AFL fines Essendon, locks 2013 season at 9th and applies draft sanctions

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AFL fines Essendon, locks 2013 season at 9th and applies draft sanctions

Authored by: Brett Northey
on Wednesday, August 28 2013 @ 09:19 pm ACST

Well at least I'm not the only one wondering why Adelaide was more harshly dealt with, despite what you might read in various Melbourne newspapers.

On South Australian radio 5AA AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou was asked the same question, and he didn't deny it, and explained that:

"This club [Essendon], unlike the Crows, cooperated fully – they actually self-reported – they came to us," he said.

"From the chairman through to the coaching staff, through to the staff, through to every player, every individual at that club cooperated fully and openly with ASADA and the AFL and the investigation.

"That carries weight in sanctioning.

"I've got to tell you, when we dealt with Adelaide that didn't happen."

The only trouble with that explanation is that it's wrong. Adelaide Chairman Rob Chapman immediately called Demetriou to point out that it was wrong. It's now been quoted on the AFL website:

Chapman said he was in a meeting when the interview aired but rang the League boss after he began receiving phone calls altering him to Demetriou's comments.

"I've just spoken to Andrew Demetriou…and I said, 'Andrew this is what people have just told me you said – that's crap'," Chapman said on 5AA.

"[At the time of the salary cap breach] I personally rang Andrew Demetriou and I said, 'mate I think we've got a problem'.

"He said to me, 'Rob, I thank you, you've done the right thing and in the event that some sanctions have to be applied because you've done the wrong thing, this will hold you in good stead.'

"I just repeated that story to Andrew and he said, 'you're absolutely right, I recall it vividly'."

Chapman said he had asked the AFL for assistance and suggested the club needed an "investigative accountant" to go through its files.

"That's compliance 101," he said.

The Crows chairman said he was unsure whether Demetriou's comments comparing the two clubs were taken out of context or whether he simply didn't mean to say what he did.

"You'll need to get him back on the phone – Andrew's a smart bloke and he doesn't have seniors moments," Chapman said.

So did the AFL accidentally hit Adelaide harder because when dealing with Essendon they forgot the precedent from less than 12 months earlier? Or did they realise afterwards that they hit Adelaide too hard? Is there a bias against a non-Victorian team? You can at least see now why that last thought is regularly aired beyond Victoria's borders. Interestingly Adelaide player Taylor Walker asked the same question in a tweet that appeared on the AFL website but which was quickly taken down.

I already felt that in about 5 years it would be Giants vs Suns every year in the grand final. Two of the sides that were well placed to challenge, Adelaide and Essendon, will now be hollowed out. I fear there may be a very lopsided competition looming. But I suspect the cause of Adelaide and Essendon's weakness will be forgotten somewhat as the peak pain won't hit for about 5 to 8 years when all this washes over. The bottom line for me is that it remains a mystery why Adelaide was hit so hard. My best explanation is that Essendon actually threatened court action and played hard ball, as did Melbourne, and the lesson is that gets you a lighter penalty.

---
Brett Northey - Co-founder and Chief Editor of WFN

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