Tanking the tanking

The AFL is desperate to avoid a full-on confrontation with Melbourne Football Club over the Demons’ late-2009 impersonation of a football team. They’ve gone the tank!

 

That’s the only logical conclusion to draw from the AFL’s ultimatum that Cameron Schwab, Chris Connolly and Dean Bailey “show reason by the end of the month to interim AFL football operations manager Gillon McLachlan as to why they should not be charged.”

 

Adding to the impression, the AFL has provided the Melbourne Officials and former Melbourne coach with a hefty 800 pages of evidence.

 

Think about it. Normally, the policing authority gather evidence, charge the accused person and arraign them before a court where the evidence of their guilt is presented, the accused has right or reply and cross-examination and a judging authority decides their guilt or innocence.

 

This time though, the policing authority is providing the suspect with the evidence and asking for reasons not to proceed to charge and try them.

 

Is AussieRulesBlog the only footy fan who can recall a late-season game between Carlton and ???? which was widely regarded at the time as “the Bryce Gibbs Cup” since the losing team would get access to the prized number one draft pick. Finding the Melbourne three guilty would open a Pandora’s Box the AFL would rather remained firmly shut.