Dustbin Fletcher & that "bribe"

[swan_song]

Anyone think, as I do, that Hirdy's AFL bribe money still has a few more weeks to run before the dough's all spent? I 'm laying money that Dustbin Fletcher's case will either be withdrawn or he'll be found not guilty...

[Cheer Cheer]

Dustin Fletchers case will be withdrawn if the AFL have any sense at all about them. He should never have been reported in the first place, and if it does end up going to the tribunal he will get off no problem.

Fletcher was comitted to the contest, there was no way he could avoid the collison, and if you actually watch the incident closely, he actually turns his body and tries to hold up and not collect young Corrie.

The only worrying thing for Dustin is his bad record at the tribunal, but even that wont get him a week or two.

One of the softest reports of the year so far.

[Cheer Cheer]

Fletcher found not guilty. I thought as much.

Make your own conclusions though, whether a certain 20 K got him off.

[chammond]

Not sure about the $20K, but I am convinced that the TV commentators have a major influence on whether a case is proceeded with.

The Fletcher incident was a perfect example - during the broadcast the commentators said several times that Fletcher would get off, and Tim Lane later went on the news and said words to the effect that Fletcher had nothing to worry about.

Now, regardless of what you thought of that incident, I'm sure that most of us could recall at least half a dozen similar (or lesser) offences in recent times that went to the Tribunal and resulted in a suspension.

I'm betting that the only difference in those cases is which way the commentator "adjudicated" at the time.

[liz]

Absolutely.

Just think back to two weeks ago. Had it been Barry Hall seen lying prostrate on the ground, rubbing his head, with Chris Grant standing by, does anyone think that the media would have done more than have a collective "giggle" and assumed that Hall had deserved what was coming to him? Would they have shown the incidents and commented on the missing 3 seconds of footage one million times? I doubt it. I very much doubt that the AFL would have even launched an investigation, let alone allowed it to go all the way to the tribunal when there clearly wasn't the evidence required to sustain the charge.