What They're Saying - The Bulldogs Media Thread - Part 4

[geoffjennings79]

Gees you just scared the bejesus out of me by adding ten years to my age.

Sorry about that, had too much I wanted to write and rushed the calculations!

 

[Bulldogs85]

 

[Unorth]

Thanks to the thousands of Hawks supporters buying $1 memberships, this allowed us to pay off the new coffee machine

 

[Doggy]

Thanks to the thousands of Hawks supporters buying $1 memberships, this allowed us to pay off the new coffee machine

Yeah but they would have had to commit to a 2025 membership. I believe that was the deal.

Dumbasses

 

[geoffjennings79]

Yeah but they would have had to commit to a 2025 membership. I believe that was the deal.

Dumbasses

How is that going to be enforced?

 

[Doggy]

How is that going to be enforced?

Maybe they had to purchase it at the same time... I wouldn't have a clue

 

[Sentinel]

How is that going to be enforced?

It won't be. The only catch is with the $1 membership you sign up to auto-renew in October. So long as anyone doing it remembers to cancel before the October date, they're fine. I'm sure there will be a few who forget to do that though and end up with a 2025 Dogs membership accidentally. .

 

[nooB]

It won't be. The only catch is with the $1 membership you sign up to auto-renew in October. So long as anyone doing it remembers to cancel before the October date, they're fine. I'm sure there will be a few who forget to do that though and end up with a 2025 Dogs membership accidentally. .

The $1 deal 100% had a mandatory roll over for 2025. What the Hawks and others that plan to cancel their credit card prior to that roll over date don't realise is if the club go through a Debt Collector at say Recovery Corp or another institution for 'owed monies', they are stuffed. Whether the club actually go down that that is another thing entirely.

 

[Libbaaaa]

Fake Tom Browne strikes again!

 

[Sentinel]

The $1 deal 100% had a mandatory roll over for 2025. What the Hawks and others that plan to cancel their credit card prior to that roll over date don't realise is if the club go through a Debt Collector at say Recovery Corp or another institution for 'owed monies', they are stuffed. Whether the club actually go down that that is another thing entirely.

I can assure you that's not the case. There is no debt to be collected, it's not that deep.

The below are the only terms - by buying the $1 membership, you join the auto renewal, but there's nothing stopping you from cancelling prior to October 28.

 

[Doggies7]

 

[maddog37]

Close the doors on your way out

 

[ossie_21]

Link is behind a paywall, but if that goes through like the first, it was nice knowing you all and I’ll love a life outside of watching AFL with no team to support any more

 

[Thunderoad]

Guess it will be Willy in the VFL for me.

 

[Bulldogs85]

Link is behind a paywall, but if that goes through like the first, it was nice knowing you all and I’ll love a life outside of watching AFL with no team to support any more

I wouldn’t even bother watching the AFL if that happened

 

[Oliver G]

Western Bulldogs set to face second legal claim over historical sexual abuse​

The Western Bulldogs are facing a second potentially devastating legal action over alleged abuse by a convicted pedophile who volunteered at the club.
The alleged victim, now 51, claims he was abused by child predator Graeme Hobbs in 1987 after meeting him at Whitten Oval.

Hobbs’ first victim, Adam Kneale, was awarded $5.9 million in November 2023, after the club stalwart had admitted abusing him, was jailed and the Bulldogs were found negligent in protecting him from harm.

The landmark judgement was hailed as an “earthquake” in Australia’s legal system, with the sum dwarfing previous compensation payouts to abuse survivors.

It was also the first successful claim against an AFL club.

Kneale was aged 11 when the “jack of all trades” Hobbs first r*ped him at the ground in 1984.

The Western Bulldogs have challenged the negligence verdict in the Kneale case, with the hearing scheduled to start in the Court of Appeal on Friday.

But a second alleged victim – a schoolmate of Kneale – has now claimed in Supreme Court documents he too was befriended and abused by Hobbs at the club and off-site.

He alleged Hobbs twice took him, when he was 14, from the club to an Essendon house where he was abused.

On one occasion, he alleged he was forced to watch Hobbs molest Kneale, while another time he claimed he was asked to strip naked and Hobbs tried to rape him.

Hobbs, who is now dead, was a club volunteer, fundraiser and under 19s training staff member.

Rightside Legal partner Michael Magazanik, who represents Kneale and the alleged second victim, said both abuse survivors were committed to holding the club to account.

“Both of my clients have lived with their shocking consequences of their abuse for decades,’’ Mr Magazanik said.

“It has caused mental illness, torment and suffering. Hobbs and his pedophile friends were convicted and jailed but that doesn’t give their victims their lives back.

“That’s why both my clients want justice from the Western Bulldogs and it’s why the jury (in the first case), six Victorians chosen at random, thought justice was required.’’

Mr Magazanik said the Bulldogs’ appeal had ‘’prolonged the torment of the survivor’’.

“That’s why the second survivor will have to take the club to another trial,’’ he said.

“The Bulldogs’ decision to deny any legal responsibility for these men who were abused at their ground, means we have renewed our search for other victims of Hobbs, and people who may know something about Hobbs’ offending at the Western Bulldogs to gather more information for any future trial.’’

Mr Magazanik said that in his experience of litigating sexual abuse claims, appeals against jury verdicts were very rare.

Acting for the Bulldogs in Friday’s appeal is high-profile silk Bret Walker, who successfully represented Cardinal George Pell at his appeal in the High Court in 2019.

A club spokesperson said: “The Western Bulldogs can confirm that a statement of claim has been issued against the club relating to allegations from the 1980’s.

“The club intends to defend the matter, noting that it treats any allegation of this nature with the utmost seriousness and care for all involved. With the matter concerning Mr Adam Kneale scheduled to be heard in the Court of Appeal this week, the club will not be making any further comment on either matter at this time.”

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/western-bulldogs-set-to-face-second-legal-claim-over-historical-sexual-abuse/news-story/75a346b4a1aa4ce3a71c7b9db57605f9

 

[Doggy]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/western-bulldogs-set-to-face-second-legal-claim-over-historical-sexual-abuse/news-story/75a346b4a1aa4ce3a71c7b9db57605f9

It's absolutely horrible for the victims.

It's also horrible they're now looking for more victims for further trials

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/western-bulldogs-set-to-face-second-legal-claim-over-historical-sexual-abuse/news-story/75a346b4a1aa4ce3a71c7b9db57605f9

I agree it is horrible for the victims, whose life has been ruined because of this pedophile, but this seems like a vindictive act to punish the Bulldogs for wanting to appeal the precedent record payment that was handed down “we will find more victims”.

Has this got something to do with Gordon being a past president of the club by a rival legal service?

I mean the initial court case you would think they would have sought witnesses and other victims then.

 

[Iamspock]

I wouldn’t even bother watching the AFL if that happened

Yep, Storm and Vixens for me.

 

[Bulldogs85]

Yep, Storm and Vixens for me.

Gold Coast Titans and The Houston Rockets for me

 

[Dogs Rule]

So where does the AFL come in or are they just going keep their distance? The clubs are owned by the league, right?

 

[Mr. Walker]

Has this got something to do with Gordon being a past president of the club by a rival legal service?

A legal firm motivated by the chance to get a vicarious arms length revenge on a business rival or a legal firm motivated solely by potentially receiving a huge share of dollars in a compensation settlement?????
I am heavily leaning one way.

 

[ArNcHiSe]

This is going to be popular here but it’s really shitty that the club appealed the decision. Especially when I agree that some fault lies with the Dogs.

 

[TiAn_]

This is going to be popular here but it’s really shitty that the club appealed the decision. Especially when I agree that some fault lies with the Dogs.

The way the solicitor framed it is just posturing nonsense. Everyone’s entitled to utilise the legal avenues available to them. And Courts do get things wrong, that’s why we have appeals. And he’d be hunting out other plaintiffs no matter what the Bulldogs did.

 

[Libbaaaa]

This is going to be popular here but it’s really shitty that the club appealed the decision. Especially when I agree that some fault lies with the Dogs.

Believe they are appealing the size of the financial penalty, which as others have said absolutely dwarfed anything ever awarded before. Also without looknig it up wasn't the penalty also decided by the jury (?), something else that has never taken place before.