COLLINGWOOD star Heath Shaw will miss the rest of the 2011 home and away season after being suspended by the AFL for betting on football, while his captain Nick Maxwell has been fined for his part in the scandal.
The League made the shock announcement on Friday that Shaw had been banned for 14 matches, six of which have been suspended, for a series of breaches, including betting on Maxwell to kick the first goal in the team's round nine match against Adelaide. He was also fined $20,000.
Maxwell, normally a defender, started the Crows clash in the forward line.
The premiership half-back will now spend the next eight weeks on the sidelines, ruling him out until the Magpies' first final. Maxwell has been fined $5000, with a further $5000 suspended for recklessly disclosing inside information.
Football operations general manager Adrian Anderson said: "All AFL players, coaches, umpires and officials can be in no doubt that betting on the AFL is prohibited and they can not disclose inside information when it could be used for betting purposes. Serious sanctions will continue to apply."
When the AFL handed out its sanctions against the pair, Shaw and Maxwell's "honesty" and "contrition" were taken into account.
It is the second time an AFL player has been suspended for betting on football, but the first time the bets have involved the player's own team.
Former Port Adelaide ruckman (and now coach) Matthew Primus received a two-game ban in 2010 for placing a $20 multi-bet that included a NAB Cup match between Geelong and Carlton.
A goal umpire, two interchange stewards and a timekeeper were all suspended at the same time as Primus for separate infringements, while part-time Richmond runner Justin Quill was suspended by his club for six weeks later in the same season.
In 2007 four players - Adelaide's Simon Goodwin, Melbourne's Daniel Ward, Sydney Swan Kieren Jack and North Melbourne's David Hale - were fined for betting on matches during the previous season.
Goodwin later admitted to having a serious gambling problem.
Federal Minister for Sport Mark Arbib has applauded the AFL and its "strong stance" against insider betting, saying it will send a powerful message to anyone involved in the game "that betting and information sharing on their sport is not acceptable".
"I am pleased to see the AFL's integrity processes and information sharing with Australian betting agencies have detected these breaches of AFL rules around gambling," Senator Arbib said.
"It is vital the AFL rules that players, coaches, umpires and officials are prohibited from betting are enforced so that fans of the sport can have confidence in the outcome of games.
"These incidents demonstrate why the Federal Government has been working with the states to develop a national policy on match-fixing in sport.
"We had great co-operation from all of the major professional sports, including the AFL, and they recognise the need for a consistent stance to maintain the integrity of sport."
The breach is the second distraction to Collingwood's previously smooth-sailing premiership defence in as many days, following speculation over coach Mick Malthouse's future beyond this season after a Footy Show interview on Thursday night.
Shaw has been a crucial plank in the ladder leaders' close-knit backline, highlighted by his near best-on-ground, 28-disposal performance in last year's victorious Grand Final replay.
The 25 year-old finds himself in hot water for the first time since a drink-driving incident that saw him fined and suspended by the Magpies for four home and away matches plus finals in 2008.
The defender was found to be nearly three times over the legal alcohol limit when he crashed his car in Kew after a Sunday night out, with teammate Alan Didak in the passenger seat.
Both players then lied to the club about Didak's presence, denying the forward was in the car at the time of the crash.
