Vic bias against sydney teams

[Mug Punter]

To the contrary Barry.

Given that GWS have admitted that Whitfield was deliberately kept away from drug testing, for fear his illicit drug use may have meant he tested positive to a banned performance enhancing drug....

It's very much on the lenient side....

A 4 year ban, for and player willfully avoiding a drug test, is supposedly mandatory.

Whitfield, and the GWS staff involved, have got off extremely lightly.

I agree that if the suspension gets him playing finals next year that they will have gotten off lightly as the deliberately obstructive behaviour of officials is pretty serious, though he only got caught because of his ex going off so you wonder how many other times this happens.

I think the draft pick losses are fair and that the AFL would be quite happy to impose them as it will bring back GWS to a normal draft position next year once they go into deficit. Once they start having to pick and choose between their academy pool the hysteria will hopefully die down a bit

[Ludwig]

• The girlfriend should lose her next 2 boyfriend picks.
• Lachie Whitfield should be locked in Craig Lambert's cellar for 6 months.
• Gubby Allen having to work for Eddie McGuire is punishment enough. Why lighten his sentence by suspending him?

[barry]

I agree that if the suspension gets him playing finals next year that they will have gotten off lightly as the deliberately obstructive behaviour of officials is pretty serious, though he only got caught because of his ex going off so you wonder how many other times this happens.

I think the draft pick losses are fair and that the AFL would be quite happy to impose them as it will bring back GWS to a normal draft position next year once they go into deficit. Once they start having to pick and choose between their academy pool the hysteria will hopefully die down a bit

You are confusing two issues.

The drug issues does not warrant draft pick losses. Its a first and 2nd round pick. So GWS traded out a lot of players (again, because AFL brought forward list reductions based on nothing by vic paranoia) to gain other picks, but that is irrelevant. If they didnt trade out, they wouldnt have a pick before round 3. A ridiculous over reaction to missing a drug test.

GWS have got the list they have with basically the same concessions as Gold coast. One successful, the other not. And as far as success goes, GWS have yet to make a grand final. This is a million miles away from what the Swans achieved, and a trillion miles away from Hawthorn's 3-peat. If the AFL deems it its prerogative to penalize success (as it did to Swans, but no other vic teams), then it should at least wait until some success is achieved.

The AFL, in their inherit corruption, are using a minor drug issue to fix a perceived draft inequality, that they created.
If they are going to cut back draft picks, then just call it that. By stripping the 1st round draft pick, GWS essentially lost Trelor (sp?) for 1 first round draft pick, not the 2 they negotiated.
Makes a mockery of trading/drafting just like the trade ban we received did. This is now normal operation for the AFL. We should have gone after them for the trade ban. GWS, being still propped up by the AFL, have no legs to challenge it.

[AnnieH]

Surprised we havent lost a draft pick for talia actually positive drug saga.

Something like 8 clubs withheld the wearabouts of players for drug tests.

Im not against banning the player and the officials, but trade bans equivalent to essendon is way way to excessive.

Talia was caught with the drugs in his possession.
AFAIK, he didn't test positive to anything.

[yorlik]

Is this a political or footy forum?

Theres a lot of people in the AFL who act like politicians wth power and conmen with sexist attitudes, so its all relevant.

[yorlik]

What the AFL really hates is the idea that a non-Victorian club could enjoy a period of dominance like Hawthorn's - EXCEPT for GWS. The difference is that western Sydney represents a huge untapped market for them, and they think they can make a killing over the long term by building them into a force.

Come on the real reason why the AFL wants GWS to succeed is because there are a few people who stand to make money from the venture, one being Mike Fitzpatrick. Once they get their spoils they will move on. They remind me of greedy pollies with developer or corporate mates. Everything is ripe for making money regardless and once the $ are made its move on to the next bit and let those remaining sort out the long term issues. Lions a perfect example.

If the AFL was truly committed to expansion they would drop their Victorian bias and force all of the teams in Melbourne to present a case why they should survive past the next 5 years or merge ASAP.

But that isnt going to happen because the majority of $ comes from melbourne.

[cartman48]

GWS Penalties suggested here seem fair and I'm a giants member.
Adelaide had draft penalties as part of the Kurt Tippett salary cap drama.

[i'm-uninformed2]

My views on the AFL admin are well documented on here. I think Fitzpatrick is a crook and Gil a bed wetter. So I can't believe I am saying this, but reckon they've got this right. Here's why:

- Whitfield gets a penalty for actively breaking rules, though reckon it should be 12 not six months to be consistent with the one given officials
- Gubby and Lambert actively helped someone avoid a drug test, so regardless of my views on recreational drugs, they actively broke the rules
- both have left the club, which means there needs to be a penalty for the club - hence draft picks
- the difference between this and say, Michael Talia or Ryan Crowley, is the club should be penalised because its own officials were complicit in the act.

The added, and real joy of course, is Collingwood also gets punished along the way and Eddie suffers. Yay. Eat another chin fat boy.

[Bloods05]

Come on the real reason why the AFL wants GWS to succeed is because there are a few people who stand to make money from the venture, one being Mike Fitzpatrick. Once they get their spoils they will move on. They remind me of greedy pollies with developer or corporate mates. Everything is ripe for making money regardless and once the $ are made its move on to the next bit and let those remaining sort out the long term issues. Lions a perfect example.

If the AFL was truly committed to expansion they would drop their Victorian bias and force all of the teams in Melbourne to present a case why they should survive past the next 5 years or merge ASAP.

But that isnt going to happen because the majority of $ comes from melbourne.

I never know how to respond to this kind of wildly speculative, agenda-driven argument.

I think it's best I don't.

[Velour&Ruffles]

The AFL, in their inherit corruption, are using a minor drug issue to fix a perceived draft inequality, that they created.
If they are going to cut back draft picks, then just call it that. By stripping the 1st round draft pick, GWS essentially lost Trelor (sp?) for 1 first round draft pick, not the 2 they negotiated.
Makes a mockery of trading/drafting just like the trade ban we received did. This is now normal operation for the AFL. We should have gone after them for the trade ban. GWS, being still propped up by the AFL, have no legs to challenge it.

Sorry Barry - I'm the first to get stuck into the AFL and its many obvious biases and inequities, but on this matter you are talking complete and utter garbage.

First, what GWS did - have two club officials deliberately and calculatingly hide a player for three days to subvert the drug testing regime - is not "a minor drug issue". It is a very serious matter and must be treated as such. Treat it as a "minor" matter and we may as well give up any pretence at having a drug testing regime for our sport.

Second, penalising GWS is not "just like the trade ban we received". There is a very important difference. I can't believe it is actually necessary to point this out, but I will ..... here goes ..... WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG AND WE GOT PENALISED FOR NOT BREAKING THE RULES! GWS DID SOMETHING (VERY) WRONG AND ARE GETTING PENALISED FOR BREAKING RULES DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE GAME AND THE HEALTH OF PLAYERS! Can you see the difference now?

[barry]

8 other clubs were found guilty of not notifying drug agencies of player whereabouts.
Talia was caught with drugs in his hands.
Only one has a girlfriend scorned.

Gubby and lambert got a year. If whitfield gets a year and GWS lose picks then we can safely say that essendon got off very very lightly. The had a systemic illegal drug injection program against 34 players!

[barracuda]

I heard whitfield got 6 months and the two officials a year each

[yorlik]

And one got sacked from his new role at the pies which i am sure the small exclusive boys club shuffled some chairs to get him to his bff McGuire.

I love it when the boys in at AFL HQ stuff things up and truly show their incompetence.

I cant help but to think Gil was appointed because his incompetence would mask the other @@@@ the rest of them get up too.

[yorlik]

I never know how to respond to this kind of wildly speculative, agenda-driven argument.

I think it's best I don't.

Respond to it however you want.

You can continue to be a Victorian apologist and continue to allow the boys to royally screw the swans OR you can see past the bull@@@@ and be aware. I think you would rather walk around with blinkers on, its safer and a lot more fun when you plead stupid. But remember be a good little afl fan and pay your 1k a year memberships or else YOUR club will DIE!

[S.S. Bleeder]

Rumours of GWS being stripped of first and 2nd round picks and whitfield being banned for 18 months.
This is on par with what essendon coped re draft picks and worse ban for player. Essendon was systemic drug program. Whitfield missed a drug test.

What a joke the AFL jas become that it tries to fix things with BS or over the top penalties. Reminds me of the swans trade ban. Nothing has changed.

Nope, they deserve it. Two of their officials assisted a player in avoiding drug tests. Whether they like it or not, those officials are acting on behalf of their organisation.

It's true what you say about the penalty in comparison to Essendon. Essendon was slapped with a wet lettuce leaf and had the AFL had any balls they should have been suspended from the competition for a few years. They conducted a systemic doping program, failed to keep records and their only defence was that it was conducted by a rogue employee which is utter crap.