Former Melbourne senior coach Dean Bailey has been suspended from coaching for the first 16 rounds of the 2013 AFL Premiership Season as a result of the AFL investigation into the Melbourne Football Club dating back to 2009.

During this time, Bailey - strategy and innovation coach at the Crows - will not be permitted to have any match-day role, or any role working with players but he may – and will – be employed by the Adelaide Football Club.

After interviewing 58 current and former players, coaches, administrators and officials, the League found the Demons had not deliberately set out to lose matches.

However, it found both Bailey and former Demons General Manager Football Operations Chris Connolly "had acted in a manner which was prejudicial to the interests of the AFL". Connolly has been banned from football for 11 months.

The Demons were also charged $500,000 as a result of the investigation.

“There is no evidence to suggest Dean, or the players did anything other than try to win games on match day,” said AFL Acting General Manager Football Operations Gillon McLachlan.

“Dean felt pressure and made decisions on the back of that pressure.”

In a statement, the AFL said:

‘There had not been a directive from the Melbourne Football Club board or executive management that the team should deliberately lose matches in any game during the 2009 season.

‘Demons coaches and players did not set out to deliberately lose in any matches during the 2009 season.

‘Connolly had made comments during a football department meeting concerning pre-game planning that were "prejudicial to the interests of the AFL". Bailey, in regard to Connolly's comments, had also acted in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the AFL’.