Blues Officially Charged With Breaches of Cap

[Joel]

Two articles:


Blues formally charged with cap breaches
12:20:45 PM Mon 11 November, 2002
Ashley Browne
afl.com.au
http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=66643

The future of Carlton¡¦s prized first two picks at the 24 November National AFL Draft are officially under threat, following an announcement by the AFL on Monday that the Blues have been charged with breaching the AFL¡¦s total player payments regulations.

A statement released by the AFL on Monday said that the Blues have been charged with the breach in accordance with Rule 17, which relates to: ¡§the enforcement of the draft and total player payments¡¨.

The charge has been laid by AFL Investigations Manager, Ken Wood and will be heard by the AFL on Tuesday, 19 November.

According to the league¡¦s statement, the breaches relate to undisclosed football payments to two former players for services in season 2000.


Penalties mooted by the AFL, if the Blues are found guilty, may include the loss of draft selections or the forfeiture of premiership points next season.

Because they finished the season with only three wins, the Blues have the first two picks at the national draft.

The announcement by the AFL of the charges against the Blues comes just 24 hours before an extraordinary general meeting, at which long-serving president John Elliott is being challenged by the Carlton One ticket led by former Carlton chief executive and now Telstra Dome boss, Ian Collins.

--------------------------------


AFL charges Carlton for player payment breaches
12:30:53 PM Mon 11 November, 2002
Australian Football League
http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=66634

The following statement was released today by AFL General Manager, Football Operations, Andrew Demetriou.

¡§In accordance with Rule 17 which relates to the enforcement of the draft and total player payments, the AFL Investigations Manager, Ken Wood, has formally charged the Carlton Football Club with breaching provisions of the total player payments.

¡§The breaches relate to undisclosed football payments to two former players for services in season 2000.

¡§Again in accordance with the rule, the Carlton F.C. has been advised in writing of the charges. We have also set a date for the Carlton F.C. to appear before the AFL Commission to formally respond to the charges.


¡§This hearing will occur on Tuesday, November 19, at 12 noon at AFL House.

¡§The gathering of evidence for the matters relating to the charges formally advised to Carlton F.C. today was completed at the weekend.

¡§In accordance with the rules, Mr Wood, has concluded that there is appropriate evidence to now charge Carlton F.C., ¡§ Mr. Demetriou said.

¡§There are other matters involving past and present Carlton F.C. players which are still the subject of investigation.

Mr. Demetriou said it was important the football community, in particular the supporters of Carlton F.C, understood the process involved which was as follows:


„X Under Rule 17, the Investigations Manager may investigate any matters relating to conduct prejudicial to the draft or conduct in breach of the Total Player Payments provisions.


„X If after conducting an investigation, the Investigator suspects that any person or Club has or may have engaged in conduct prejudicial to the draft or in conduct in breach of the Total Player Payments provisions, the Investigator may lay a charge against the person or the Club.


„X Where a charge is laid, the Investigator shall give notice of the charge to each person or Club charged and the General Manager, Football Operations.


„X The General Manager, Football Operations, shall fix a time and date for a hearing of the charge by the AFL Commission.


Mr. Demetriou said the AFL Commission would today receive a copy of the documentation forwarded to the Carlton F.C. The AFL Commission had not considered the matters raised nor formed any view as to the sustainability of the charges.

¡§We are obviously aware of comments which have already been made about the timing of this investigation,¡¨ Mr. Demetriou said.


¡§Our only concern has been to act fairly towards all of the parties involved in this matter including the Carlton F.C. and each of the Clubs in the AFL competition and to conduct a thorough investigation in accordance with the rules.

¡§It is not appropriate for the AFL to make any further comment at this point,¡¨ Mr. Demetriou said.




JDF

"We've never quit, and we won't."

[WhyPhilWhy?]

Somebody remind me - did they trade the first 2 picks?




"I am disrespectful to scum! Can you see I am serious!"

[Murray]

Yep, I heard this on the ABC news at 1.00pm.
The really interesting thing is that although they will be charged over these two un named players (read Brown & Silvani) "There are still further investigations going on in relation to other players".


DARE TO STRUGGLE - DARE TO WIN

[Joel]

No, Carlton didn't trade their first two draft picks.

Also, Richmond traded their 4th pick...they will be annoyed if Carlton loses their first two draft picks because it would mean they would have had second pick.

It is probably more likely that they will be kicked out of the pre season draft and lose their priority pick (for winning less than five games).

JDF

"We've never quit, and we won't."

[Joel]

JDF

"We've never quit, and we won't."

[AnthonyC]

WHAT! Claiming the Filth are a bunch of rotten cheating low-life crap. Well I never.

Good work by the AFL, let's hope it gets finished before Nov. 24.

Time to feel some lasting pain baggers.



Go Pies!

[CQ]

AHHH YES!!!! i hope the pricks get their draft picks taken off them, i dont see why other teams are whinging, too bad too sad, its like whether or not they get taken off carlton whoever had pick 4 or 2 wasnt gonna get it anyway so too bad. every other team should be gleeful that theyre losing picks.
losing prem points is shit cos carlton are shit anyway and will get MORE good draft picks next year so we cant have that and they should get punished this year with no draft picks. yes.

TARKO TARKO MAN!
I WANT TO BE A TARKO MAN!

[Ed from WA]

but if they lose premiership points next year,how will that punish them?
can you finish 17th?
remember essendon got the recruits the year they transgressed and it won them a flag.
they must be penalised right now.
sorry mike
but i think banishment to tasmania would be a fair punishmnet.
they could play as glenorchy seconds.

[ramjet21]

taking away premiership points may leave carlton with the honour of being the first and probably only ever club to finish a season with a negative result in its points column. shame that.

[stik35]

I'm sure Joffa could come up with a bigger better wooden spoon for next year if that is the case.

If you bleed black and white you'll never walk alone.

[Lorelei]

Can you believe they'd be that stupid?

*shakes head*

Joel keep the little pix coming - they're gorgeous lol

Jen

--
Floreat Pica

[ramjet21]

yep, i can believe it. jacks in charge after all.

[Black_White]

Quote Ramjet21;

"jacks in charge after all"

Endquote


Not for much longer!!!!!!

-Craig

[CQ]

NOT ANY MORE!!



TARKO TARKO MAN!
I WANT TO BE A TARKO MAN!

[Joel]

MORE rorting down at the scum......

Silvagni, Bradley admit rort
By Caroline Wilson
November 15 2002
http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/articles/2002/11/14/1037080849021.html

The Carlton crisis deepened yesterday when two of the club's legends - Stephen Silvagni and Craig Bradley - confessed to the AFL that they had been involved in systematic salary cap cheating.

The move by Silvagni, who was voted on to the Carlton board on Tuesday night, and former skipper Bradley is believed to have come at the instigation of the club's new president Ian Collins.

Collins has now been given an extra three days to present his case to the AFL Commission.

In other developments yesterday:

- Carlton has reportedly revised its projected loss to an estimated $1 million after Collins and his new board spent Wednesday inspecting the club's football finances;


- Two other clubs will come under salary cap scrutiny by the AFL before the start of next season;

- Silvagni was reportedly urged by fellow directors to remain on the Blues' board and will, like Bradley, be granted indemnity for coming forward to the league;

- Collins moved to open the club's player payment details to the AFL upon learning the severity of the Blues' irregularities.

Collins will now front the commission in seven days, less than 48 hours before the scheduled national draft at which the Blues look certain to be stripped of their opening two picks.

As revealed by The Age two days ago, the AFL remains determined to punish Carlton over successive drafts and has told at least three other clubs of its intention to do so.

Despite claims by the league yesterday that the commission was unaware of any detail regarding the Blues' under-the-table payments, it is understood that commission chairman Ron Evans had been consistently briefed by his chief executive Wayne Jackson and Jackson's deputy Andrew Demetriou.

Jackson and Demetriou did not return calls from The Age last night.

Evans, Jackson and Demetriou remain determined to make an example of the Blues, whose former president John Elliott has consistently denied the club had anything to fear from investigation.

Those denials continued after two charges against the club were announced by the AFL on Monday.

The executive trio have repeatedly said they would recommend to the remaining commissioners that the Blues lose their first two picks in the coming draft along with picks two and three - which remain part of a suspended sentence hanging over the club - in next year's draft.

The timing of Collins' presentation is significant coming at 6pm next Friday, November 22, which would appear to rob the club of any legal attempt to thwart the AFL's punishment.

Collins had requested an extension before being required to face the commission.

The Blues' board, which began meeting at Optus Oval two days ago at 8am and did not depart until 7.30pm, will officially meet again early next week to continue to plough through the club's financial details and interview staff, many of whom have already painted a picture of a club run as a virtual autocracy by one man - Elliott.

The mooted million-dollar loss relates only to the football club and not the social club.

It has come despite a $300,000 injection in October from the sale of Waverley Park.

In one positive for Carlton yesterday, the club re-signed talented forward Matthew Lappin for three years.

And the Blues' only surviving directors from Elliott's last days - former champions Stephen Kernahan and Greg Williams - have indicated they would like to join coach Denis Pagan at the selection table next season.

----------------------------------------------

Blues face more charges
6:20:05 PM Thu 14 November, 2002
Scott Spits
afl.com.au
http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=67060

The future of Carlton’s opening two picks at the National AFL Draft are under more threat after the Blues were charged on Thursday with additional breaches of the salary cap.

And the charges have provided more uncertainty before the draft – scheduled for 24 November - with the AFL Commission hearing now delayed by three days until 6pm on 22 November.

AFL football operations manager Andrew Demetriou released a statement saying two Carlton players had voluntarily come forward in the past few days in relation to undisclosed payments.

The news is another blow to the new Carlton board – featuring new president Ian Collins and endorsed by Blues members on Tuesday night – which has spent the past two days digesting the charges facing Carlton.


Demetriou said delaying the hearing would give the Blues reasonable time before appearing before the commission.
"The 2002 National AFL Draft remains scheduled for Sunday, November 24," Demetriou said.

If Carton is stripped of the opening two picks at the draft it will create significant uncertainty for the other 15 AFL clubs. Already Richmond – which traded the No.4 selection during the exchange period – has confirmed it will seek compensation.

The Tigers off-loaded the No.4 pick as part of the deal that saw Wayne Carey move to Adelaide, Kane Johnson join Richmond and Jason Torney join the Crows.

If the Blues lose the number one and two selections for breaching the salary cap in 2000, it would have left Richmond with the No.2 overall selection. Most recruiters believe there are three stand-out draftees this year – Peel Thunder’s Daniel Wells, Steven Salopek of the Dandenong Stingrays and Gippsland Power’s Brendon Goddard.

The AFL’s playing contracts give the league the power to issue fines to players even though they have retired from the game and also can preclude them from holding office at a club.

Demetriou said on Monday that it was the AFL’s view that the Blues had not co-operated fully with league investigations officer Ken Wood and the AFL’s investigations department, and that this would be taken into account by the commission if the Blues are found guilty.

The league formally commenced the investigation on 16 September, based on information from third parties that was provided to the league.

All clubs will be investigated from next February, as announced by the AFL, however this investigation is a separate matter. “I think we have all learned, particularly from what happened in the NRL, that salary cap breaches that the competition will not tolerate. It’s something the public won’t tolerate. We view our rules and regulations very seriously and the two things that underpin our competition are the salary cap and the draft and we will defend those vigorously,” Demetriou said.






JDF

"We've never quit, and we won't."