Balmain Players Walk Out of Match v Wests - Match Abandoned

[Jupiter]

I am sure you could request a list of current financial members prior to the meeting, particularly Ancient Tiger in his role on the board.

I think you've more than persuasively made the point that the "protesting" faction has lacked smarts, and I think they've acknowledged that and its implicit in the desperation in evidence.

I think they've more than made the point that whatever they have or haven't done, certain persons running the BD are not fit to do so and ought to lose that honour very soon.

[Ancient Tiger]

So did you make an appointment with the board? Have you had any discussions with the administrator (Murray Godfrey from RMG) concerning DSC?

Taxman yes I did try to make an appointment, but it was not granted in enough time before I was voted off by the board after this incident. I have tried to contact RMG on MULTIPLE occasions with calls and emails, but they do not respond to me.

[Steiger]

This is the problem. I'm sure the board will allow members that support them to be financial with a club issued receipt but not those that oppose them.

[Norris Lurker]

Statement from AFL Sydney:
AFL Sydney Statement - Sydney AFL - SportingPulse

[Ancient Tiger]

This is the problem. I'm sure the board will allow members that support them to be financial with a club issued receipt but not those that oppose them.

Ask the Drummoyne Sports Club social members who actually went to the Drummoyne Sports Club what they were told when they asked to be members when the board were told they needed additional members to sell the club, as the social membership was too high compared to full members. Full members have to be sporting members under the articles, and these 60 brand new members that had neither played, gone to a game, yet were all of a sudden full members, over those who actually attend the club.

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I was going to go up to Olds Park tomorrow to watch my old club, is it still on?

P.S. What a farce, ive been going to Sydney Footy since the 70's and have never heard this happening before.

As a player who had his identity and colours removed by the Sydney AFL (Dragons to Crows) i can understand the Balmain peoples gripe but their are better ways than to walk off the oval during the match.

Shearer, appreciate you position on this. This was a desperate last attempt to save the club. The steps taken before this have been explained earlier in the forum, and to be honest everything else had failed. And it was to save the club from collapse post season, which is where it was heading.

[ShortHalfHead]

The issues have been going on for years I have read, but an EGM was first called just a month ago?

I've backed some slow horses in my day, but geeze.

Was legal advice sought by anybody? Surely somebody knows somebody who knows somebody who is a lawyer.

No fault of the AFL as far as I can see.

[Steiger]

I've contacted Murray Godfrey who directed me to one of the DSC Board members. Needless to say that avenue was no longer pursued.

[Ancient Tiger]

The issues have been going on for years I have read, but an EGM was first called just a month ago?

I've backed some slow horses in my day, but geeze.

Was legal advice sought by anybody? Surely somebody knows somebody who knows somebody who is a lawyer.

No fault of the AFL as far as I can see.

That is because people get fed up and leave to go elsewhere, and rightly so. They have tried multiple times at AGM's, but the AGM practices are not adhered to. This group of players are passionate enough to try every angle and have tried to follow the constitution rules. But with the turnover of players so high it is difficult to coordinate such an effort as has been shown this year.

[Offal]

2's this weekend

Is there enough cattle to field a 2's team or will this be a forfeit too?

Is standing them down the right thing to do if they have to forfeit 2's and prevent Camden from an opportunity for a game in Div 2?

Maybe some of their Women's team could play - there are some guns amongst them.

[Tiges]

Is there enough cattle to field a 2's team or will this be a forfeit too?

Is standing them down the right thing to do if they have to forfeit 2's and prevent Camden from an opportunity for a game in Div 2?

Maybe some of their Women's team could play - there are some guns amongst them.

My obviously biased position would agree with not standing down players before a proper investigation.

Essendon can play, with far more serious allegations!

[OnLooker]

AFL Sydney Statement - Sydney AFL - SportingPulse - an insipid and spineless response to a very serious matter. Expect better from an administration that so frequently pushes its own barrow of best practice...

[Optus]

I have been hearing on the vine that there may be some serious penalties for the players, I am talking 3-5 years!!

[Jupiter]

My obviously biased position would agree with not standing down players before a proper investigation.

Essendon can play, with far more serious allegations!

You don't get it I'm afraid. On the BD players I assume it would be because they have made at least a preliminary finding of guilt - i.e. that a voluntary walk off (reasons aren't relevant unless helath/safety or similar I'd imagine) is a breach of the Code of Conduct / by-laws / player regs or whatever (pretty easy leap to make...) and therefore that at least an interrim punishment can safely be dished out (one week) whilst waiting for a Tribunal to sit on what may well be a long hearing....which really will probably only be about a plea for leniency because of all the extraneous circumstances you've been posting about. Still, I don't know anything about what's happened or been decided/done and I think its the wrong thing to do to be honest before they find out the full story - the league is notoriously poor at all of this sort of stuff and the Tribunal is normally a stitch up, so its likely there are worthy complaints to be made for what that is generally worth. Agree the league statement is amateur, par for the course.

The difference with Ess would be that they apparently don't know what offence if any they would be punishing yet, i.e. they are investigating that fact STILL apparently. A completely different scenario. Get it ?

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Must be hearing rubbish - that would never stick.

[mountainsofpain]

AFL Sydney Statement - Sydney AFL - SportingPulse - an insipid and spineless response to a very serious matter. Expect better from an administration that so frequently pushes its own barrow of best practice...

What response did you expect at this stage?

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That is because people get fed up and leave to go elsewhere, and rightly so. They have tried multiple times at AGM's, but the AGM practices are not adhered to. This group of players are passionate enough to try every angle and have tried to follow the constitution rules. But with the turnover of players so high it is difficult to coordinate such an effort as has been shown this year.

So why at some stage wasn't legal advice sought?

Why wasn't Fair Trading (or whatever Government body oversees incorporated bodies) approached years ago if irregularities are alleged?

Despite everything I've read here, I am still astounded that it had to come to this. Were all avenues really investigated and taken? Really?

And no - you don't need to reply with the emotional spiel I seem to get whenever I ask questions. I get the seriousness of the situation and the depth of feeling about the cause.

[Tiges]

I do get that the situations are different, however until the case is heard by the tribunal, I don't think it is right to assume guilt, no matter what the circumstances are.

How is the tribunal supposed to be impartial when the AFL have already indicated that they are guilty?

What I am saying is that there is an investigation, and when those findings are documented, then it is time to conduct the tribunal. How are they supposed to put their case forward when the investigation has not concluded?

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What response did you expect at this stage?

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So why at some stage wasn't legal advice sought?

Why wasn't Fair Trading (or whatever Government body oversees incorporated bodies) approached years ago if irregularities are alleged?

Despite everything I've read here, I am still astounded that it had to come to this. Were all avenues really investigated and taken? Really?

And no - you don't need to reply with the emotional spiel I seem to get whenever I ask questions. I get the seriousness of the situation and the depth of feeling about the cause.

So who was going to pay for that legal advice? The volunteers who have long gone from the club, or a group of players in their 20's in a club with more turnover then a Merry go round as highlighted by Ancient Tiger?

The steps have been well documented on this forum as had the questionable responses and lack of responses by the board. If you cannot see they have done all they can and time was running out, then I don't think that you really want to.

If you cannot see these guys are standing up against a dodgy administration and showed tremendous courage then you don't want to.

And if these inconsistencies are not true then don't you think Ancient Tiger would have heard from the legal team from the board and stopped posting the nasty truth?

The fact is it is emotional so how can you not respond with emotion responses?

A far more appropriate style in response than an arrogant one, would you not say?