Demons Drug Crisis - Why not the same scrutiny as West Coast?

[mick500]

A guy offering to get a baggy for a mate is technically trafficking, and while it’s obviously against the law I just can’t give a * when it’s something that hundreds of thousands of professionals are doing weekly in this day and age, when organizing social occasions with friends.

I think it's clear most people agree with your stance, but when it comes to professional sport and following a team, I expect them to give up things the average citizen may get away with. People pay good money to support and watch the players play at an elite level and the players are well paid as a result. If you don't want to abide by the requirements to play, don't sign up for it. Simples.

As for it being no big issue, the cops are now monitoring the situation and charges are looking possible imo. If you get caught with coke , meth, ice heroin whatever, the cops don't treat that as a slap on the wrist offence. You might not go to jail, but once your name is associated the cops will monitor you. The best way to not have police investigating you is not to get caught multiple times and have trafficking against your name. I'm far past the days of doing anything like that, but back when it wasn't we all knew it was a 1 and done deal. You get caught. You stop. Or risk severe consequences. The fact he hasn't been able to stop with so much to lose suggests it is a big problem for him and the club imho.

 

[Scritchyscroony]

Who was that Collingwood player on a bender who was quietly driving around Melbourne with some dodgy mate shooting from a moving car.

You mean if the Eagles players were a bit less obvious it would have been fine?

Different rule books for some clubs.

It was Didak and your understanding of the incident is extremely poor, as is your attempt to draw some sort of equivalence.
For starters he was a stranger not a mate. Didak accepted a lift from the wrong guy he met at a club. Didak was in fear of his life and did nothing wrong. There was nothing he could do about the situation he found himself in. Wrong place wrong time. He was litterally taken for a ride by a psycho shooting at police out the window. He was then threatened ( he and his family) not to talk to police.
Some time later the same guy killed 2 people on the street in the city in Broad daylight.

Apart from not accepting the lift from a stranger, I'd love to know what you think you would have done differently in that circumstance?

 

[mick500]

He was actually directing traffic whilst off his face but yeah he got arrested a lot. It's good to see he has got his act together finally now.

Always caught with coke and Viagra lmao.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Is that correct? Didn’t the incident involve Didak? He had been in the same car as a bikie who was then arrested for firing shots.

Oh, was it didak? I remember tarrant. And I remember Swan in an incident which dominated the media for a week

 

[VinnieB]

Oh, was it didak? I remember tarrant. And I remember Swan in an incident which dominated the media for a week

Swan was a different issue with a taxi driver in his first year or so.

Tarrant was never involved in any of these incidents.

 

[Obeanie1]

Swan was a different issue with a taxi driver in his first year or so.

Tarrant was never involved in any of these incidents.

Sorry. Is there nothing to see at Collingwood and dodgy behaviour?

Swan admitted and joked about how many times Eddie and the AFL bailed him out of trouble and basically covered up a heap of antics he and his rat pack mates got up to.

Different rules applied to other clubs. Especially when one club president is a major media figure.

 

[Obeanie1]

One player tested positive for cocaine on match day and sent texts asking if unidentified others wanted nose beers. So far, its 2722km from the West Coast situation. This may change.

It will.

Players are dumb and peiple send photos they shouldnt.

The smoke is pouring out of the MCG over this issue. And where there is smoke.......

 

[Optimistic Dog]

Question. If the dees work the footy (sometimes call the pill) up the ground through heavy congestion/traffic and Oliver scores a goal is that called trafficking.

 

[Pistol Night]

Question. If the dees work the ball up the through heavy congestion/traffic and Oliver scores a goal is that called trafficking.

Clarry ends up with it so it sounds about right

 

[VinnieB]

Sorry. Is there nothing to see at Collingwood and dodgy behaviour?

Swan admitted and joked about how many times Eddie and the AFL bailed him out of trouble and basically covered up a heap of antics he and his rat pack mates got up to.

Different rules applied to other clubs. Especially when one club president is a major media figure.

You seem to be triggered. All I have done is corrected a post from another poster who got the players mixed up. The incident he mentioned involved Didak. Swan attacked a cab driver. I stated that. Not hiding anything. Keep up.

But let’s be clear with the Eagles. You have a player that died from drugs. Another that was close to death on an overseas club trip due to drugs and a champion of the game whose life has been torn apart with his highly public struggles with drugs. All teammates. And I bet there were more.

West Coast has gotten off lightly given how many lives have been ruined during that period.

 

[Rob R]

You seem to be triggered. All I have done is corrected a post from another poster who got the players mixed up. The incident he mentioned involved Didak. Swan attacked a cab driver. I stated that. Not hiding anything. Keep up.

But let’s be clear with the Eagles. You have a player that died from drugs. Another that was close to death on an overseas club trip due to drugs and a champion of the game whose life has been torn apart with his highly public struggles with drugs. All teammates. And I bet there were more.

West Coast has gotten off lightly given how many lives have been ruined during that period.

Hard to see how WC haven't been stripped of their drug fuelled 2006 premiership, add that to their 2018 win off an horrific umpires mistake and they shouldn't have won a premiership since 94.

On SM-A125F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[76woodenspooners]

For those old enough on this board to remember, the West Coast drug crisis of the mid 2000s was all that anyone spoke about when referring to that champion team, from Chad Fletcher “flat lining in Vegas”, to Cousins being found drunk outside the Convention Centre and many more incidents.

The Melbourne footy media subsequently engaged in a brutal war against the club, questioning their success among a number of other accusations implied.

On the back of Joel Smith being arrested now for drug trafficking - a far more serious crime than any of the above, why on earth isn’t the same level of scrutiny being launched against the Demons?

For starters, I’m not saying the moronic insinuations that the media laid against West Coast regarding stripping flags or anything to that extend should be applied whatsoever, but blind Freddy can see there’s a serious drug problem embedded in that club between the Smith story and a bunch of others over the past few years which I won’t name.

When are heads going to finally roll to fix the mess at that club?

As with everything, there are probably a bunch of reasons that all work together.

(1) The West Coast situation has fully played out and we know what happened. You’re going a bit early with Melbourne as it’s still very much in progress.

(2) Tall poppy syndrome.

• West Coast were (and still are) a powerhouse club with long term success on and off the field.
• Apart from very recent history, the last time Melbourne weren’t a total basket case of a club our currency was pounds, shillings and pence.

(3) It’s difficult to compare events from different eras due to different societal standards. Nobody was talking about drug taking as a ‘welfare issue’ back in the mid 2000’s.



(4) Comms and Media Management in clubland barely existed beyond running membership drives back in the mid 2000’s. These days it’s a highly evolved science. These days you can be assured that every club has a media management playbook ready to roll out in the event of any crisis.

(5) Back in the 2000’s the AFL weren’t as protective of the competition’s brand anywhere near as what they are today. (The Essendon supplements scandal changed all that). These days any club going through a crisis would have support from AFL House to get through it. The AFL probably have a few levers they can pull to sway the media (withdrawal of favours, granting interviews, threatening / cancelling media accreditation)

(6) Probably throw in a bit of Victorian media bias in there. But I couldn’t imagine the media going as hard as they did if it had been Freo instead.

 

[Pistol Night]

Hard to see how WC haven't been stripped of their drug fuelled 2006 premiership, add that to their 2018 win off an horrific umpires mistake and they shouldn't have won a premiership since 94.

On SM-A125F using BigFooty.com mobile app

They should be given another cup just for being able to play that cooked let alone win a flag

 

[master bate]

What i thought was amazing was Max Gawn having to do the presser yesterday and answering the questions over it. Surely the Pres or CEO at a minimum are fronting a press conference to deal with an issue of this magnitude? At least Glen Bartlett had the guts to raise it as an issue back in his day...

Glen Bartlett and guts, good one. You can see why he failed as a player given his role in providing this oxygen. He could've gone quietly as an important part of turning Melbourne around yet he continues to throw mud from the sidelines to that grub Mick Warner.

He's never had any evidence for his claims, he just wanted the coach sacked because they lost a couple of games in 2020 during lockdown and he was stuck on the couch getting texts from his mates.

 

[Optimistic Dog]

Clarry ends up with it so it sounds about right

I guess there is no way we will see Joel Smith passing the pill (footy) to Oliver this season.

 

[demondavey]

I reckon the trafficking charge is overreach.

A guy offering to get a baggy for a mate is technically trafficking, and while it’s obviously against the law I just can’t give a * when it’s something that hundreds of thousands of professionals are doing weekly in this day and age, when organizing social occasions with friends.

Dude, you’re coming Saturday night, yeah? Getting bags if you’re keen (I know you are, haha!) just sling us $30 on the night.

How many blokes in Melbourne are dropping those texts once a week?

 

[demondavey]

It clearly has to add another * next to their already * flag.

Why is there an * next to our flag already?

 

[demondavey]

Fletcher - almost died on a football trip
Kerr - In prison for setting his parents home ablaze
Mainwaring - dead
Cousins - full blown drug addict whose issues need not much more referencing
Chick - significant issues post career as he feels the club hung him out to dry

Joel smith has texted some mates and probably asked if they want a bag.

Let’s just keep the hysteria under control until we start getting to WC levels of dysfunction.

 

[demondavey]

Because Melbourne is located in Victoria and afl media are biased towards Victorian teams. I see no articles about 1 non Victorian premier since 2013 and 2 since 2007

Hawthorn got roasted for Kennett’s antics.

 

[demondavey]

agreed.
In time I think the Dees will play out the same. Thanks for taking Hunter

Thanks for making the GF in 2021.

 

[Pistol Night]

Fletcher - almost died on a football trip
Kerr - In prison for setting his parents home ablaze
Mainwaring - dead
Cousins - full blown drug addict whose issues need not much more referencing
Chick - significant issues post career as he feels the club hung him out to dry

Joel smith has texted some mates and probably asked if they want a bag.

Let’s just keep the hysteria under control until we start getting to WC levels of dysfunction.

Whys he hanging around with blokes that need to be asked?

 

[demondavey]

Whys he hanging around with blokes that need to be asked?

Haha,

PISTOL!!!!!

 

[Obeanie1]

That was over every front and back page in Melbourne. Not Victoria's fault the other states didn't report it.
It was also a rookie at the time (swan), while the other player (tarrant) was traded to Fremantle...

Who gives a rats arse if the WA media did or didnt report it.

Everyone knew what the rat pack was getting up to. The point is without a doubt Eddie and the AFL protected those players and that bad behaviour.

Thats the point. Media did report it. AFL swept it under the carpet.

 

[Obeanie1]

Fletcher - almost died on a football trip
Kerr - In prison for setting his parents home ablaze
Mainwaring - dead
Cousins - full blown drug addict whose issues need not much more referencing
Chick - significant issues post career as he feels the club hung him out to dry

Joel smith has texted some mates and probably asked if they want a bag.

Let’s just keep the hysteria under control until we start getting to WC levels of dysfunction.

So ignore all the warning signs until players start getting jailed or are dead?

Sounds like really good plan. Not.

Its pretty comon knowledge what goes on in AFL clubs. Snapchat and Instagram spread photo's around of dumb footballers doing dumb footballer things. Some of the names are big names too.

So if you want to believe there isnt a problem at the Dees thats your perogative. Just dont be surprised when the sh!t eventually hits the fan.

 

[demondavey]

So ignore all the warning signs until players start getting jailed or are dead?

Sounds like really good plan. Not.

Its pretty comon knowledge what goes on in AFL clubs. Snapchat and Instagram spread photo's around of dumb footballers doing dumb footballer things. Some of the names are big names too.

So if you want to believe there isnt a problem at the Dees thats your perogative. Just dont be surprised when the sh!t eventually hits the fan.

I don’t think warnings are being ignored. As it stands one player tested positive for cocaine consumption on match day. He was also pinned for asking around about who was interested in consuming cocaine.

If it goes deeper than that then I’d obviously want it aired and sorted, pronto. All will come to light when it does. I hope the players are a bit more switched on than what happened with WC 18 years ago. And I hope the club irons it out.