Bringing the Game into Disrepute

Who really is bringing the game (AFL) into disrepute? Brisbane, by being the greatest team of the past decade or two, winning three premierships in a row, and commiting a few administrative errors like handing some paperwork in one working day late, then getting fined a huge $260,000, or $10,000 per administritive crime/oversight?

Brisbane, by choosing their own sponsor, Pepsi, rather than the AFL sponsor the AFL would like them to support, Coke, risking huge fines, accusations of bringing the game into disrepute, and threats of being docked premiership points? Would Geelong take a similar stance over Toyota vs. Ford ground advertising in Geelong, where Ford is such a huge part of the city's economy and the club's culture and (presumably) finances, if they had the contractual power to do so?

The $260,000 fines are supposed to be totally unrelated to the fiery sponsorship showdown. Do we believe this?

Here's some quotes on the Brisbane-AFL dispute and fines from Brisbane's coach, Lethal Leigh Matthews, who tends to tell it as he sees it:

"Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely"

"It's a bit like being transported for stealing a loaf of bread"

Here's a humerous article that deals with this issue:

Dancing with Lions while skirting real issues

and some quotes:

<satire>
"An outraged Demetriou [AFL chief] has discovered Bowers [Brisbane CEO] once picked the phone up in his left hand - $10,000. He placed his pen back on the desk without replacing the cap - $10,000. After re-entering the office, Bowers forgot to bless himself when kneeling in front of a mural of AFL chairman Ron Evans. That's a biggie - $20,000. "

"Whatever Demetriou misses, AFL general manager, football operations, Adrian Anderson, has under control. ...
He has logged one fine. During a recent board meeting one Lions director burped after sipping a particularly frisky can of Pepsi. Make that another $10,000."
</satire>