Fev says Blues did not try to win

Brendan Fevola looks up at the scorebaord after a Carlton loss. Source: Herald Sun

FORMER Carlton forward Brendan Fevola says he is certain the Blues did not try to win games late in 2007, as the AFL considers widening its tanking probe if new evidence emerges.

Fevola said yesterday it was "obvious" to the players Carlton was not maximising its chances to win, which would have jeopardised a No.1 draft pick.

But Fevola said players were never given directions not to give their best.

"It is pretty obvious to people. The club didn't want to win and I wouldn't have wanted to win if I was a supporter. The long-term gain was not to win that game (in Round 22)," Fevola said.

"But no one ever said the word tanking. No one ever said we are going to deliberately lose. The AFL can't do anything until they find that evidence."

Fevola believes the much-scrutinised Round 22 game against Melbourne is proof the Blues did not give their all against a rival vying for the No.1 pick.

Star goalkicker Fevola had played for a month with a broken little finger, but was put in for surgery with two weeks to go.

Earlier in that controversial stretch of matches, he had been on the verge of winning a game against Collingwood with six goals when he was benched with calf soreness. The Blues said he had damaged a quad, but he would kick five goals the next week.

"You could tell in the rooms," Fevola said of the Round 22 loss to Melbourne.

"I didn't play that last game either. I had my finger done. I left at quarter time. I didn't even stay. I was home at half-time and listened to the radio.

"We didn't want to win. I always say to people that when you look at that game, were we tanking?

"We would tag Travis Johnstone every time we played them, because Ratts (coach Brett Ratten) came from Melbourne (as an assistant coach) - and Johnstone had 42 touches.

"We tagged him every single time we played him. (Heath Scotland) had a few touches as well. But they didn't play on each other.

"If we were serious about it, we would have tagged him."

The league has investigated the Round 22 game but cleared Carlton - in part because the Blues hit the post seven times and were able to justify the lack of a tag on Johnstone.

Fevola said yesterday he had not been interviewed by AFL integrity officers.

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