An Australian rules football official is being probed by Victoria law enforcement for purportedly disclosing data that could have swayed wagers on the esteemed Brownlow Medal.

The official was among a quartet of individuals apprehended after search warrants were carried out throughout Melbourne. Mobile devices and electronic gadgets were confiscated as part of the inquiry. All four individuals are collaborating with law enforcement.

The Brownlow Medal is bestowed upon the “most deserving” athlete in the Australian Football League (AFL). The ballots are cast by the officials after each match, with athletes receiving three, two, or one vote based on their showing.

The inquiry revolves around the 2022 Brownlow, where Geelong standout Patrick Cripps narrowly defeated Brisbane’s Lachie Neale for the honor. Cripps garnered 29 votes to Neale’s 28.

“The AFL Integrity Unit was contacted by one of our wagering agency associates in the days succeeding the 2022 Brownlow Medal tally with some details pertaining to potentially dubious actions,” stated Andrew Dillon, AFL Executive General Manager Football Operations, Legal and Integrity.

“Given the character of the alleged actions, we enlisted Sports Integrity Australia and Victoria Police to aid with the matter.”

Its crucial to highlight that neither the Victorian Police force nor the AFL organization have uncovered any proof indicating that the Brownlow Medal result is in question. The accusations solely center around possible disclosures or inappropriate dissemination of the 3-2-1 vote specifics for select matches this season, not the ultimate victor.

Following each match, the Brownlow ballots are secured and stored safely off-premises until they are revealed at the Brownlow Medal event. These sealed votes undergo audits throughout the season conducted by KPMG.

The Victorian Police indicated that a person possessing knowledge of the voting in those particular games purportedly divulged the information to individuals they were acquainted with.

Law enforcement is presently examining how many games could be implicated and if any parties gained financially from wagering based on this information. Currently, there is no indication to suggest that the actual vote tallies were manipulated, as the claims only pertain to the information being leaked.