Full whack for Bailey, Connolly

Heavy penalty: Dean Bailey (above) and Chris Connolly will each be barred from working in the AFL for several months. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

FORMER Melbourne coach Dean Bailey and his football lieutenant Chris Connolly will be forced to serve the full term of bans for tanking.

The Herald Sun last night confirmed the AFL had rejected a bid to have part of their sentences suspended.

Bailey and Connolly will each be barred from working in the AFL for several months. The pair will become the face of tanking with Melbourne chief executive Cameron Schwab appearing to have escaped sanction in the seven-month probe.

The AFL Commission considered a report on the investigation into Melbourne's 2009 season at a meeting yesterday. Melbourne will be fined about $500,000 - but has been spared the loss of draft picks or premiership points.

Despite Melbourne's protests, it is believed the AFL have found the Demons were guilty of deliberately manipulating results.

Bailey, who is an assistant coach at Adelaide, has refused to comment since the investigation began.

He was sacked midway through 2011 and said at his final press conference: "I was asked to do the best thing by the Melbourne Football Club and I did it. I put players in different positions."

Bailey did not explain who asked him.

The AFL tanking investigation, led by chief integrity officer Brett Clothier, involved dozens of interviews with past and present Demons officials.

At the centre of the investigation was Melbourne's selection and game-day strategy during the contentious 2009 season.

Club insiders have claimed Bailey was under fierce internal pressure to lose games.

It was also alleged several club figures held a secret meeting in 2009 to plot their tanking strategy.

Connolly became a central figure after it was reported he reminded football officials about the importance of losing matches to improve the club's draft position.

He no longer works in Melbourne's football department but is employed by the club in marketing.

Matches scrutinised by the AFL included Melbourne's Round 17 loss to Sydney at Manuka Oval and the after-the-siren Round 18 loss to Richmond.

The tanking probe was triggered in July when Carlton midfielder and former Demon Brock McLean revealed on Fox Footy's On the Couch that a major reason for leaving Melbourne was its strategy of deliberately losing games.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has warned any person guilty of manipulating a result would "never work in football again".

There was no decision last night on a proposal to install integrity officers at every AFL club.

The commission was last night told new equalisation proposals were still being considered by clubs, several of which have criticised the so-called "rich tax".

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