Herald Sun, October 17, 2016,

Michael Warner, Herald Sun

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vic...c92432d0309b93


EXCLUSIVE: SECRET Western Bulldogs documents detail explosive undisclosed claims about the leaking of inside information to the Adelaide Crows before last year’s elimination final.


The Herald Sun can reveal Bulldogs chiefs informed the AFL they had obtained “independent corroboration” of allegations that disaffected Dogs defender Michael Talia leaked parts of the team’s game plan to his brother, star Adelaide backman Daniel Talia, in the days before the match.

The Talias, who have always maintained their innocence, were cleared by the AFL last November after a 63-day integrity unit investigation.


But a letter and submission from the Bulldogs to the AFL, obtained by the Herald Sun, expose the Dogs’ fury at the league’s handling of the probe and its exoneration of the brothers.


“There is a clearly sufficient basis for the AFL to find that there was an improper communication of confidential information,” Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon asserted in the club’s damning submission to the league.


The documents reveal witness testimony that Michael Talia was “angry and resentful that he had been excluded from the WBFC team for the final” before talking to his brother.

And the Dogs were scathing of the AFL for accepting the explanations of players at the centre of the scandal rather than the views of coach Luke Beveridge and list manager Jason McCartney. Beveridge was prepared to go “on oath” about conversations with Crows defender Kyle Cheney.


The morning after the final, *!Cheney told his Hawthorn mate, Ben Stratton, and later Beveridge that *!Michael Talia had leaked game tactics to the Crows.


But 12 days later, in a change of story accepted by AFL investigators, Cheney claimed he was only “joking”, despite Beveridge’s view the original claims were real. The assertion of a “joke” was critical to the ultimate finding that there was no cheating.


Documents reveal the Dogs dismissed the “practical joke” explan*!ation outright, as an “invention”.


The AFL should be concerned that Cheney had been “participating in a cover-up”, the Bulldogs said, adding: “His behaviour is disgraceful and *!inappropriate.”

Documents reveal the Dogs said they had “obtained a degree of independent corroboration” of the Talia allegations from a conversation between McCartney and the father of Crows defender Jake Lever, four days after the Bulldogs’ seven-point loss in the September 12 knockout final. Al Lever later accused McCartney of “ fabricating the story”.


Damning allegations that the Crows were made aware of an “unusual role” to be played by Dogs forward Tory Dickson in the MCG match, as well as of plans for Bulldogs star Jake Stringer, were also detailed.

And the Herald Sun can reveal Bulldogs assistant coach Steven King and Adelaide backline coach Darren Milburn were alleged to have deleted text messages relating to the Talia allegations.


This occurred after the AFL was asked to investigate, but before they were asked for the messages. No AFL findings were made against the coaches.

In further claims within the Dogs documents, not disclosed by the AFL in its publicly released summary of findings into the Talia matter:


CHENEY admitted telling Stratton that Daniel Talia had given Adelaide “a heads-up about the Bulldogs game plan and knew a couple of things about the Bulldogs game plan” and the information had come from Michael Talia;


AN AFL investigator told Dogs chiefs he “thought nothing of it” after Michael Talia claimed to have lost his phone and Daniel deleted his texts — actions the Dogs described as “matters for deep concern and suspicion” and potential civil or criminal acts; and


THE Bulldogs were denied access to witness statements from key Adelaide figures.


In the October 14 letter to the AFL, Gordon said the club had lost faith in the league integrity unit’s ability to carry out the Talia investigation.


In a November 12 submission, he wrote: “WBFC does not accept the truthfulness of the Talias’ explanation for the loss of their phone records as they have alleged.


That both brothers would lose access to this evidence in all the circumstances described simply does not pass the smell test.”


The Dogs asserted that Cheney told Stratton and Beveridge that Michael Talia had leaked the information because he was “over the Bulldogs and wanted out”.


“This anger provided a motive for his improper disclosure,” Gordon said.


The AFL’s summary of findings concluded Cheney was “in shock on both occasions that he spoke to … Bev*!eridge and was too embarrassed to explain what had occurred”.


After the November ruling, the Dogs said they were “troubled by certain aspects” of the investigation.


Michael Talia, traded to Sydney last October, admitted cocaine possession in August.


michael.warner@news.com.au