Senor Moto Gadili wrote:Wasn't it David King who was caught out punting on the NAB Rising Star award when he was one of the judges?
DAVID King was preparing to take 60 footballers for training in Melbourne’s outer suburbs on Thursday when his mobile phone rang at 5pm.
It was a Channel Seven journalist seeking a comment about a story they were running at 6pm, about King being the central figure in a Victoria Police investigation into betting on last year’s AFL Rising Star award.
It was the first time King had heard of an investigation.
Yes, he had bet on Brisbane’s Lewis Taylor winning the event he said, no, he did not have inside knowledge of Taylor winning the award.
A betting man, King told friends he was floored by the news.
His two bets, one of $500 and another of $350 at the odds of $4.50 were not unusual for King in their size.
Three weeks later he blew $1000 on Port Adelaide’s Travis Boak to win the Brownlow and another $1300 on Geelong’s Joel Selwood to take home Charlie.
King had spruiked Taylor for at least a month on his various media platforms, including Fox Footy, which telecast the Rising Star event.
But he understood the seriousness of the accusation.
Sportsbet, the outlet that took King’s bets, and other gambling outlets suspended betting in the Rising Star award on the afternoon on Monday, September 1 when operators reported excessive interest in Taylor.
It was the same day Fox Footy staff were made aware of the results after signing nondisclosure forms — and the day King had lodged his bets.
On August 6, King appeared on the nightly Fox Footy program AFL 360, declaring: “I love Lewis Taylor and think he should the Rising Star and if he doesn’t I will be staggered.”
At the time Taylor was a $15 chance and King had not backed him.
King repeated his views on Taylor for radio station SEN on at least three occasions before the final round when the 10-man voting panel had to cast its votes.
Unlike the Brownlow Medal, the NAB Rising Star winner is known to some in the football industry before the official announcement.
Last year’s ceremony in Melbourne on Wednesday, September 3, raises the question as to why betting agencies left their markets open once the last game was completed on the Sunday afternoon of August 31. Or why the AFL allows them to.
Shaun Anderson, the public relations manager at Sportsbet, yesterday refused to confirm King’s bets, saying that such information was between the client and the agency.
He later released a statement from the firm which read: “Sportsbet has an integrity agreement with the AFL. This agreement sees Sportsbet provide the AFL with all relevant wagering information on the code.”
One unidentified punter is believed to have requested a bet of $6000 on Taylor to win at $4.50, and when told that wouldn’t be accepted replied, “What about even money?”
Abnormal size bet requests of that ilk are referred to the head trader who then would assess the market and the client’s betting history.
A RISING CONTROVERSY
July 7, 2014: Brisbane Lions youngster Lewis Taylor is a $34 chance to win the AFL’s Rising Star award at betting agency Sportsbet. Western Bulldog Marcus Bontempelli is the $3 favourite.
August 6, 2014: commentator David King appears on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 and says: “I love Lewis Taylor (as a player) and think he should win the Rising Star and if he doesn’t I will be staggered.” Taylor is a $15 chance at the time. King has not bet on Taylor.