Saints in Milne legal funds row

[Con Gorozidis]

Wise words jiggster.

Jb noone wants Milne to be abandoned.

But there is a fair gap between abandonment and unsolicited random emails sent by players on their own volition asking for cold hard cash done without any managerial control or discretion.

There is a big issue with players contacting members directly and running this kind of campaign.
Firstly they could dip their hands in their own pockets first off before just firing off a random email.

We dont have a ceo and if the board approved this (which i simply dont believe) then the board is silly beyond imagination.
But i dont believe for a second anyone in a mgt position in the club would think it was a good idea.

[satchmo]

Over reaction. Dont have a problem with what the players have done. He is innocent until proven guilty. Stuff what others think, mates helping a mate. Good on you boys

No worries then.
I'll just ring my local catholic bishop and suggest he puts out another collection plate for the legal defence of the "alleged paedophile priests"
Might help church attendance too!

Sure. You are entitled to help out your mates too.

[magnifisaint]

Go Milney. Good luck. I hope you're not guilty!

[joffaboy]

Jb noone wants Milne to be abandoned.

Its not how I read it.

Basically when he was a player for the club everyone loved him.

Now he is in for the fight of his life, some friends try to raise money for his defence, a costly defence considering everyone in Melbourne thinks he is guilty, so a fair trail is impossible, and everyone is down on him and his friends.

Geez, this type of thing really shows who your friends are. At least Milne knows he has true friends.

And it shows that no matter what some say. Many are only fickle supporters who wouldn't give a flying fig about what happens to a person once they finish kicking a footy in our club colours.

up to the individual to decide what category they belong to.

[saintspremiers]

Go Milney. Good luck. I hope you're not guilty!

That's never been the issue. It's never been about guilt or innocence it's all about the process and how the club has handled it and I'm talking from 2004 until now.

[SainterK]

Fantasies?

Are you for real?

Yes I sit here indulging in fantasies about the subject JB....

I call it as I see it, and don't have to justify my opinions to someone so disrespectful.

lol - wont or cant Sainterk?

From my perspective, not posting for a month (but reading plenty) you have built up a meme that is not based in proof.

Seemed to get rattled when someone calls you on it. You are entitled to your opinion but usually some evidence is necessary to convince others of your opinions veracity.

I'm rattled cause you are rude...

[maverick]

Boys club...

Correct. How many females on the list? Blokes trying to look after a close mate. Some people need to get off their high horses.

Some fans nes to stop defending them everytime they take a big swig of their own bath water...

Boys club refers to a mindset that evidently exists, and that should any attempt to address it, watch your back.

We need a new CEO to pull in the reigns ASAP, preferably not an ex player this time.

Is Milne guilty, did i miss the verdict?
The case has only been re-opened because of his profile, and because of his profile raising funds to defend him seems fair enough to me.
Putting a label on fans who hold this opinion is very ordinary for mine.

A club is a club, people look out for one another, for the author to insinuate that it somehow demeans women confounds me.

[stinger]

"There is a power imbalance when anyone takes on the AFL or their clubs. They have money and influence and access to high-end lawyers, which the [alleged] victims obviously won't have,'' said CASA spokeswoman Carolyn Worth.'


what a load of crap....the "victim" has the resources of the state of victoria behind her ffs.....

[thejiggingsaint]

JB. With the respect I have for you, I'm going to say that (IMHO) You're being a bit "creative" in your comments there mate. If this was simply just a matter of "some friends trying to raise money for his defence" you'd be half way right, but you and I know that this is patently NOT the case. Sponsors and Coterie members are being approached without the knowledge of the club, with the potential to do enormous harm to the football club. As for your remarks about "Knowing who your true friends are" and "fickle supporters not giving a flying fig about what happens to a person once they finish kicking a footy in our club colours" that is just so much tosh mate. Sorry but that's how I see it! Emotional tosh. When Stephen Milne, and Leigh Montagna decided to involve themselves in "extra curricular" activity (2 weeks out from the start of the season by the way) were they "representing the St Kilda Football club"? The answer of course is NO! They are entitled to their free time and privacy (even to embark on an ill-judged bit of shenanigans) and the consequences of this "activity" have impacted on the Club in one way or another ever since.
This issue has NOTHING to do with my opinion on Milne's guilt or innocence and I resent the inference from you that I'm "abandoning" him now that he's no longer playing for us. The issue is whether or not the actions of the senior players involved in these approaches to sponsors etc for donations is legitimate, and history will juddge on the wisdom or otherwise of this.

[satchmo]

The issue is whether or not the actions of the senior players involved in these approaches to sponsors etc for donations is legitimate, and history will juddge on the wisdom or otherwise of this.

Sorry, I haven't read the article, but is it reported who actually asked for money, and who did they ask for it?

I'm not going to worry about this until I know the answer to that.

[Moods]

More common sense from Jigging Saint, Older Saint, Moods, Saintspremiers & Con.

Loyalty to the club or team does not necessarily mean blindly accepting or applauding everything they do.
Loyalty does not mean we have to shoot every messenger that relays info on the players or club that we would rather not hear.
Fingers crossed that the credibility of some of the above posters may encourage some others to remove the wool from over their eyes.

Thanks for the lecture. I'll stick with my opinion though. Isn't it great we are all allowed one. Now be careful not to fall off your horse.

Yep everyone who disagrees with the party line is on their high horse.

[thejiggingsaint]

What appears to be forgotten in all this controversy, is the matter of a serious allegation being made against a man who was involved in activities AWAY FROM THE FOOTBALL CLUB. Stephen Milne is absolutely entitled to the presumption of innocence, and (at the risk of repeating myself again) he has that presumption from me, NOT because he played for the St Kilda footy club, but because it's the right thing to do. It seems that whenever a person's football club loyalties are brought into the equation, somehow reason and logic can vacate the stage. Well. I'm sorry if this makes me appear "disloyal" but whether the guy played 2, 200, or 330 games for the club and whether he scored 5, 50 or 500 goals has ABSOLUTELY NO BEARING on my approach to this case!
Has it occurred to anyone, anyone at all that there might JUST be a case to defend? IF Milne is found guilty then he SHOULD be hit hard! BUT he has not been found guilty and I'll just let the justice system deal with the case.
This whole sorry saga could (and should) have been dealt with at the time (2004) and Milney and his family, as well as the (alleged) "victim" could have been spared the grief of this affair.
You know, it amuses me that there were so many people ready to condemn Alan Didak as a companion of villains and murderers with no other evidence than the fact that he plays for Collingwood. Perhaps some Victorians need to put "footy club loyalties" to one side when considering such matters.

[Heidelberg_Saint]

Again a bonehead decision by the players . Forgetting the innocent or guilt, he is no longer a player of the club, how he will be remembered is up in the air, and for a club which has had more image problems than Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd combined it is almost beyond belief that this happened.

If mates want to chip in to help him great, if members want to I am sure they could contact the club to have things passed through. The stupidity shows to me that some of these players need to be gagged from media , social or otherwise. Lets here from Lenny Roo and that's about it as I don't think too many others have the ability to communicate without putting ones foot in ones mouth.

Totally agree with that.

Anyone know which restaurant and owner where the function would have been held, the article was referring to?

[Dave McNamara]

Thats right...been charged not been found guilty!!!

On a technicality... to do with key evidence being inadmissible.

$67 mil was (and is) a lot of money. I don't reckon to this day the people at Elders are too happy with their former grand high poohbah...

So yeah, John Pig's Arse was found not guilty, but...

[Dave McNamara]

Back on topic... didn't that article say that the coterie person in question received the email in question from another coterie member who was quite happy to contribute something, not from the players...? And as for concerns re it all being a 'PR disaster'... well Mr Coterie, mate, only because you have made it one by going public!

Questions re their methods or not, it sounds to me like the players meant well... wanting to support a mate whom the clearly believe is innocent.

What about you Mr Coterie? Did you also mean well???

Coz if you did, IMHO your indignation and big mouth are doing far more harm to our club than the behind the scenes efforts of some of the players!

If the players have acted dumb... you've just been far dumber...!

[whiskers3614]

Again a bonehead decision by the players . Forgetting the innocent or guilt, he is no longer a player of the club, how he will be remembered is up in the air, and for a club which has had more image problems than Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd combined it is almost beyond belief that this happened.

If mates want to chip in to help him great, if members want to I am sure they could contact the club to have things passed through. The stupidity shows to me that some of these players need to be gagged from media , social or otherwise. Lets here from Lenny Roo and that's about it as I don't think too many others have the ability to communicate without putting ones foot in ones mouth.

Totally agree with that.

Anyone know which restaurant and owner where the function would have been held, the article was referring to?

Judging by the mental ages of some of our players I would suggest Macca's

[The Redeemer]

Jb noone wants Milne to be abandoned.

Its not how I read it.

Basically when he was a player for the club everyone loved him.

Now he is in for the fight of his life, some friends try to raise money for his defence, a costly defence considering everyone in Melbourne thinks he is guilty, so a fair trail is impossible, and everyone is down on him and his friends.

Geez, this type of thing really shows who your friends are. At least Milne knows he has true friends.

And it shows that no matter what some say. Many are only fickle supporters who wouldn't give a flying fig about what happens to a person once they finish kicking a footy in our club colours.

up to the individual to decide what category they belong to.

It is a sticky one and there are no winners regardless of the exercise.

It does not sit right with me that players contacted rich supporters to assist in the legal bills.

If Milne was not a footballer, he would not have access to this.

[8856brother]

More common sense from Jigging Saint, Older Saint, Moods, Saintspremiers & Con.

Loyalty to the club or team does not necessarily mean blindly accepting or applauding everything they do.
Loyalty does not mean we have to shoot every messenger that relays info on the players or club that we would rather not hear.
Fingers crossed that the credibility of some of the above posters may encourage some others to remove the wool from over their eyes.

Thanks for the lecture. I'll stick with my opinion though. Isn't it great we are all allowed one. Now be careful not to fall off your horse.

Yep everyone who disagrees with the party line is on their high horse.

[dragit]

You know, it amuses me that there were so many people ready to condemn Alan Didak as a companion of villains and murderers with no other evidence than the fact that he plays for Collingwood. Perhaps some Victorians need to put "footy club loyalties" to one side when considering such matters.

Didak WAS riding around in a car with a man firing shots only hours before he went on to kill a family man trying to be a Good Samaritan.

There is no debate on that one Jiggs. Just like there is no debate over Grams stalking activities.

[Con Gorozidis]

Jb i think its a bit unfair to make this a binary ' you are either with us or against us' issue.
From the evidence ive seen so far Milne looks anything but guilty. But this is a separate issue.

In this case it looks like rather than help directly putting the hand in the pocket these 'mates' have prefered to abuse their privilege by leaning on 'rich' members to help their 'mate' for them and then want the credit attached to it.
Cop out.

[thejiggingsaint]

After re-reading my post, fair comment dragit.

[whiskers3614]

After re-reading my post, fair comment dragit.

That's why Jigging Saint is held in such high esteem on here.
How many of us can review something we said and admit we got something wrong?

[|Andy|]

I'm not sure why people think that this is just a case of mates helping out a mate. If this was the case, no-one would be worried about it and there wouldn't be a news article about it. The problem lies in the fact that players of the St Kilda Football Club used their position as footballers and as employees of the business to contact sponsors using this position they had for a benefit that is outside of the St Kilda Football Club's policies and goals as a business. They can't just do that, as the resultant wasn't of benefit to either the club or its members and if anything it's been detrimental to the club. This wouldn't have been a problem if the players invited all their friends to a dinner, or if they went and seeked out businesses outside that aren't linked with St Kilda as there is no conflict of interest here for either them or the businesses. Instead they've contacted sponsors, through the use of their position and by using their position to do so, this means that it brings the club into it. If the club is brought into it, it affects the members. Effectively, they've used the club's resources (sponsors list and their position in the club) for their own benefit (helping Milne) which is a very unprofessional thing to do in any business. It doesn't matter whether you believe he's innocent or guilty, and nobody is saying there's a problem with the actual acts of help and kindness - something you should expect of your teammates and friends. What does matter is the route and matter in which they've chosen to help, which inadvertently affects the club.

[Moods]

Jb noone wants Milne to be abandoned.

Its not how I read it.

Basically when he was a player for the club everyone loved him.

Now he is in for the fight of his life, some friends try to raise money for his defence, a costly defence considering everyone in Melbourne thinks he is guilty, so a fair trail is impossible, and everyone is down on him and his friends.

Geez, this type of thing really shows who your friends are. At least Milne knows he has true friends.

And it shows that no matter what some say. Many are only fickle supporters who wouldn't give a flying fig about what happens to a person once they finish kicking a footy in our club colours.

up to the individual to decide what category they belong to.

How much are the 'true' friends chipping in?

What has it got to do with the supporters or sponsors? This is a private matter, not a saints matter.

Milney gave me hours of enjoyment, and I would imagine has been paid handsomely over the years by the Saints. No-one wishes him ill. You speak of Strength through Loyalty. I am loyal to the Saints - not to one player. The players, I suspect, are the opposite. Many couldn't give a stuff about the club, but are loyal to each other. It would be the same at all clubs. If the club/sponsors etc were to assist a player with a private matter then they need to be sensitive to that particular matter.

Already the perception is of the downtrodden female victim fighting the rock star AFL player.

[St Igmata]

You cannot approach sponsors and coterie members to contribute to a potential rape sentence.
Players are well within their rights to contribute.

JB Sponsors sponsor for good exposure not for negative exposure.Pardon the pun.


Do not confuse the past with a rape charge