Demons great Garry Lyon says it is "horrible to read" documents published on Thursday night that bring Melbourne's controversial 2009 season, thought to have been put to bed by the AFL's 2012 tanking investigation, back into the spotlight.
The documents, published by News Corp, reportedly detail how several senior club officials lifted the lid on instructions around losing games in the 2009 season, when Melbourne finished last with just four victories.
'A lamentable time': Demons legend Garry Lyon on the club's tanking saga.Credit:Merryn Sherwood
"That's Dean Bailey as senior coach suggesting there were people in Melbourne footy club at the senior level who were saying he needed to lose games, essentially," said Lyon Fox Footy on Thursday night.
"That's a horrible thing to read."
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Lyon, who played 226 games with Melbourne and was a close friend of former chairman Jim Stynes, said that he would like to hear the other side of the story.
"The AFL – in the end you read the record book, and there's no sign of tanking," he said, referring to the fact that Melbourne were found not guilty of tanking in 2012 at the conclusion of the AFL's investigation.
The Demons were fined for being the employers of Bailey (who has since passed away) and Chris Connolly, who were found guilty of conduct prejudicial to the interests of the AFL.
"That's one side of things," said Lyon, referring to the new reports. "I'd like to hear the other version of events. That was a lamentable time."
In the documents published on Thursday, Bailey is reported to have told investigators in 2012 that he feared winning games would result in his sacking.
The Age reported in 2012 that the AFL uncovered a secret meeting involving at least 15 members of the Demons' football department in which coaches were reminded of the importance of forfeiting matches in order to Read More – Source
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