One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on August 03, 2011, 02:56:58 AM
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How Melbourne tanked in 2009
Jon Ralph
From: Herald Sun
August 03, 2011
(http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2011/08/02/1226107/006511-richmond.jpg)
Despite Melbourne having more to gain from losing to Richmond in Round 18, 2009, it still took a last-minute goal from Jordan McMahon to win the game. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun
DEAN Bailey didn't have to admit he tanked - his actions had already spoken for him.
What was more revealing was that he suggested the entire football club was involved in the strategy.
Those of us who were there on August 2, 2009, came away feeling various emotions.
Dirty. Shocked. And deeply ashamed that our game would allow such a farce.
Melbourne went into that Round 18 game against Richmond aware it could not allow itself to win.
Here were some of the tactics used to ensure that did not happen:
THE club's best midfielder in James McDonald being banished to the backline to guard small forward Robin Nahas.
RECOGNISED forwards Russell Robertson and Colin Sylvia being overlooked for VFL battler Michael Newton and rookie Jake Spencer.
Spencer hadn't kicked a goal in his career, and Newton had managed 3.9 in four games.
REGULAR defenders James Frawley and Matthew Warnock being pushed forward for much of the day in an utterly baffling move.
RUCKMAN Paul Johnson (all 199cm of him) playing at full-back and at one stage standing 181cm Richmond forward Nathan Brown.
Asked about whether he could sense the strange tactics, Brown told the Herald Sun: ''I could sense Paul Johnson was on me because he is about six foot eight.''
BRAD Miller, who had never played ruck before, all of a sudden thrust into the centre square to take the tap-outs.
A RAFT of midfielders who began to dominate suddenly rotated to the bench or put into a back pocket or forward pocket.
Richmond was so bad that they still took Jordan McMahon's last-minute goal to win the game.
But any impartial observer that day knew what was going on - Melbourne was doing everything in its power to lose a game of football.
If this was experimentation, why has none of those players ever played in that position again?
What was Andrew Demetriou's response?
He called Melbourne chief executive Cameron Schwab that week to congratulate him on the club's development.
''Andrew basically called to say, 'Hang in there','' Schwab said in the days after the game.
Demetriou was adamant nothing was wrong: ''I discussed the game with Cameron and agreed with him some of the conjecture and commentary has been absolutely disgraceful.''
Three weeks later against St Kilda the Demons were at it again.
When the Demons somehow found themselves three goals in front in the last round of the year, James Frawley was taken off Nick Riewoldt and midfielder/forward Lynden Dunn became the lamb to the slaughter.
Liam Jurrah and Aaron Davey were quickly dispatched to the bench, and Nick Dal Santo was left to run amok without a tagger.
When Jurrah returned to the game and kicked two goals in quick time, the Demons dragged him for most of the next quarter.
They got the draft pick they were after - into the club came Tom Scully and Jack Trengove.
Demetriou says tanking is no panacea to success.
Yet in 2008 Hawthorn won the flag with Jarryd Roughead as a priority pick.
In 2010 Collingwood won the flag with Grand Final hero Dale Thomas as a priority pick.
This year Gold Coast will get the least-deserved priority pick in history.
Last year West Coast got one (Jack Darling) and could still win this year's flag.
Finally a review is in place to consider the draft pick. Only their total abolition will do.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/how-melbourne-tanked-in-2009/story-fn6cisdj-1226107012777
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A lottery system for the first 8 positions (9th to 16th on the ladder) is the solution.
An old idea but still worthy of consideration.
:thumbsup
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We were so bad that it took all that for them to lose the game against us and Demetriou claims that is all kosher, after all, we didn't need that priority pick....
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Melbourne should be stripped of 2 years worth of 1st and 2nd round draft picks. I urge you all to support this argument in all footy forums or on talkback radio.
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Despite all the measures that Melbourne undertook to ensure a loss, Richmond were so bad they only managed to sneak a win after the siren. If ever there was a team who through their continued hopelessness needed to be helped with priority picks, and lots of them it's the Tigers. Funny how we always seem to miss out.
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Carlton did it to us too. At the end of the day any wins these teams have against us mean nothing. They rorted the system and it will always be in the back of their supporters minds. Carlton are still the worst, salary cap cheats, tankers and then third party payment salary cap cheats with the exclusive blessing of Herr Demetriou. It is time for a demonstration of people power to show the AFL who really owns the game. Blackballing telecasts and games against Melbourne and Carlton by supporters of all clubs should be a good start :lol But it will be business as usual and Fat Demetriou and Anderson will continue to pocket cash hand over fist whilst smirking down on us plebs and telling us all is well.
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A lottery system for the first 8 positions (9th to 16th on the ladder) is the solution.
An old idea but still worthy of consideration.
:thumbsup
Its easy the best solution but for some strange reason the AFL and the Clubs never seem to look at it. Maybe looking for a solution makes it look like tanking exists, well now its totally out in the open it should be looked at.
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A lottery system for the first 8 positions (9th to 16th on the ladder) is the solution.
An old idea but still worthy of consideration.
:thumbsup
Its easy the best solution but for some strange reason the AFL and the Clubs never seem to look at it. Maybe looking for a solution makes it look like tanking exists, well now its totally out in the open it should be looked at.
Yep the lottery system is the best option.
The priority pick should stay but it shouldn't be based on number of wins per year or across two years where teams (some who are having just one bad year) can manipulate results to meet the criteria. I would have PPs given out based on years without finals. I'll be accused of bias as it would favour us but if a side has been out of the finals for say 5 straight years or more and is still struggling then that club needs help and should receive a priority pick. We haven't played finals for 10 years and the streak isn't going to end for another 2-3 years at least :P. We need AFL help.
The PP could be around the mark of the club's first pick so other clubs who finish lower aren't disadvantaged. So in a normal draft for example:
1. GWS
2. Port
3. Bris
4. GC
5. Rich
6. Rich (PP)
7. Adel
8. Bulldogs
etc...
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Despite all the measures that Melbourne undertook to ensure a loss, Richmond were so bad they only managed to sneak a win after the siren. If ever there was a team who through their continued hopelessness needed to be helped with priority picks, and lots of them it's the Tigers. Funny how we always seem to miss out.
Spot on RR!
That photo of the boys celebrating is embarrassing btw. Everyone knew what Melbourne were up to. How could anyone be happy knowing you only just won because the opposition let you win. That game is the only time I've walked out at the end after a win and not sung the song.
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The opposition did not let us win. The opposition were hell bent on winning. Players don't throw games.
Their coaches and administrators... well that's another story.
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never forget that day. I was in Vegas listening live and i nearly threw my laptop i was that angry.
If it was anyone else other than mclovin i would've got over it, maybe, but Mlcovin not only bent us over with a 3 year rubbish deal he also bent us over in this game.
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Embarrassing day.
For the club and AFL.
Tanking will rear its head again next year, its a bigger issue than the advantage rule, hands in the back, the sub and holding the ball rule.
Needs a lottery draft pool for picks 1-10. The lower you finish the more names you have in the hat.
Also need tiered prize money for higher placings. This may be in place already I'm not sure.
18th placed club gets 50k prize money
17th placed club gets 60k "
etc.
This would eliminate tanking, you finish higher you get higher prize money back to the club to eliminate debt and increase resources, the draft selections are a lottery. You'd want to win every game.
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never forget that day. I was in Vegas listening live and i nearly threw my laptop i was that angry.
If it was anyone else other than mclovin i would've got over it, maybe, but Mlcovin not only bent us over with a 3 year rubbish deal he also bent us over in this game.
yeah i hate players that try and win games
also not mcmohan's fault miller was stupid enough to give up pick 19 for him
nor was it his fault they gave him a 3 year deal worth nearly $1m
good on him i say
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never forget that day. I was in Vegas listening live and i nearly threw my laptop i was that angry.
If it was anyone else other than mclovin i would've got over it, maybe, but Mlcovin not only bent us over with a 3 year rubbish deal he also bent us over in this game.
Done the same thing.
@ Mandalay Bay,listening to it on the TV but via internet.
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Despite all the measures that Melbourne undertook to ensure a loss, Richmond were so bad they only managed to sneak a win after the siren. If ever there was a team who through their continued hopelessness needed to be helped with priority picks, and lots of them it's the Tigers. Funny how we always seem to miss out.
Spot on RR!
That photo of the boys celebrating is embarrassing btw. Everyone knew what Melbourne were up to. How could anyone be happy knowing you only just won because the opposition let you win. That game is the only time I've walked out at the end after a win and not sung the song.
It doesn't matter that you didn't sing the song MT. There were hundreds of Melbourne supporters singing it with gusto to cover for you ;D
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"Despite all the measures that Melbourne undertook to ensure a loss, Richmond were so bad they only managed to sneak a win after the siren. If ever there was a team who through their continued hopelessness needed to be helped with priority picks, and lots of them it's the Tigers. Funny how we always seem to miss out" Good call RR
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we so poo :scream
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This also is self inflicted though ppl.
We had 5 picks in the top 20 in 2004 and our 2005 picks weren't that good either. (Other than Lids).
It's one thing to be poor on field and another when you put yourself in a position to make a selection and you scuff it as we did during the Frawley/Miller/Beck/Wallace time at the club. The fact that McMahon kicked that goal suggests two things either we were not educated on the tank hence Rawlings went after the meaningless wins, which is an issue to take up with CC or we genuinely went out to win as most clubs do and lo and behold we got a win we barely deserved and hence was tarnished by Bailey's admission of shifting players which also suggests that players go and do their best its off field staff who manipulate the on field success in cases such as these.
Our position currently is only due to our poorly resourced and undermanned footy dept as well as our ineptitude in realising what the draft is all about and undervaluing its importance until recently.
We are paying for our sins and only now that it has become fodder with Bailey's so called cryptic confession do we as a club want some sort of retribution or change, whilst I feel change will be fair lets say offer monetary incentives to clubs finishing outside the top 8 where clubs with little finance or debt like Naught, Doggies and such can benefit from the cash boost and help them retain a star kid and notlured by these new plastic franchises.
Furthermore a lottery system based on the bottom 8 and wins can be set up thus ensuring that a club that finished in no mans land lets say 11-14 aren't guaranteed a pick 3 or 4 .
Yep some things like the Mercenary's Visy Deal are more obvious and need to be addressed also but we also need to be more "savvy" whilst the current system is in place to ensure we get the best for our team in the same way a CEO or any small business owner would do with their accountants to pay as little tax as also.
It is gullible to expect honesty in everyday life and then demand it from a sporting code/organisation when success and money is involved.
Unfortunantely this corruption is the by product of the society created in footy where bums on seats is more important than ethos and tradition except for when the Collingwood guernsey is concerned and corporatisation by faceless fat cats has reached the point where week to week footy fans like most of us on here are being forced by our clubs to upgrade our memberships in the off chance we get to a GF so that we don't miss out.
We need strong people with footy acumen at the club to address this rather than people who flutter from weak club to weak club to prolong a well paid but stagnant career. ie Craig Cameron.
Priority picks reward ineptitude on field not stupidity in terms of poor selections and not adapting to the draft and treating it with disdain and topping up. Whilst a priority pick to our picks would be nice our stupidity and inability will not and should not be rewarded and hence the problem of having poor coaches and footy department people in our recent history will haunt us for a few years yet.
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That's the problem when you appoint a caretaker coach that want the full time position.
Rawlings wanted to win.
Which makes Craig Cameron even more the effwit.
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Tucker you say that we have undervalued the draft until recently.
I understand the point you're making but we still haven't grasped the importance of the draft when you look at the latest selections in the rookie draft.
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That's the problem when you appoint a caretaker coach that want the full time position.
Rawlings wanted to win.
Which makes Craig Cameron even more the effwit.
Not fair there gerks, did as he was told to do by the Club
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I was given tickets to that game in the Melbourne members and they were cheering for us all day and rapt when the goal went through.
That was bit off-putting, but I still say if the players are trying their best then anything else doesn't really matter.
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We tanked in a previous year to Melbourne. Only problem we were out tanked by the masters of tanking Carlscum. Not sure people in glasshouses should throw stones.
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That's the problem when you appoint a caretaker coach that want the full time position.
Rawlings wanted to win.
Which makes Craig Cameron even more the effwit.
Not fair there gerks, did as he was told to do by the Club
At the time I was adamant that Wallet should be made to coach the year out as untenable as it was.
We were crap largely because of him. He needed to wear the shame & we needed the draft picks as a result of his incompetence.
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Browny was interviewed on the footy show tonight and said he first had suspicions about what Melbourne were up to that day (round 18, 2009) when big Paul Johnson lined up on him. Browny said it was embarrassing for both clubs - for us are we only won by two points and for Melbourne as their players would've known what was happening. He thinks from memory we didn't sing the song after the game. Jade Rawlings apparently ripped into the players that they shouldn't be proud of that win as Melbourne were trying to lose.
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We tanked in a previous year to Melbourne. Only problem we were out tanked by the masters of tanking Carlscum. Not sure people in glasshouses should throw stones.
I don't recall this. I just recall us being crap all year and getting whipped, not players being played out of position or players deliberately throwing games.