Who wants to put a bet on us somehow getting done for this and Essebdon getting off scott free. Please don't let McLardy negotiate on our behalf.

heres one of the drugs mentioned in the texts

Danks says to Bates that its 'great for pre-game'

http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/drug-facts/naltrexone

Tell me how the hell that crap can help an athlete? Danks is an absiute disgrace, he should be in jail. Pure scum.

What was that line from that Verve song about drugs . . . . .

If my understanding is correct, none of the supplements referenced in the texts were banned. What's the issue here exactly? Purely the fact there was a supposed association with Dank, the only proof of which are these texts?

If it turns out Dank was injecting our players, after the club explicitly stated he had no direct association, certainly that won't reflect well. As it stands, I don't think this is a sky is falling scenario.

Can't, on the face of it, see how Misson is not involved/in the know.....high performance manager.....hmmmmm

He would be in the know - of course, it's part of his job. Ever watched the Misson Injury Report or whatever it's called .... brought to you by xxx pharmaceuticals.

Supplements in various shapes or forms are part of elite sport - even not-so-elite sport. The issue here is not about taking legal supplements, it's about hiding (or not?) information from the AFL that we were asked about, and the possibility that we were less than full and truthful in our replies.

So then, I would presume, the question becomes, did Misson know about Danks' involvement, and if so, did he offer up that info when the AFL came knocking and the Essendon story broke?

Can the last person to leave please make sure the lights are turned off...

I can't help but feel that sooner or later one of these hits will be the knock-out blow.

Hellsbells, they are all knockout blows, however it will be only in hindsight that they will be recognised as such. 'pick up an Agrade mid in FA, sign on new sponsors' ? F&$k me, there is no chance of that now

The club has been less than honest at best, Jacksons role may well be extended to administrator the way this is going.

It's never going to end ..... Utter disgrace of a club.

Complete board and management clear out required .....

Imagine the players right now... Another night of uncomfortable sleep knowing reporters waiting outside for them... Good god what are the odds on our winni g this week now?

It didn't worry Essendon in their first game of the season nor did it worry the Sharks in their first game after the drug allegations. Here's hoping it won't worry our boys.

Clubs statement to the ABC

And the Melbourne Football Club has released a statement saying, "Steve Dank has never been employed by the Melbourne Football Club. All medical procedures involving the administration of supplements and medical substances have been and will continue to be under the supervision, direction and authority of the club doctor Dan Bates."

Nothing wrong there; Dank not employed and the original spokesperson was not aware of player contact by Dank.

The smog is worse here in Thailand than at the MFC. A media beat up. Nothing to answer to.

AT least it wasn't pigs blood or colustrum.

Nice statement from the club

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2013-04-18/response-to-730-report

Actually makes me feel a lot better.

Edited April 18, 201312 yr by hogans_heroes

A lot of the old MFC medical staff left, because they were paid pennies in comparison to what Misson is on now.

I heard Andrew Daff left because he wasn't happy to comply with Misson's mumbo jumbo.

Edited April 18, 201312 yr by Jumping Jack Clennett

This thread reads like a sensationalist headline from News of the World or OK magazine.

Stop being such reactionary, uncritical lemmings - it's unbecoming.

Nice statement from the club

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2013-04-18/response-to-730-report

Actually makes me feel a lot better.

Agreed. Let's hope that it's true.

Nice statement from the club

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2013-04-18/response-to-730-report

Actually makes me feel a lot better.

Liked this part

Not me mate, they should have come out with this statement back in Feb.

This part in particular is the cover up, yes technically Dank wasn't employed by the club but we did use his services to a limited extent under consultation with the club doctor. Why didn't we just come out and say it!

• As soon as the investigation was launched into the Essendon Football Club, the Melbourne Football Club instructed all staff including Dr Bates to sever all ties with Stephen Dank which occurred

This is a damning statement on the integrity of those running the club at the time, some still with the club now.

Edited April 18, 201312 yr by rjay

So if this current statement isn't a lie then the 7:30 report are a disgrace. We know what to expect from heraldsun journos but I thought the ABC would be above this.

Do blokes like Dank normally run around handing out advise for free?

So if this current statement isn't a lie then the 7:30 report are a disgrace. We know what to expect from heraldsun journos but I thought the ABC would be above this.

Wake up! we brought this on ourselves. If we had of been up front in Feb there would be nothing more to answer.

So if this current statement isn't a lie then the 7:30 report are a disgrace. We know what to expect from heraldsun journos but I thought the ABC would be above this.

I find that surprising as well. The whole story had a real Today Tonight feel about it. Not cool, ABC.

It's true however that the club should have been up front from the outset about Dank's ongoing communication with Bates.

the response by the club is fine, however it's not the drugs (supplements, vitamins, whatever) that's at the crux of the issue here - it's the blatant LYING of the club in regards to dank's involvement with the club!

if the dees' admin can't understand that they've mislead their members, fans, the general public and perhaps most importantly the afl investigative staff then they're even more moronic than would seem possible.

we're absolutely going to be cooked over this.

it could well end up with the afl running the club - god knows we need someone who knows what the blazes they're doing as it's quite clear that our board, admin and football department have no idea whatsoever.

Does not being upfront equal a bringing the game into disrepute charge?

It's entirely possible.

The thing Vlad hates the most is being lied to and made to look a fool.

The AFL is going to be baying for blood.

Does not being upfront equal a bringing the game into disrepute charge?

It could but I think it more likely that Jacksons brief will now, if it didn't already consist of a restructure of the board.

Edited April 18, 201312 yr by rjay

Agreed. Let's hope that it's true.

As far as I'm concerned no consultation with Dank would be necessary in relation to the injection of simple vitamin supplements and an anti-oxidant.

It seems that the Club has taken the initial course of denying any liability. That it took some 4 hours to draft the statement also raises questions.

It could but I think it more likely that Jacksons brief will now, if it didn't already consist of a restructure of the board.

Might be the best thing that could happen, our issues are not completely the boards fault but neutral people would come in, identify the problems and ruthlessly fix them.

I whole heartedly believe that surrendering control to an extent to the AFL would equate to on field success sooner rather than later, the talent is there but the player development and culture isn't, we need to give our talent a reason to stay.