Still doesn't explain the discrepancy in the figures.
Naked shorts at 19/9/08 = 2.8 mil Total shorts (naked+covered) at 22/9/08 = 1.0 mil
minimum change in short position is still 1.8 mil. If the 19/9/08 figures also included covered shorts, the difference would probably have been even greater.
Why the change in the basis of reporting? Deliberate obfuscation?
Anyway, how would the ASX know the level of covered short sales (direct, via CFDs, other methods)?