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The A-League fixing scandal has come at the worst possible time for the competition.ÌýÌý

On the eve of the two second-leg semifinal fixtures, the dirty underbelly of professional sport was exposed for all to see.ÌýÌý

Sadly, this was hardly a shock. The only surprise is that it’s taken such a long time for an unfortunate occurrence such as this to surface in this neck of the woods. ÌýÌý

The sporting world is as pure as driven silt. This we know. From spot-fixing to administrative corruption, doping to underhanded physical on-field abuse, sport is a microcosm of the frailties of the human state.ÌýÌý

There are bad eggs. Bad actors. It’s a reality we must accept.ÌýÌý

The back story in the A-League case is where the interest really lies for me. ÌýÌý

As we know from previous fixing cases, they can sometimesÌýstem from the smallest of indiscretions, an innocuous albeit poor decision, that can quickly gain momentum and drag the player into making bigger and more damning calls.ÌýÌý

Why any professional athlete would risk flushing their career, their reputation, and their livelihood down the drain for $10,000 is beyond me. It’s beyond stupid, there must be darker forces in action.ÌýÌý

As for the implicationsÌýthis yellow card controversy has had on the outcomes of other fixtures, we will never know. Has this cast a shadow over the legitimacy of the league? What other untoward activities have occurred yet remain undetected? ÌýÌý

The timing of the arrests leaves little to be desired from the A-League's perspective, but the long arm of the law won’t be restrained by the scheduling of the finals, regardless of bad press at the wrong time for a league who’s struggles of recent times are well known.ÌýÌý

But really, I’m going to focus on what really matters. ÌýÌý

Lets gone Wellington!ÌýÌý

Up the Nix.ÌýÌý

That’ll do. ÌýÌý