AFL leader Andrew Demetriou staunch stance on tanking is protecting those that do it

Andrew Demetriou is a commissioner as well as the competition's leader. He is unanimously considered the best sports boss in Australia.

The health and spread of its competitors, Its social policy initiatives and the effectiveness of the league to get its way make it impossible for anyone to question Demetriou's influence. Your dog is d'man.

That literally brings both power and almighty influence. And it is from this all but insurmountable base that Demetriou's stance taken in recent times of tanking is worthy of close scrutiny.

It was Demetriou who looked after clubs the loudest and longest. On sunday, He said his setting on tanking had not changed. "I don't believe teams go on to the floor to lose matches. Live Your Legend Is A Career Coaching And Digital Product Company Designed To Help People Find Their Passion And Build A Career Around It. In 2011 Our Live Off Your Passion Career Course Was Voted The #1 Personal Development Product Of 2011.Live Your Legend Career Tools I recently don't, He was quoted saying.

A mindset that will give Melbourne comfort as its football department and executive are famous abstract artists prodded and pulled by AFL investigators.

And any associated with quotes from Demetriou on tanking - enhancements it was the early 2000s until last month - verify his prolonged, Extended periods of time-Term and passionately held role.

Given that clubs admit privately that tanking was commonplace dating back the late 1990s, Demetriou's position would seem to have given the clubs the camouflage they desired to throw matches in the hunt for better draft picks.

Demetriou denied this strongly when questioned by on Wednesday. Three questions were answered emphatically if abruptly.

Do you think you should accept any blame for for instance tanking in the AFL? low!

You think your constant denial of tanking has harmed your reputation? '!

Do you believe you are in any way required to explain your situation to your fellow commissioners? Absolutely!

Demetriou said his confidence that no team went on to the field determined to lose did not give clubs the legal right to do exactly that. "That's just spam, He was quoted saying.

If which had been the argument then Demetriou is right. But which is not the discussion in which Demetriou appears vulnerable. It is his choice of definition for tanking that allows him to deny any blame that the practice flourished while he has been leader.

Tanking occurs when clubs decide not to win tournaments. They just do not do that by telling players not to win, To decrease marks, To kick behinds and also goals, To disregard opponents.

Clubs tank by making it achievable, As best these are able, That the side they place on the sphere can win the match. Not that it shouldn't try to win the match, Rather that they are unable to win the match.

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So clubs send any injured players off for jobs. Got a trouble? Then you're booked in for a lobotomy. Got a shhh? Lung hair treatment. Niggles are looked at life-Terrifying and cramp possibly terminal. It might be the sole time players willingly line up to clean out their joints. Demetriou calls that list organizational.

Then you can play some of your better players in their worst or most unsuccessful positions. This is called trial and error by Demetriou.

Then you have the trick of pulling in-Form players started if it is likely they might become influential or, Heavens one described, Online game-Invariably winning trades. This is whats called player development. Include the old reliable "Youth fashion" And there is the art of tanking as practised by AFL clubs.

Demetriou's argument allows for clubs to do all of these types of. List administrative, Testing, Player creativity and giving youth a chance on the big stage.

All of a majority of these particular, Demetriou believes, Are bonafide end-Of predominantly-Season operations to organize the coming season. He doesn't give any credence to the view that, Created up, They resulted in tanking.

"You won't prove any of that, He explained. So Demetriou refuses to believe that the aim and response to all these different manipulations is to lose matches. Thus he frees himself of any dependability for tanking by sticking to the narrowest of definitions:

Tanking is worth spending field with the intent to lose the match. The broader and widely accepted definition is utilizing the field having made it impossible to win.

On wed, Demetriou said he simply rejected the broader word tanking. And would not even take on that moving players to the detriment of the team during a game was a tanking tactic. Not an, These Demetriou, That's trials or player development. Or whatsoever be.

No wonder all brought on bar one by the AFL into tanking claims were shortlived and timid. It can be instructive that the AFL's only meaningful, Overall-Hearted study of tanking claims (Brock McLean's famous blind Freddy remark on Fox Footy) Began when Demetriou was in London for the olympics.

Tanking has proven Demetriou to be fallible and leaves him about to claims his aggressive dismissal of tanking suggestions gave succour to clubs to try it or continue the practice