Sports Integrity detectives have levelled charges against a fifth individual in a growing scandal surrounding alleged suspicious gambling on the AFL's prestigious Brownlow Medal awards for 2021 and 2022.
New Charges and Key Accusations
On Tuesday, a 34-year-old man from Oak Park became the latest person charged in connection with the affair. He faces a total of 21 charges, including undertaking a course of conduct to use corrupt conduct information for betting purposes. He is scheduled to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on December 12.
Meanwhile, former AFL umpire Michael Pell, who resigned from his role in 2022, is confronting additional allegations. Detectives have added two further counts against him related to the 2022 awards, specifically engaging in conduct that corrupted a betting outcome of an event contingency — communicate information.
Pell, a 34-year-old from Glenroy, was already facing six betting fraud offences concerning the 2021 Brownlow Medal. His court appearance is set for December 4.
The Alleged Corrupt Scheme
The charges stem from allegations that voting outcomes for specific AFL matches were leaked ahead of the Brownlow Medal ceremony, enabling individuals to place bets with insider knowledge.
According to court documents, Pell is accused of communicating information to three other men ahead of the September 2021 awards night. The information pertained to which AFL player was awarded three Brownlow Medal votes or any votes in six specific games.
Charge sheets state that the then-umpire knew the information was about conduct that corrupted the betting outcome when he passed it on.
Pell is further accused of personally placing bets under the account name Lincoln Busby with wagering operators Sportsbet, Ladbrokes, and Neds in September 2021. The bets were on players to poll three Brownlow Medal votes or to poll a vote in five or six games, allegedly while he was in possession of inside information.
Other Co-accused and Their Roles
The scandal implicates several other individuals, painting a picture of an organised betting ring.
William Forde, a 35-year-old from Reservoir, faces a staggering 53 charges. These include dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by using another person's credentials to operate a betting account, passing on information for fraudulent bets, and placing fraudulent bets himself on both the 2021 and 2022 Brownlow Medals. He allegedly placed bets under his own name across numerous platforms, including Palmerbet, Betstar, TAB, and bet365.
Donovan Pell, Michael's 31-year-old brother from Hadfield, has been charged with 23 offences. He is accused of using two different account names and dishonestly obtaining personal credentials to place bets on the 2021 vote count.
Mitch Lucas, a 32-year-old from Doreen, stands accused of 20 offences. These involve communicating information about the 2022 Brownlow Medal to others, knowing they would place bets, and placing bets himself under his own name and an alias.
The core of the allegations relates to the strict secrecy of the Brownlow vote count. Umpires award votes on a 3-2-1 basis after each game, with the results kept under tight security until they are revealed by the AFL chief executive on the awards night.
It is worth noting that Port Adelaide's Ollie Wines won the 2021 Brownlow Medal, while Carlton captain Patrick Cripps claimed the award the following year. There is no suggestion that either winner was involved in the alleged scheme.
