Thursday, July 10, 2014: All bets are off....

The NRL is caught up in a betting scandal. One player has been suspended for the rest of the season, others will miss two matches, while other staff and coaches have been suspended.

There will be much crowing from AFL heartland, of course. The battle for the moral high ground on such issues has been fought fiercely for years, seen as a barometer for how the leagues are going at convincing mothers that this was the sport for their sons. Every whiff of scandal by one is celebrated by the other, in spite of the growing success of soccer while it is administered by FIFA. To celebrate this, for the AFL, would be shortsighted.

Pretending that the relationship between sports and gambling is a healthy one is willful blindness. It ignores the fact that it is impossible to watch a game of AFL, no matter your age, without being barraged with advertisements for various specials, discounts and the joyous fun of gambling- as well as alcohol and junk food.

When you put finance ahead of community health, the slope is only ever slippery.

In the news...
Adelaide star Patrick Dangerfield looks set to return for tomorrow nights clash with Hawthorn, however defender Scott Thompson still needs to prove his fitness.

Big Bog McEvoy should return for the Hawks, but Brad Hill's knee injury will prevent him from travelling to Adelaide.

Demon defender Tom McDonald has re-signed at the club, along with young midfielder Dom Barry.