Australian football fans around the world have spent the week scraping their jaws off the ground following news of the AFL Brownlow Medal betting scandal, dubbed Brownlowgate. 

Most alarming was the possibility that betting on sports could be corrupted, given it has emerged as such an important revenue stream for the AFL that they promote gambling on every element of a football match at any opportunity possible. 

From betting on the coin toss at the start of the game, to the number of players wearing orange boots in the match, or number of high fives Dustin Martin will throw after he kicks his first goal of the match – the AFL has been right there encouraging its fans to bet. 

So with such open promotion of betting, where the AFL pockets a few cents for every dollar wagered, it was inconceivable that Brownlowgate could have occurred, when an umpire leaked vote getters for individual matches which led to a flurry of prop bets on those markets. 

“With gambling ads splashed across every AFL broadcast and at the games, the AFL has always told us that gambling makes the sport more enjoyable so it’s shocking that the game could be corrupted,” said long-term AFL punter Hugh Honey. 

“All those messages about gambling responsibly, it’s great because only a responsible person would be able to identify opportunities to exploit wagering opportunities like betting on predetermined results.” 

The second biggest wagering event in Australian sports, only after the Melbourne Cup, betting on the Brownlow Medal remarkably takes place once the result has already been decided based on umpire votes lodged throughout the season, immediately after each game. 

Looking to make back his losses after bookies seized his house, Honey is confident he can win it all back on the WWE Championship match at Wrestlemania.