and cadet journalists to deliberately sensationalize articles and invent a series of un-named sources in a bid to sell more newspapers and increase their dwindling online readership. The Wilson saga first reached the headlines when former Age journalist, Andrew Rule jumped ship to crosstown rivals, The Herald Sun. Demonland understands that Rule took exception to the ‘sell newspapers at all costs’ mantra that emanated from the Football Department. “Blind Freddie could see what was going on”, he mused. “Making money was too great a carrot and journalistic standards were an inevitable victim”. Rule feels strongly that the AJA should throw the book at Wilson. “She’s the Chief Football Writer. The buck stops with her. She’s brought sports journalism into disrepute. The AJA needs to make a statement. Wilson must go.” Wilson sympathizer, Dwayne Russell, predictably defended the once respected journalist. “It’s not Caroline’s fault. She’s purely a product of the industry. Modern footy journalism demands results and Caroline simply manipulated the code to her advantage”. It’s understood Wilson, who has failed to return Demonland calls, feels victimized by the attention she has received. In a rare interview granted in January, Wilson exclaimed, “Have you seen the fanciful crap Robbo gets away with at the HUN? Have you ever listened to the torrent of [censored] that flows from Greg Denham’s mouth?” Whilst Wilson may be correct when she points the finger at others for their dubious journalistic standards, it is clear that she took the sensationalism to a whole new level. Greg Hywood, Fairfax Media Chief Executive, has been consistent in his stance that sensationalism in football journalism simply doesn’t exist. “We’re in the news breaking and news reporting business. We don’t just make stuff up and we don’t sensationalize”. Hywood was adamant, however, that if charges of lying, bias or sensationalism were founded, heads would roll. Respected ‘Sportsnewsfirst’ writer, Kim Hagdorn said it would be a sad day for his industry if Wilson was to be made a scapegoat. “She’s been a massive role-model for me. She’s a maverick. She was the first footy journo to really blur the lines between fact and fiction. Her influence on the next generation of football journos should never be underestimated”. If as expected, Wilson receives a watered downed punishment, the world of football journalism will be the real losers. An opportunity existed for those who claim to have the best interests of the industry at their heart to make a statement. A line in the sand could have been drawn where the industry said enough is enough but instead a red rag has been waved in the faces of the bulls within every newspaper’s football department. Carte blanche has been given to footy journalists throughout Australia to continue to dine out on a culture of deliberate falsehoods, blatant exaggeration, dubious source-driven innuendo and opinionative drivel.

I thought that Don Mclardy handled the press conference extremely well. He answered all questions and never lost his cool; well done Don.

We have been found not guilty of deliberately losing games, which is the key point in all of this. No board knowledge and no directive from the club to lose games. Therefore, according to both the narrow legal definition of tanking AND the broader public concept of tanking, we have been found not guilty. That's the result we wanted. The $500k fine is excessive but who knows who is really funding this amount.

Why? For taking a bullet for the club?

FFS BH, can you stop asking everyone the same question over and over. You don't even care what other people's opinions are anyway!

Let's start healing. Let's move on. We don't know the full machinations of the 'deal.'

Connolly will be back. From McLardy: After similar consideration, Chris Connolly has also accepted his sanction in the best interests of the Club. Chris is an outstanding football person whose contribution to the game and our club over many years has been immense. Chris will continue as a Melbourne Football Club employee following his suspension. Ed: spelling

What intrigued me was the quote was "$500,000 fine to be paid in installments" Could be a dollar a year for the next 500,000 years

"I don't know what the definition of tanking is".. pretty much sums it up

Not guilty of tanking...thats all i wanted to hear....and i heard it, woo hoo!

Gerard Whateley is right - let's have a hearing before the Commission and get the evidence out there. Hear the case, hear the defence. If we accept this deal then I think it is because the evidence was more substantial than what we have seen in the papers. However, considering the vehemence that Wilson has displayed toward our guilt I don't think she would have held anything back or her 'leakers' not revealed the 'worst.' Hear the case, hear the defence.

If Neeld had come on board and maintained the status quo of a bad game plan, horrible culture and list that no longer reflected the direction the game had taken, in the name of incremental, short term improvement, I would have been and would be extremely disappointed. Neeld had the courage to make the tough calls, under extreme pressure, in the knowledge that some short term pain was necessary for long term gain. Agree completely that the improved output this year of several key players and the club in general will be a key indicator that we're headed down the right path, but I don't think analysis of last year are all that relevant to where we want to get to longer term. Rightly or wrongly, what I like about Neeld is that I get the impression he has a premiership or bust mentality. He won't die wondering and he won't be satisfied by hanging around the top 8 or even on the fringes of the top 4 to justify his job. Bailey seemed to think hard work involved bringing a group of talented individuals together and the rest would take care of itself, clearly that didn't work out so well. I couldn't be more pleased that Neeld has set off in the opposite direction, even though last year was almost unbearable to watch.

I'm tired of Wilson using sentences like these: "Both Connolly and Bailey are the scapegoats of something the AFL privately believes was sanctioned by others." "The Demons also fought for Cameron Schwab not to be charged and in the end McLachlan admitted there was not sufficient evidence to do so despite some strong opinion to the contrary." Exactly who is "the AFL" that "privately believes" something? Just who is the "some" that has the "strong opinion to the contrary"? Demetriou? McLachlan? Fitzpatrick? The cleaner? They're unidentified, faceless sources, with more "unofficial" opinions and "private" beliefs. Wilson is trying to save face now by putting up more nameless sources that she knows (and therefore we don't). You can't challenge these "opinionated" sources because they're like ghosts. Trying to Identify the "private" individuals they refer to is like trying to herd cats.

I didn't think much of Bailey as a coach and I felt his comments at his media conference when sacked were unhelpful (but for which I don't blame him - he'd just been sacked, after all). But, you know what? Today I feel more supportive of Bailey than I ever did when he coached us. I'm not sure why. Perhaps because he, like Connolly, may have fallen on his sword and made life easier for the MFC.

What about jokes from 2009? Will Demonland cop a retrospective fine for not deleting them immediately???

The AFL think we tanked, INCLUDING match day, but knew it would be difficult to prove and didn't want a court case, or to cripple the club over a flawed draft system they implemented. They had enough evidence and a determination to do something, especially when the whole football world thought we tanked, but were able to facilitate an outcome where all parties walk away somewhat satisfied under the circumstances. Except, of course, some supporters that you'd never please. No draft sanctions is massive.

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

It was in 2012 as well. The Whitfield Shield. GWS rested 8 players. Oh and they happened to get the No 1 pick after that. Go figure. Don't hold your breath for that investigation The REAL culprit here is disgruntled ex-employees and no matter what CW or Denham or Smith have said, none of this would be possible if we didn't have rats in the ranks (well ex ranks). We have some blood on our hands by the way we have treated employees. Not everyone leaves a job happy but e seem to have made a lot of enemies along the way. Along with CC's 'conspiracy within the club' line there is a serious issue that needs to be addressed by the club. We must move on from this shiite and focus on unity and winning games of footy,

Hardly a relevant comparison. The facts as they stand are that, none of the executive or the board were found culpable in relation to bringing the game into disrepute, that Dean Bailey coached to the best of his ability on game day. The finding, if distilled, comes down to a supposed directive, given by Chris Connolly, in what the AFL claim to be an earnest manner and thereby, DB felt pressure. Simply put, the findings contradict themselves. Whether people on here like them or not, 2 peoples' careers have been destroyed and I would respectfully suggest, such a punishment is not commensurate with the "crime". Unlike your McDonalds food poisoning analogy, the only people to suffer here are DB and CC. This is no more than a face saving exercise by the AFL, for which the end result was manufactured. [edited for typos]

The most troubling matter out of all this as far as I'm concerned is that the AFL leaks like a sieve to Caroline Wilson. She wasn't 100% correct, but she had enough correct information to satisfy me that she wasn't just guessing.

If you believe that you believe in the tooth fairy. Congratulations to the MFC legal team for a brilliantly crafted settlement. As expected, we never tanked and Caro is totally p1zzed.

KOTD

That's when I started.

I'm a little confused. Someone please explain to me how we are not guilty of tanking, yet CC and DB are expelled from the AFL hence rendered tarnished and unemployed, the club is fined $500,000.00 when we are NOT GUILTY? Half a million bucks for a bad joke, 2 careers ruined. Conduct Unbecoming? What the f is that? How are we the scapegoat yet again?? Do we fight this on principal or do we just cop the whack on the chin? I really don't know. At this moment I am conflicted between my love of the MFC and my hatred of the AFL. Love the team, hate the organization. I feel relieved and also victimized. Bitter sweet.

If people think its over and move on, i got news for you, we will always be known as the 'tankers' by everyone else. So sick of us being walked all over, if Collingwood or Hawthorn had this happen to them and were found not guilty of tanking then no fine would have been dished out to them, FFS a Carlton coach and former came out and said they tanked and no investigation ever took place! Eff the AFL.

I knew there would be some blood letting once this day came around. But guys can you all take a breath, make a cup of coffee, take the dog for a walk and log back on in an hour's time. please we all support the one club. Just calm down

We at least has to make sure Mclean get the Scully treatment in the match against blues

But Ben Hur said we did. The AFL must be wrong.

At 2pm today the AFL will hold a press conference where they will leak the results of their 7 month inquisition into the MFC to the public

He may or may not be a great coach at this level, but the way in which just about every softy on the list were eradicated in one hit and replaced with players who fill a clear need is still resonating with me. Whether we get there or not will be revealed in the fullness of time and I'm not making any bold predictions, but this group has a clear vision of where it is going and has plotted a path to get there; hopefully the group has the ability to deliver on that vision.

Whilst it will seem to some a terribly over simplified take on it all I cant fathom for a moment how any one can be found guilty of accepting something by invitation.. They , the AFL created an environment and opportunities ( for all and sundry to participate in ) . They REWARDED those who didnt win. it was blatant on their part and how dare they or anyone afterwards get up on some high horse and suggest that the cake wasnt really there. Vlad and co horts pimped the comp ( and still do ) and then want to play coppers too. If sense doesnt rise to the surface then I am 100% for the club to take its grievance to court. The money is somewhat second to this...its that WE will be the only ones supposedly guilty of somethig that doesnt even exist ffs!! Bugger that

It's not about the consistency of your views. It's about your attitude to others who question anything you have to say.

If this is the official result and it is not a negotiated one, then we weren't given a hearing under the rules of Natural Justice. That would take a Court less than a day to throw out. Is this the plan? Charge us and let a Court decide. Also as I posted previously have the Commission members even read the report?

I love the bloke. That said, even though everyone will be demanding more wins this year (including me), I think Neeld is still focussed on nailing the underlying fundamentals of building a good team/structure rather than achieving end results this year. He is still all about instilling professionalism, discipline, team oriented behaviours, improving fitness and skill set etc at the moment. Accordingly, I feel we're still very much in a development phase, not a finals phase. Frustrating perhaps, largely because we've been in development phase since 2007, but that's not Neeld's doing. In fact, he's the solution to entering the next phase. IMO this season is about building towards making the finals next year. And then going deeper into September the year after that. And I reckon we will.

There isn't any credible evidence, which has been MY point here and elsewhere all the way along. But it doesn't mean I don't think we tanked. You talk of "arrogance". In 2009 I said that we must not win more than 4.5 games. In 2009 I said we must manipulate results so that we gain an EXTRA 10 year player that would run around the 'G. In 2009 I said that we'd be a laughing stock if we won one extra futile game. There was no point. We NEEDED the help that the PP gave. In 2009 I argued that other clubs had done it and we'd be foolish not to. As a flag was all I wanted. In 2009 I argued on here that we DID in fact tank, I was over the moon how things had been negotiated and importantly I met little opposition from fellow supporters on here. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In 2012 I get pilloried by some for saying that we did tank, which is what I advocated for in 2009, and yet I'm the "arrogant" one for holding the SAME position I did over 3 years ago. I find many of you gutless, disingenuous, or just plain stupid. I'm at ease that I'm completely consistent with my views from then until now. I believed that It was the right thing to do and we did it. I won't disown my previous and current views. I'm not so shallow.

This should be on the "Optimists Only" thread. I think it's about time I brought it back Go DEES!