Nathan MottonLibba claim just as ridiculous as the system
March 15th 2008 13:14
Although Tony Liberatore's charge is a serious blight on the game, it is also an irrelevant comment made by a man who has a seriously bad case of sour grapes.
Liberatore revealed on Thursday night's Footy Show that the Carlton Football Club deliberately lost games last season in order to secure prized draft picks.
And he has offered to repeat the claim to the AFL next week, amid the prospect of legal action being brought against the sensational claims.
He said that Carlton refused to make changes in the coaching box, played players who didn't deserve a game and sent players off for surgery when it wasn't needed, in the round 22 clash against Melbourne last year.
Pressed on whether he believed this constituted tanking, he said: "Personally, I would say yes."
Carlton chief executive Greg Swann came out yesterday and vehemently denied the accusation, stating the club had nothing to hide.
"If Andrew (Demetriou) or anybody there wants to send anybody down for a chat, we're happy to talk about it, we've got nothing to hide.
"We're pretty peeved at it, we think it is a slur on the club. We'll definitely have a look at it because a lot of the things that were said were just wrong plain and simple," Swann said.
Two things stand out for this scribe since the story broke two days ago.
Firstly, it is the system that is the problem.
For clubs to find themselves in the bottom half of the competition at the pointy end of the season, and then to be rewarded with the best young talent in the land for finishing last is absurd.
As long as the prize to finish last is so great, clubs will constantly seek to bend the rules to their advantage and the race to the wrong end of the ladder will continue.
The AFL says it is doing all it can to address tanking.
Last week it came down on Paul Roos after his joking remark on the boundary during the NAB cup, and then let him off, surely knowing any possible charge they came up with could not stick.
These meaningless tirades by the AFL serve little purpose.
It doesn't matter how hardly they throw the book at those who transgress, the integrity of the game will continue to be questioned until the league makes serious changes.
And secondly, this scribe finds it difficult to take Liberatore seriously.
Last month he attacked his former club the Western Bulldogs over its lack of leadership shown by coach Rodney Eade and chief executive Campbell Rose.
And now this.
Sadly it is impossible not to question his credibility, and regard his motives for speaking out as nothing more than sour grapes.
After all, he did seek to coach both clubs, and both clubs have rejected him.
This whole saga leaves a bitter taste in one scribes mouth.
The AFL needs to stop endorsing such a ridiculous policy and change it.
And Libba... move on.
Liberatore revealed on Thursday night's Footy Show that the Carlton Football Club deliberately lost games last season in order to secure prized draft picks.
And he has offered to repeat the claim to the AFL next week, amid the prospect of legal action being brought against the sensational claims.
He said that Carlton refused to make changes in the coaching box, played players who didn't deserve a game and sent players off for surgery when it wasn't needed, in the round 22 clash against Melbourne last year.
Carlton chief executive Greg Swann came out yesterday and vehemently denied the accusation, stating the club had nothing to hide.
"If Andrew (Demetriou) or anybody there wants to send anybody down for a chat, we're happy to talk about it, we've got nothing to hide.
"We're pretty peeved at it, we think it is a slur on the club. We'll definitely have a look at it because a lot of the things that were said were just wrong plain and simple," Swann said.
Two things stand out for this scribe since the story broke two days ago.
Firstly, it is the system that is the problem.
For clubs to find themselves in the bottom half of the competition at the pointy end of the season, and then to be rewarded with the best young talent in the land for finishing last is absurd.
As long as the prize to finish last is so great, clubs will constantly seek to bend the rules to their advantage and the race to the wrong end of the ladder will continue.
The AFL says it is doing all it can to address tanking.
These meaningless tirades by the AFL serve little purpose.
It doesn't matter how hardly they throw the book at those who transgress, the integrity of the game will continue to be questioned until the league makes serious changes.
And secondly, this scribe finds it difficult to take Liberatore seriously.
Last month he attacked his former club the Western Bulldogs over its lack of leadership shown by coach Rodney Eade and chief executive Campbell Rose.
And now this.
Sadly it is impossible not to question his credibility, and regard his motives for speaking out as nothing more than sour grapes.
After all, he did seek to coach both clubs, and both clubs have rejected him.
This whole saga leaves a bitter taste in one scribes mouth.
The AFL needs to stop endorsing such a ridiculous policy and change it.
And Libba... move on.
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