I just sent this through to AFL360 and Mr. Whateley:
(I know, I know, waste of time and all the rest of it... But that arselicking gimp is someone I've never ever rated as a footy scribe. Someone will read it, even if it is the low man on the totem pole. I also found it cathartic, in a sense)
Quote:
Gerard Whateley... Disappear, will you.
Your article about Chris Judd's Brownlow win being tainted, tarnished, unworthy and whatever other derisive jibe you could muster was pathetic. I think the reason Judd wins votes is plain and simple: he is Carlton's best, most influential player.
You and the rest of the myopic football media need to realise Dane Swan is a good footballer. That is all. He is a myth who you've made a legend. Football journalists (or is the term media personalities nowadays?) and whomever else you suggest votes in lieu of the men in white/yellow/green/fuscia have their favorites and are just as biased and susceptible to fits of compulsion as you purport the umpires to be. In fact, I would say the media are more susceptible to the veil of stats and hype than the umpires. Especially considering they're the driving, creative force behind that hype.
Swan is a product of this media driven bias, created by the boys up in the press box. He is a double and triple-up merchant who rides the wave created by the Supercoach generation who care little about quality, just quantity. And do you honestly think the AFLPA MVP is a great indicator? Do you actually think each and every player sits down and really ponders with due consideration the seasons had by each nominated player? I doubt it. I'd say 80% of them would think, using this year as an example, 'media mentions Swan a lot, he'll do'. And that's it. Voting completed.
Swan profits from an interchange system being exploited by his coaches to confuse and confound would-be taggers. I'd be interested to see his stats should the AFL introduce a NHL style one off-one on policy, meaning you are required to enter the field of play immediately following the teammate whom you're replacing leaves the field, essentially to ensure both teams have 18 players on the arena at all times.
Regardless, whatever credibility you had, however slight it might have been, evaporated as soon as your article disparaging the newly crowned Brownlow medallist was published.
Regards, Sean Peter-Budge