Sanderson has full faith in Bailey, insists no need for a Plan B

CROWS coach Brenton Sanderson is so sure Dean Bailey will be cleared of match-fixing claims that he is not making plans should the AFL ban Bailey.

CROWS coach Brenton Sanderson is so sure Dean Bailey will be cleared of match-fixing claims that he is not making plans should the AFL ban Bailey.

As the league prepares to finally conclude the long-running investigation into claims the Demons tanked to finish last in 2009 to claim Tom Scully in the national draft, the expectation is former Melbourne coach now Adelaide strategist Bailey will be among the Melbourne officials charged by the AFL.

If the case is proven, Bailey is at risk of suspension, denying Sanderson and the Adelaide Football Club one of its valued coaching assets.

"I know the investigation is close to its end, but I am very confident Dean's name is going to be cleared," said Sanderson.

"At this stage there is no Plan B (in case Bailey is banned from AFL involvement). In the 12 months Dean has been working with us, he has been outstanding - and I'm thankful for the support he has given me and to our players and anyone in our football department.

"He is such a good football person. The work he is doing with our team is just fantastic."

Sanderson yesterday turned up the heat on the debate on gambling's presence in Australian football by saying betting was "getting out of hand".

This big money investing in Australian football results puts the AFL at risk, as seen in other professional codes, of match-fixing and corruption from organised crime - a point made in the Australian Crime Commission report.

"Our fans and our sport want everything to be clean - with drugs and with match-fixing," said Sanderson. "It is very difficult to fix a match in the AFL because it is hard to get to enough players to fix a match. But it is not hard to get to one player for the spot betting."