THE AFL has dumped the umpire at the centre of the Brownlow Medal betting scandal, but has ruled out changes to the voting process for the prestigious award.
Former field umpire Michael Pell was one of four men arrested last month over suspicious betting activity, having allegedly leaked votes on specific matches this year.
It led to widespread calls for voting rights to be taken away from umpires, which were rejected by AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan on Thursday.
"The Brownlow voting will stay exactly the same," McLachlan told reporters.
"All the suggestions I've heard, it's not that they're not worthy, but they wouldn't have dealt with this issue.
"In the end, the allegations go to the personal integrity of an individual.
"At some point, right through every system, someone has to make a decision when they have information that, if they're compromised, can lead to issues like we've allegedly got here."
The AFL informed umpires this week that Pell has been removed from the umpiring panel, with a replacement to be appointed over summer.
"There is no employment relationship between the AFL and the umpire at the centre of the allegations," McLachlan said.
"The broader consequences are now with the police because it's a criminal matter."
The umpires award Brownlow votes on a 3-2-1 basis after each game and there is tight security around those details until McLachlan reads them out on Brownlow night.
McLachlan, who intends to leave his CEO post in April, is adamant the integrity of the league's best-and-fairest award remains intact.
"There's damage caused by that scandal and I think the umpires have been hurting but I don't think the integrity of the Brownlow is compromised in any way," McLachlan said.
"There was not any manipulation of the votes ... it was an issue of personal integrity, allegedly. We've got to see how that plays out.
"The allegations have wounded the umpires personally and I feel for them, but I don't think it bleeds into the Brownlow (itself)."
The betting scandal has threatened to take the shine off Carlton captain Patrick Cripps' triumph this year, but the brilliant midfielder is unfazed.
"It had nothing really to do with me. It was more of a personal sort of integrity issue," Cripps said.
"I know there was a fair bit of noise around it but I didn't really read into it at all."
McLachlan also said a resolution in the investigations into historical allegations of racism at Hawthorn was likely some time away.
"Part of having an independent panel is that they're independent," he said.
"I don't have a lot of line of sight over where the process is at, and I think that's fair. I do feel confident to say it won't be done pre-Christmas.
"They need to take the time they need. I don't have a date because I don't know it."
