Jaidyn Stephenson didn't only back himself to kick goals and his teammates to get the ball. He's also unwittingly backed the AFL into a corner.
The greatest impact of those foolish flutters might not be on Stephenson's season or Collingwood's premiership campaign. More consequential is the conversation that has been created about the AFL's relationship with gambling companies.
It is not an exaggeration to say that bets that totalled $36 could be the catalyst for costing the AFL millions. Or, rather, for the AFL denying themselves millions.
But this will only happen if Gillon McLachlan and the AFL commission seize the moment that Stephenson, in his feckless stupidity, has handed them and the anti-gambling lobby.
Some AFL officials, particularly commissioners, were keen to make a statement against the insidious danger of footballers betting on games when they were considering how many weeks Stephenson should get.
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AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan faces the media.Credit:AAP
But if they are genuine about wishing to "make a statement" against destructive wagering, they can start by banning the ubiquitous advertising by betting agencies at the grounds they control – in particular the MCG and their wholly owned Marvel Stadium. The latter venue can remove the ads and replace them with Spider-Man or the Hulk.
You wonder whether those pushing for Stephenson to be sent down the river actually asked the question of whether their organisation's lucrative partnership with sports betting undermined their moral authority.
It was an exquisite coincidence that, in the moment after the AFL's general counsel Andrew Dillon announced Stephenson's penalty, an advertisement for BetEasy – the league's sports betting partner – popped up on the AFL website during the live stream.
Many people had noticed, too, that footage of Stephenson kicking a goal in a recent game was accompanied in the background by LED advertising at the 'G with, you guessed it, BetEasy selling their wares.
The argument against such advertising is that the young and impressionable are easily led by the siren call of invasive betting ads and that the invention of smartphones enables dumb betting like never before.
Conversely, one can mount a reasonable argument that a player's decision to bet in contravention of the rules is not connected to the AFL's $10 million deal with BetEasy, that Stephenson is the author of his own debacle.
Unfortunately for McLachlan and company, this is not how a significant segment of the public sees it, and it's certainly not the view of the anti-gambling lobby led by the no less ubiquitous Reverend Tim Costello, who said on ABC radio on Saturday that he intended to speak to the AFL chairman, Richard Goyder, about ridding the game of what Costello sees as a betting scourge.
Costello notes that the English Premier League cut ties with global betting octopus Ladbrokes, costing themselves squillions. He wants the AFL to follow suit, thus giving up the $10m that BetEasy pays the league in return for promotion at the 'G and Marvel Stadium and exclusive rights to the advertising on the AFL website.
Goyder has pushed the clubs to give up their addiction to poker machines, prompting some – Collingwood and Melbourne most notably – to follow the AFL chairman's wish, with Geelong and others keen to join the exodus.
Suspended Collingwood player Jaidyn Stephenson faces the music.Credit:Joe Armao
It is a safe bet, so to speak, that having pushed for Coles (owned by Wesfarmers, the conglomerate Goyder ran) to bail from gaming and for clubs to get out of pokies that the AFL chairman mightn't be a huge fan of sports betting, albeit his league won't enjoy forfeiting the cash.
The other argument quietly peddled by AFL insiders is that the sports betting promotion is mainly via the broadcasts on television – that's Seven and Foxtel, where the viewers are bombarded by Bet365 et al. Channel Nine, The Age's owner, also has some skin in that sports betting game, as do other media outlets.
Could the AFL make it a condition of their rights holders that they eschew sports betting? This step would be difficult. Challenged by the global monsters of Google and Facebook, local media have found sports betting ageRead More – Source
Jaidyn Stephenson didn't only back himself to kick goals and his teammates to get the ball. He's also unwittingly backed the AFL into a corner.
The greatest impact of those foolish flutters might not be on Stephenson's season or Collingwood's premiership campaign. More consequential is the conversation that has been created about the AFL's relationship with gambling companies.
It is not an exaggeration to say that bets that totalled $36 could be the catalyst for costing the AFL millions. Or, rather, for the AFL denying themselves millions.
But this will only happen if Gillon McLachlan and the AFL commission seize the moment that Stephenson, in his feckless stupidity, has handed them and the anti-gambling lobby.
Some AFL officials, particularly commissioners, were keen to make a statement against the insidious danger of footballers betting on games when they were considering how many weeks Stephenson should get.
Advertisement
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan faces the media.Credit:AAP
But if they are genuine about wishing to "make a statement" against destructive wagering, they can start by banning the ubiquitous advertising by betting agencies at the grounds they control – in particular the MCG and their wholly owned Marvel Stadium. The latter venue can remove the ads and replace them with Spider-Man or the Hulk.
You wonder whether those pushing for Stephenson to be sent down the river actually asked the question of whether their organisation's lucrative partnership with sports betting undermined their moral authority.
It was an exquisite coincidence that, in the moment after the AFL's general counsel Andrew Dillon announced Stephenson's penalty, an advertisement for BetEasy – the league's sports betting partner – popped up on the AFL website during the live stream.
Many people had noticed, too, that footage of Stephenson kicking a goal in a recent game was accompanied in the background by LED advertising at the 'G with, you guessed it, BetEasy selling their wares.
The argument against such advertising is that the young and impressionable are easily led by the siren call of invasive betting ads and that the invention of smartphones enables dumb betting like never before.
Conversely, one can mount a reasonable argument that a player's decision to bet in contravention of the rules is not connected to the AFL's $10 million deal with BetEasy, that Stephenson is the author of his own debacle.
Unfortunately for McLachlan and company, this is not how a significant segment of the public sees it, and it's certainly not the view of the anti-gambling lobby led by the no less ubiquitous Reverend Tim Costello, who said on ABC radio on Saturday that he intended to speak to the AFL chairman, Richard Goyder, about ridding the game of what Costello sees as a betting scourge.
Costello notes that the English Premier League cut ties with global betting octopus Ladbrokes, costing themselves squillions. He wants the AFL to follow suit, thus giving up the $10m that BetEasy pays the league in return for promotion at the 'G and Marvel Stadium and exclusive rights to the advertising on the AFL website.
Goyder has pushed the clubs to give up their addiction to poker machines, prompting some – Collingwood and Melbourne most notably – to follow the AFL chairman's wish, with Geelong and others keen to join the exodus.
Suspended Collingwood player Jaidyn Stephenson faces the music.Credit:Joe Armao
It is a safe bet, so to speak, that having pushed for Coles (owned by Wesfarmers, the conglomerate Goyder ran) to bail from gaming and for clubs to get out of pokies that the AFL chairman mightn't be a huge fan of sports betting, albeit his league won't enjoy forfeiting the cash.
The other argument quietly peddled by AFL insiders is that the sports betting promotion is mainly via the broadcasts on television – that's Seven and Foxtel, where the viewers are bombarded by Bet365 et al. Channel Nine, The Age's owner, also has some skin in that sports betting game, as do other media outlets.
Could the AFL make it a condition of their rights holders that they eschew sports betting? This step would be difficult. Challenged by the global monsters of Google and Facebook, local media have found sports betting ageRead More – Source
