AFL umpire one of four men arrested for suspicious betting on Brownlow Medal

The AFL has become embroiled in a betting scandal with four men arrested for suspected illegal gambling in relation to the 2022 Brownlow Medal.

The Herald Sun reports that four men were arrested on Monday (November 14) by the Victoria Police Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit.

The men had their mobile phones seized with reports alleging a person had knowledge of the voting tally prior to the vote count and had given out that information.

The AFL has since confirmed those reports, however, denied that the outcome of the Brownlow Medal was impacted as a result.

They also confirmed an umpire was one of the four men arrested.

AFL EGM Football and General Counsel Andrew Dillon said in a statement: “In the days following the 2022 Brownlow Medal count, the AFL was made aware of potential suspicious activity by one of our betting agency partners and the AFL Integrity unit immediately gathered further information.

“Given the nature of the alleged activity we engaged Sports Integrity Australia and Victoria Police to assist with the matter.

“I want to stress that neither Victoria Police, nor the AFL have information to suggest that the outcome of the Brownlow Medal was impacted as the allegations relate solely to the leaking or improper communication of the 3,2,1 voting outcomes of some specific matches during the season.

“Post-game, the Brownlow votes are sealed and stored in a secure off-site location and not opened until they are delivered on stage on Brownlow night. The sealed vote cards are audited throughout the season by KPMG.”

Police are still seeking information on how the tally was released and how much money was awarded or otherwise involved.

A prison sentence of up to 10 years is a possibility for the four men who are under investigation.

Intelligence & Covert Support Commander, Deb Robertson said in a statement, via Zero Hanger: “We have a dedicated team of detectives at the Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit who are committed to investigating any and all allegations of corruption in sport.

“Victorians are well known for their love of AFL and in particular, the prestigious Brownlow Medal award, but equally they want to know that there is integrity, fairness and honesty behind this award.

“We have been working with the AFL and Sport Integrity Australia in relation to these matters, and we will continue to work together to target, disrupt and apprehend people who commit these offences.

“The public assistance is a really key part – we know there are people out there involved in sport who see or hear things they know are not right and we need them to speak up. This can also be done confidentially via Crime Stoppers.”

The legitimacy of Carlton’s Partick Cripps’ AFL Brownlow medal is not currently in question.