Disgraced AFL umpire Michael Pell is reportedly considering taking legal action against the AFL after he was arrested two and a half years ago for his alleged involvement in suspicious Brownlow betting activity.
Pell was arrested in November 2022 as detectives of the Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit confronted four men suspected of taking part in an illegal gambling operation.
It was understood that information on which players would receive votes was allegedly shared, including matches Pell was involved.
However, after 30 months, Pell has yet to be charged, and SEN's Sam Edmund revealed that he had begun meeting with lawyers to discuss suing the league after being forcibly removed from his role in the competition due to the scandal.
"The accusation has not been that Pell influenced the outcome of a sporting event like the Brownlow, but that he had passed on information that he had inside knowledge of," Edmund reported.
"But the sharing of inside information, while a criminal act in NSW, is not in Victoria unless it is proven to have resulted in the corruption of a sporting event.
"Victoria's Corrupt Conduct Laws state police must prove the sharing of insider information resulted in the corruption of the outcome of a sporting event."
Pell had consistently pleaded his innocence and back in June 2023, broke his silence on the matter.
"It's good to be around my friends and family again, the club I've grown up at, so it's nice to be having a kick again, but the pressure's on with you I think," Pell said.
"Obviously (I'm desperate to clear my name), but that's in the hands of the police, so we'll just leave it at that.
"It's been horrible, but life's precious and I'm just grateful for the support of my family and friends and I'm just happy to be back around my mates and having a kick and be back at work and that sort of thing."
