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AFL Umpire Accused Of Helping Mates Win Big At Bookies

Australian Football League (AFL) Umpire Michael Pell and three of his associates have been arrested by Victoria Police after suspicious bets were placed on the Brownlow Medal votes, in more than 10 of the 16 home-and-away games Mr Pell umpired.

The AFL was first alerted to irregularities in the bets from PointsBet, who first informed the league that there could be an issue only data after the final Brownlow Medal count, which took place on 18 September.

According to The Age, the suspicious bets were placed on a round-by-round basis on 10 of the 16 games Pell umpired. These were spread across a number of different agencies and were reportedly worth upwards of thousands of dollars.

The bets were also only placed on players to win ‘three votes’ in games which Pell umpired.

The four men – who were arrested on Monday and have been interviewed, but not yet charged – face up to 10 years imprisonment, if found guilty. Michael Pell would also be banned from umpiring, likely for life, at any level.

They are expected to be charged on summons, with using information to corrupt a betting event, subjecting them to potential criminal charges.

Victoria Police released a statement that two 32-year-old men from Glenroy, a 29-year-old man from Oak Park and a 27-year-old man from Drouin are all the individuals involved.

Several electronic items and mobile phones were seized.

How Brownlow Medal voting works

Patrick Cripps won the 2022 Brownlow Medal. Image: @AFL

The Brownlow Medal is the most prestigious award in the AFL and is awarded to league’s ‘best and fairest’ player; votes are cast after each game by three officiating umpires and awarded to three of the players.

The umpires can award three votes, two votes and one vote to the players they regard as the best, second best and third best in the match respectively.

This year the award was won by Carlton Football Club captain Patrick Cripps, which he won in a nail-biting finish.

How was the Umpire found out?

Michael Pell refereed 16 games in the AFL this season. Image: @EDFL

According to The Age’s report, betting companies would be alerted if people were to bet two or three times on a particular umpire’s game, let alone 10 times as in the current situation.

The companies have technology and algorithms that alert them of suspicious activity, particularly when the bettor stands to win a substantial sum of money.

The AFL was able to cross-check betting patterns across multiple sites, finding that the same individuals were placing bets and that Michael Pell was the constant factor.

The AFL maintains that there were no accounts of match fixing and that Mr Pell did not influence the final result of the Brownlow count.

This was only Mr Pell’s first season in the AFL senior league. The chances are he won’t be coming back for a second.

Formula 1 Red Bull Engineer Stopped In Airport So Security Could ‘Sniff His Underwear’

A Red Bull Formula One mechanic was stopped in Abu Dhabi airport before the last race of the F1 season, with the airport staff reportedly “sniffing [his] underwear.”

Engineer Calum Nicholas took to Twitter yesterday to reveal his strange interaction at the airport.

Mr Nicholas said, “Walk through Abu Dhabi airport, with the whole team… they decide they need to search my bags, just me…every single year, same s**t! I wonder why it’s just me.”

The Red Bull employee then revealed the bizarre stunt that the airport staff pulled next. He said,

“The guy was sniffing my underwear… weird flex.”

He continued, “He then asked if the team issued Tag watch in my bag belonged to me.”

It is one thing to stop someone and search someone at an airport, but it is highly doubtful that airport protocol suggests having a whiff of passengers as they head through security.

He also replied to a comment on his tweet saying that this is not the first time he has also been stopped in Abu Dhabi airport.

He stated, I’d say that in the 10 years I’ve flown into this airport, it’s happened at least 8 times. It’s not random.“

Mr Nicholas has spoken openly before on social media about the almost daily occurrence of racial abuse he receives.

Airport passenger profiling can be one example of this. Airport Technology point out that it is often argued that profiling disproportionally affects those who are of ethnic minorities and can be perceived as discriminatory and racist.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Calum Nicholas will be hoping Sergio Perez can get the job done in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Image: @f1mech

Despite his experience, Calum Nicholas will need to shift his focus to the last race of the Formula One season in Abu Dhabi.

Although Red Bull have already won the Constructors Championship and Max Verstappen has already been crowned ‘king of F1’ in the 2022, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez is currently tied in second place with Ferrari’s Charles LeClerc on 290 points apiece.

Perez had a chance to go two points ahead of LeClerc in Brazil at the weekend but was not given the opportunity to overtake teammate Max Verstappen, despite Verstappen given team orders to do so.

What Is A Hobosexual? The Scheming Dating Trend You Need To Look Out For

No, it’s not a man who gets his rocks off on a park bench, nor is it someone who is sexually attracted to homeless people. A hobosexual is actually someone who commits a potentially common move when dating and meeting new people, and you may have come across one or two in your lifetime.

So what is a hobosexual and how do you spot one? Read on to find out.

What is a hobosexual?

The term hobosexual was first coined by Nakita Nicci, in an article she wrote for Rolling Out. She says a hobosexual is someone “who dates you with the sole interest of having a place to stay – not a genuine romantic interest.”

If you’ve ever found you’ve started dating someone and within weeks, they’re claiming a side of the bed, a drawer in the tallboy and a shelf in the bathroom cabinet, then you may have been dating a hobosexual, as opposed to someone who is genuinely keen on you and wants your relationship to flourish.

Now, Nakita’s article refers to a hobosexual as being a ‘he’ but we reckon it can be applied to either sex.

While the term hobosexual predominantly refers to someone who is only using you for a place to live, there can be more traumatic and manipulative qualities to them that you need to be aware of. John Meehan, the subject of the podcast Dirty John, which was later adapted into a television series starring Eric Bana, could be considered a hobosexual.

John Meehan met Debra Newell on an internet dating site, and the couple became married within months. John also abused and manipulated Debra and her extended family, and was eventually killed by Debra’s daughter, who acted in self-defence.

Signs to look for

So, what are some other telltale signs of a hobosexual?

The relationship moves quickly

The honeymoon phase of any relationship can certainly move quick, and it can be an exciting time. But if things move a little too fast for your liking, or they seem a little too good to be true, they might just well be. If you’ve only gone on a couple of dates with your potential new partner, and only covered the basics of conversation, such as family and work, and the next moment they’re moving their stuff into your house, then they might be a hobosexual.

Of course, it could be that you really have hit it off and you’re both ready to settle down right away. But if you find this behaviour happening to you, then it’s wise to take a moment to reassess the situation to decide if it’s actually want you want.

They’re constantly unemployed or forever changing jobs

If your potential partner reveals they don’t have a steady job when you meet, but constantly reassures you they’re going to find something soon, or that they’re just figuring out what it is that will make them feel truly fulfilled, then you might have a hobosexual on your hands.

Of course, finding work that truly satisfies oneself isn’t always easy to come across, so they may be telling the truth. But if you get 6 months into your relationship and they still haven’t done much to adhere to their promise that they’re going to find a ‘proper’ job, and you find you’re footing the bill for most things as the breadwinner, then it might be time to think about showing them the front door.

They have you buying them everything

Even if they haven’t fully moved into your place yet, but they might as well have done given the amount of time they spend there, then your new fling may start making suggestions for redecorations. If they convince you to completely change your bedroom, or turn a spare room into an office that they use the majority of the time, then they could well be a hobosexual.

It’s just too good to be true

We can all dream that the perfect person is out there somewhere, just waiting for us to find them. But when we think we have, it can sometimes feel a little bit strange or uneasy. If your new partner seems like a perfect fit for you, liking all the same things as you, right down to the unusual nitty gritty things, then it may be cause for concern.

They move on easily

If you do take a assessment of the relationship and you decide to end things, because you’re not convinced their intentions are genuine, and they take it on the chin and move on without a care in the world, then chances are they were indeed a hobosexual.

Virgin Atlantic Bans Gender Neutral Uniforms For Qatar Flight

Safety fears for staff have led Virgin Atlantic to ban gender neutral uniforms for their gay pride jet to Qatar. This comes after a September announcement by the company, which revealed staff would be allowed to wear whatever style of uniform they liked.

Virgin Atlantic will not allow male staff to dress in a skirt or female staff to dress in a suit for the England team’s gay pride flight to Qatar.

This came after the airline celebrated a “fluid approach” to uniforms in September, which saw staff able to choose their garb “no matter their gender.”

A spokeswoman told both The Daily Mail and the BBC that the crew for the 6 hour Birmingham to Doha flight to Doha would not be able to choose their uniform.

Virgin Atlantic said the “fluid approach” was being rolled out in countries “more accepting of non-binary identities.”

“Initially the UK, US and Israel are the territories where the uniform policy is being rolled out for our people, as those countries are more accepting of non-binary identities allowing more self-expression,” it said.

WATCH: Virgin Atlantic unveils gender-neutral approach to uniforms

Virgin said it assesses countries “on a case-by-case basis to ensure the safety and security of our people and customers at all times.”

The A350 plane is called “Rain Bow” and features the image of a man prancing in front of a union flag.

According to the BBC, The Football Association (FA) said that, while it did not choose the plane, it was more than happy to fly on it.

In other World Cup news, Qatar has recently been accused of paying migrant workers to act as fake fans. Just another day in the life of World Cup 2022.

Margot Robbie Nearly Quit Acting After Horrendous ‘Wolf Of Wall Street’ Experience

Margot Robbie broke into the spotlight with her role in Wolf of Wall Street. But being mercilessly followed by the paparazzi had her questioning whether acting was even for her.

Margot Robbie recently sat down for a chat with Vanity Fair, where she revealed how getting stalked by the paparazzi during the breakout stage of her career, had her questioning her choice of vocation.

After she scored the iconic role of Naomi Lapaglia (Jordan Belfort’s mistress, then wife, then ex-wife) in The Wolf of Wall Street, Robbie found fame a bit overwhelming.

Robbie told Vanity Fair that it was one of her lowest moments, and that her mum convinced her to keep on going: “Something was happening in those early stages and it was all pretty awful, and I remember saying to my mom, ‘I don’t think I want to do this.’ And she just looked at me, completely straight-faced, and was like, ‘Darling, I think it’s too late not to.’ That’s when I realized the only way was forward.”

Robbie knows the tricks of the trade now, however, saying: “I know how to go through airports, and now I know who’s trying to fuck me over in what ways.”

That’s not to say things are perfect now. According to Vanity Fair, Robbie still can’t always holiday in peace, with a photographer reportedly trying to snap a photo of her on a recent trip to Argentina – an incident where initial reports suggest Robbie got injured. Robbie told the magazine that she couldn’t talk about it because these are ongoing legal proceedings. She also shared that though she wasn’t injured she “could have been.”

Robbie said that internationally there aren’t the same rules that protect actors in LA, explaining that in Australia her family has been put in dangerous situations because of photographers: “If my mom dies in a car accident because you wanted a photo of me going in the grocery shop, or you knock my nephew off a bike – for what? For a photo? It’s dangerous but still weirdly nothing feels like it changes.”

Novak Djokovic To Be Granted Visa For Upcoming Australian Open

21-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic will reportedly be allowed to compete at the upcoming Australian Open taking place in January 2023, after a big call has allegedly been made on his visa.

The Serbian tennis player was given a three-year ban and deported from the country on the eve of the 2022 tournament. His positive diagnosis for Covid-19 was not enough to be given an exemption to be in Australia at that time, as all visitors had to be vaccinated.

Australia’s then-Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said that Djokovic’s stance on vaccination had drawn attention and that his arrival in the country might have caused “civil unrest.”

However, in a surprise turn of events, new Immigration Minister, Andrew Giles, is reportedly set to grant Djokovic a visa, overturning the three-year ban that was imposed in January.

Since the last tournament, Australia has overturned its requirement for entrants to be vaccinated; Djokovic’s lawyers have spent months trying to get the ban overturned.

On Monday night after winning his opening match at the ATP finals, Djokovic reported he was still waiting to hear a verdict from the Australian government.

“We are waiting,” he said. “They are communicating with the government of Australia. That’s all I can tell you for now.”

Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley expressed optimism that Djokovic may be able to play in the upcoming tournament.

He said, “There’s a normal visa application process that everyone is going though right now, and everyone will go through the right timing.”

“I don’t think there should be any preferential treatment for anyone,” he continued, “That’s entirely up to the Australian government. I know Novak wants to come and play and to get back competing.”

“He loves Australia and it’s where he’s had the best success, but the timing is up to somebody else, and we’ll just play that one by ear.”

Gerard Pique’s ‘Disgusting’ Last Words As A Footballer Confuse & Stun The Football World

Barcelona centre back Gerard Pique’s career came to a – quite literally – crap ending, after being sent off before even taking to the field in his final game for reportedly telling the referee “I s**t on your prostitute mother.”

The Catalan club was trailing 1-0 at half time to Osasuna, with star-striker Robert Lewandowski being sent off after receiving a second yellow card, causing Pique to confront the official on the way to the changing rooms.

The verbal back-and-forth between the defender and referee Jesus Gil Manzano was caught by cameras. The altercation continued in the dugout, after which Pique, who was going to come on as a substitute, was not allowed to suit up for his final game, receiving a red card.

In the referee’s match report, the referee reported his version of event, where Pique was alleged to have said:

“Did you see the corner you gave us? You’re the referee who f*****d us up the most by far. It’s a f***ing disgrace, I s**t on your prostitute mother!”

Twitter users were quick to point out that phrase is relatively common in Spanish, but the translation is still very amusing.

(This is a common phrase in Spanish, I should add. And the literally translation makes it more, erm, “poetic” than it is seen as here)
— Sid Lowe (@sidlowe) November 9, 2022

According to Tribuna, Jesus Gil Manzano has shown Barcelona six red cards in the 33 games he has refereed of theirs. By contrast in the 43 Real Madrid games refereed, he has only shown a single red.

This could simply be an indicator that Barcelona are a bit of a ‘dirtier’ team than their great Madrid rivals, but clearly Pique seems to think (at least in the heat of the moment) that the ref has it in for them.

Pique’s Denial

Pique did not suit up in the game against Osasuna, instead playing his last football for Barcelona the week before at the Camp Nou against Almeria. Image: @gerardpique

Gerard Pique has denied the allegations of threatening to defecate on the referee’s mother.

Going on a podcast with Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos, the defender revealed that he was actually sent off for questioning Lewandowski’s red card.

“I didn’t s**t on anyone’s mother” he said, “At half-time after the referee hurt us, Robert’s first yellow is not a yellow, there is no corner, then the foul on Marcos Alonso… it’s not that they are dubious plays. The corner, the ball does not pass near anyone.”

He continued, “We go into the tunnel, and I told him that he always hurts us. With that alone he sends me off.”

Pique denies even saying the phrase in question altogether. He explained, “There is someone inside who says ‘I s**t on the f***ing mother of [the referee]. The referee listens to him from his locker room and puts the words in my mouth.”

He also questions the referees’ report, he said, “What is says in the report is once I’ve already been sent off, they don’t send for that.”

“The only send me off for saying ‘You’re the same as always.’ He did it because they want to suspend me for six to eight games even though I’m retired.”

Gerard Pique has denied all the allegations made by he referee in his final game. Image: @gerardpique

Regardless of whether or not Pique uttered the phrase, it is bitter – and Zinedine Zidane-esque – end to what was an illustrious career. The defender won eight La Liga titles, three Champions Leagues, a European Championship and a World Cup for club and country.

Off the field, it has also been a rough few months for the Barcelona player, after dealing with the break-up from long-time partner and popular singer Shakira.

Thankfully now he’s in retirement, Pique is free from referees, but perhaps their mothers should still keep an eye out!

Tourist’s ‘Scumbag’ Act In Rome Sparks Debate

Food begging tourists in Rome have raised eyebrows, after asking other travellers to buy them food.

You might have thought Begpacking was booted to the sidewalk back in 2017 but it seems to have come back to bite us in the ass. That’s right: it has returned, and this time it’s not southeast Asia getting (rightfully) pissy with the phenomenon, but instead Italy (or as the case may be, one man in Italy, and a bunch of his Reddit friends).

Taking to The Internet’s Trashcan last week, tourist (and Reddit user) u/smeppel warned fellow travellers in the r/solotravel community about begpackers: “I’m in Rome and today I had a guy come up to me while I was sitting on a bench,” he said.

“He explained that he was from Hungary where he worked as a painter, had three more days of vacation in Rome, but had run out of money. He then straight up asked me to buy him some pasta at a place nearby. I told him I was on a low budget myself but offered him to bananas I had, which he ended up taking.”

“I’ve had something similar happen on my previous trip, pre covid, at a bus terminal in i think Vienna. Guy comes up, explains that he was visiting from the Balkans with some vague story about how his cash ran out and asks me to buy him some fast food at the kiosk. This guy actually got pissy when I offered him something I had on me, calling it shit food. This guy must’ve been in his 40s, the guy today about 30.”

“Maybe I’m too skeptical, but I don’t really buy their story of just running out of money for food. At the same time I can’t really figure out what their deal is it they are lying. Are they just really cheap travelers trying to eat for free? Something else?

“Anyone who has experienced this? I’d like to know if this is a common phenomenon or just a coincidence that it happened twice to me.”
Reddit user u/smappel

The comment section quickly got hotter than a fresh out of the oven Margherita, as citizens of the Internet jumped over each other to burn the ‘scumbag’ act of begpacking as if it were your hungry mouth taking a bite of gooey (and way too hot) mozzarella.

Though some assumed it was really just tourists who had run out of cash, others said it might have actually been a more organised scam.

One Reddit user, for instance, wrote: “A fairly common scam in some parts of the world involves this kind of begging, usually in which the scammer is working with a local store. They beg you to buy some item (‘see, I’m not asking for money, just formula for my baby! You can buy it directly!’) and once you leave, put it back on the shelf of their partner store and pocket the cash. Relatively common in certain parts of Asia, although I’ve not heard of it much in Europe.”

Another said: “Common scam worldwide — ignore anyone who approaches you on the street. Send some money to a local charity if you feel guilty.”

This was followed up by yet more remarks, like: “Really common scam especially in Italy. They are organized groups trying to scam tourists. They’ve clearly been taught by someone because they use some actual psychological bargaining strategies to get you to give them more money.”

“I’m guessing they’re just local panhandlers, and the ‘I’m a tourist who had some hard luck’ story is working for them to get tourists to give them money,” another wrote. “It’s an icebreaker that lets them approach random strangers since a lot of backpackers are interested in meeting other backpackers, plus it makes them seem relatable, then they can ask for money/food and lean on the social awkwardness.”

There you have it. Either way (whether it’s scammers or begpackers), it’s not the greatest behaviour. Though true ‘begpacking’ – the kind that went viral between 2015 and 2019 is arguably worse, where rich tourists visit poor countries and then beg locals for money to continue on their travels (something which sparked much debate and drew much condemnation at the time, with some arguing it’s the worst thing you can do, and others saying it’s fine so long as you are actually selling a product or skill), neither are great.

As travel has boomed its way back to normality this year, we are also seeing trends like ‘true’ begpacking make a resurgence, with bagpackers drawing scorn in Malaysia last month, prompting The Sun Daily to report: “A Kuala Lumpur City Hall spokesman said foreign tourists who beg for funds from the public or sell trinkets without a licence to fund their travel expenses are committing an offence since such acts are defined as an immoral activity.”

Not everyone thinks it’s so intrinsically immoral, however, with one writer for The Independent claiming she refuses to judge begpackers out of context, writing: “In the various media slatings, there’s an uncomfortable assumption that every white person in Asia has independent means and a rich family back home to call upon should they run out of money – that every traveller is straight out of the Gap Yah sketch. And while this is doubtless the case for many, it certainly isn’t true of everyone.”

“Of course, begging in a casual way as a long-term strategy to fund your fun trip around Asia is a different story, and one I heartily disapprove of. But there’s a distinction to be made too between begging and busking.”
The Independent

There you have it. Yet another controversial travel trend that’s back with a vengeance now The Spicy Cough has receded to the corners of most people’s minds…

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The post Tourist’s ‘Scumbag’ Act In Rome Sparks Debate appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

What Manchester United Left ‘Unsaid’ In Their Cristiano Ronaldo Statement

Manchester United have said they are focusing on “togetherness”, after Cristiano Ronaldo’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan, which is set to revealed in full this Wednesday and Thursday.

The Red Devils have not yet released a full statement responding to the latest Cristiano drama, but will do so, “after the full facts have been established.”

They continued by saying, “our focus remains on preparing for the second half of the season and continuing the momentum, belief and togetherness being built amongst the players, manager, staff and fans.”

What they left unsaid, but seems to be pretty clear to many fans, is that Cristiano appears not to be focussing on continuing the club’s belief and togetherness… Though the Portuguese star might argue brutal truths are what’s needed at United for the club to improve, his interview with Piers Morgan has left a lot of his defenders running out of reasons to excuse his behaviour – even Rio Ferdinand.

Cristiano Ronaldo did not hold back in his interview with Piers Morgan, saying he felt “betrayed” by Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag and that he does not, “have respect for [ten Hag] because he does not show respect for me.”

He was also highly critical of the American owners and the lack of positive improvement in the club amongst an array of other issues.

Cristiano Ronaldo is hoping to win the World Cup with Portugal on his fifth attempt in 2022. Image: @Cristiano

Manchester United has already had to take disciplinary action against Cristiano Ronaldo this season.

The 37-year-old refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham in October, resulting in him being banished from the squad for the next game against Chelsea.

Following the bombshell interview, which some speculate has caused tension between Ronaldo and Manchester United and Portugal teammate Bruno Fernandes, it is a near certainty that Ronaldo will be reprimanded more harshly for against the team.

But perhaps this is what Ronaldo wants, his old Manchester United Rio Ferdinand admitted on the Vibe With Five podcast that, “Deep Down, I know for a fact that this has all been manufactured for one thing, and that’s for him to leave the club.”

The Portuguese striker, and United’s former ‘King of the Gym’, may well get his wish, with rumours floating around that the club may well terminate his contract for the interview.

With the team stressing the “togetherness” aspect of the squad, it is likely that even if his contract is not terminated, Manchester United may find be able to find a suitable club to punt the forward on to in the January transfer window, once he returns from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Or perhaps Erik ten Hag may stoop to Ronaldo’s pettiness, keeping the player in the club and simply refuse to give him any gametime – similar to the Gareth Bale’s predicament at Real Madrid in the latter end of his time there.

All things considered, whatever Manchester United’s official response will be, we will likely never see Cristiano Ronaldo in a Manchester United shirt ever again.

How Brownlow Medal voting works

How was the Umpire found out?

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

What is a hobosexual?