Sorry Saga - Why do we fight?

[Bomber1408]

John Fahey

[JBOMBER]

@HarryJay

After reading Warner’s book, I’ve been thinking about the saga all over again, from a less detailed, more broad brush perspective.
You know, it seems to me just about the biggest culprit (and there are many starters in that field) is Lukin.
Someone, very early in the piece, came up with the plan to scapegoat the club (ref the meeting notes of Andruska in Feb13) and some officials, in return for exonerating the players. And we all know that the former happened and the latter didn’t, mainly due to McDevitt’s determination not to be dictated to by the AFL.
Whoever came up with that strategy did so based on the ACC “suspicions” which were never substantiated by fact or even credible evidence. They did so very early and without even looking at the facts, or the evidence, or lack thereof.
Had the AFL not jumped to the conclusion they did, and immediately implemented the strategy that led to the whole excruciating evolution of the saga, we might well have had no more than an investigation that found no real evidence of use of banned substances.
Who came up with the AFL strategy?
Almost certainly, to my mind, it would have been Lukin, who at the time, was the AFL kingpin of spinning and manipulating things to achieve an AFL best outcome.
So, to me, she just about vaults to the top of the list, closely followed of course by Belhoff, who IMO could not possibly have achieved the status in the legal profession that he did and still be stupid enough to come up with the judgement his panel did. More likely it was a commitment to a preconceived outcome that he couldn’t find a credible way to justify, rather than stupidity, that was at work.
The likes of Fitzpatrick, Demetriou, McLachlan, Clothier, Wilson and co., make up a formidable team of also rans.

Lukin was the attack dog but I believe its always been Fitzpatrick who had hold of the leash. Not only was he trying to protect the AFL’s massive investments in the GC suns, keep Melbourne viable & deflect any scrutiny of Geelong & Collingwood’s flags, he also had a personal axe to grind. He’s a prick of epic proportions & still held the grudge from Ron Evans being in change when Carlton were punished for salary cap issues.

Vlad is also scum but he was mates with David Evans & had to know that hurting EFC wasn’t in his best interests - ultimately he was moved on because of the saga. He would have happily gone along with sacrificing Hird to prevent players getting suspended but I think the way the AFL attacked the club had personal intent in it - thats Fitzpatrick inside the AFL & NSW centric arses like Coates & Masters outside.

[longs93GFgoal]

I’ve always thought that the Vlad tip-off to Evans was likely performative and planned in order to get the others assembled there on side with the need to self-report and narrow the focus.

It had the benefit of framing that (Monday?) evening as the beginning of the clubs’ knowledge of the saga (When did Evans first find out would be a relevant question if he ever spoke), rather than the ACC meeting where it appeared the scope of the investigation was larger. While some have played with ideas of Evans looking for or destroying records in between the ACC meeting and the tip off, I think any cover up was happening at far higher levels in far more mundane settings.

[dons23]

@bigallan

Something also about a Coates Fahey and that Oz CAS judge connection with the Rabbitohs ?

Yep, Masters, Coates and Spigelman are all massive South Sydney fans.

Masters worked mainly through info Coates fed him via WADA during the saga. Chip LeGrande called him out on it more than once.

[bigallan]

And Coates pulling the strings in the CAS overlord position?
There was Gil , thinking he was the big end of town, dictating to ASADA and the Canberra mandarins, not knowing he had blanks in his negotiating arsenal. As an entitled person, did not occur to him that his credit card could max out,

[Frizzer_23]

Elaine Canty was never an AFL Commissioner but for some years was a member of the Tribunal. She and the other members at the time were flicked when Vlad came to power. There is no way she is currently or for many years been well connected to the AFL. There is NO love there!! Also she is a founding member of the Essendon Women’s Network.

[bigallan]

Thanks for clarification - but she has been sighted mixing it with the A listers at AFL VIP events after ties were cut with the AFL. -

[Go_Team_2.0]

@SiMFiR

And someone to talk to.
There’s very little reaction anywhere about this book.
Seems someone is calling in all debts or making threats coz there’s very little apparent interest.

In the press? Probably the same reason no one has written it before!

[jackman7]

@HarryJay

Someone, very early in the piece, came up with the plan to scapegoat the club (ref the meeting notes of Andruska in Feb13) and some officials, in return for exonerating the players. And we all know that the former happened and the latter didn’t, mainly due to McDevitt’s determination not to be dictated to by the AFL.

The four officials, and ultimately the players, not playing ball with the despotic AFL, is probably the reason that the latter didn’t happen.

[bigallan]

This is not clickbait election cycle - the long slow burn

• are their structures fit for purpose

[bigallan]

Rule 101
Never let an entitled arrogant prick be your lead negotiator

• more, never let them near you negotiating team
  Perhaps Fitzpatrick knew this all along.

[bigallan]

Taking into account the IOC , WADA CAS and ASADA interplay,

• with the UNESCO international Treaty providing cover for what some see as corrupt or corruptible private bodies and bribery of sports bodies ( by withholding funding from non WADA joiners)
• and all those ambulance chasing sports lawyers running the lex sportiva line ,
  • removing athletes (and others ) from the protection of domestic law and wider human rights law

Would it be correct to call this a Ponzi scheme for the benefit of the likes of John Coates?

We have seen the governance issues of FIFA and other international sports bodies

The Boys Club is relevant to sports governance issues and abuse of athletes around the globe, , not just to footy mad Melbourne interested in digging up the dirt on a few and bringing them down.

[Humble_NSW_Fan]

Sarah.

Bock.

[Fairybread]

@bomber5au

and does not suffer fools easily

Isn’t as an impressive statement as some people think it is.

[mdso]

Please read the latest ABC news on Crown Casino in Victoria, on the failure of the State Regulator to contain the rule breaking of Crown Casino and money laundering and other rule breaking. You have to shake your head and ask, how on earth did they get away with it for so long?

And; who was the CEO through this? I’ll give you three guesses.

[miss_ellie]

delete

[miss_ellie]

@mdso

Please read the latest ABC news on Crown Casino in Victoria, on the failure of the State Regulator to contain the rule breaking of Crown Casino and money laundering and other rule breaking. You have to shake your head and ask, how on earth did they get away with it for so long?

And; who was the CEO through this? I’ll give you three guesses.

I watched it on Four Corners last night. Amazing what they have gotten away with.

I hope there are no repercussions for the inspectors who spoke up.

(was disappointed Vlad didn’t get a mention)

[mdso]

And after all, Paul Little is part of the boys club through his business interests.

[SiMFiR]

@souchy

… Too many tentacles of the AFL spread into other businesses…

Well, it is “The Boys’ Club”

[19thman]

Wasn’t he Chairman not CEO?