Overview
- Michael Pell, his brother Donovan Pell, William Forde and Mitch Lucas appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, facing 102 offences in total.
- Police allege round-by-round Brownlow voting outcomes were leaked to enable suspicious bets in 2021 and 2022, with about $300,000 in fraud claimed.
- Michael Pell faces six charges, including communicating and using corrupt conduct information for betting, tied to alleged wagering on the 2021 count.
- Magistrate Brett Sonnet described the allegations as serious and imposed bail conditions requiring residence at fixed addresses and a ban on leaving Australia.
- The investigation followed a betting agency alert reported by the AFL in 2022, and Victoria’s regulator later introduced safeguards such as staff audits, closer umpire monitoring and a $250 cap on Brownlow round bets.