I just don't get any of this. In the dog-eat-dog world of sports science, why should we give out any more info than what we've been asked for?

As someone pointed out elsewhere, the reference to the "cream" in the MFC statement is the real give-away. a) we don't say what it is and b) we don't even say if we used it or not. We simply point out that it's permitted. Why let the other clubs know what we're doing/taking?

At the time, we obviously checked and responded appropriately: nothing illegal, and all under the watchful eye of the club doctor. So ... why go further? It's a bit like last weekend. It was revealed after the match that one of our talls was under an injury cloud. We didn't say who it was, or what it was - why give that information out to other clubs? Same here. As long as it's all legal, who we we work with and what we take is no-one else's business, and the club were right to play their cards close to their chest.

Ok I just read the club statement, and feel free to call me a sheep or blindly accepting the clubs word but is a total storm in a teacup. The ONLY mistake we made, which was stupid, is not stating that we had an indirect involvement with Dank. Everything was administered by the doctor, everything was checked to make sure it fell under WADA and ASADA's guidelines.

This is again an instance of gutter journalism hitting more lows in yet another sensationalist report.

I like McLardy, I think he has done some good things for us, but why he didn't say in the initial statement at the time that we had an indirect association with Dank is beyond me. Surely he must know by now that it doesn't matter if try to keep a lid on it, the lid always comes off.

Surely more than just the MFC and Essendon use supplement program's that push the limits.

If the use of supplements have been above board and done with player welfare as the first priority, then this story is the mother of all beat ups.

Add Dank and an already under siege MFC, and you have the perfect supplement to fuel another media frenzy!

As for the supposed cover up, wait for the pro Bomber brigade in the media to make this out to be a bigger sin than the Bombers not even knowing what they administered their players.............it's already started!

If you read the second statement in my post previously released by mFC (http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/33494-dank-involved-at-demons/page-8#entry732144), then I'm not sure that what you have said can be substantiated.

""He has never had any direct contact with the players.":

In light of the released text messages, this is simply not true. It seems that he even met the captain (Trengove) at the pharmacy... (to be fair, we don't know that this meeting actually took place - the texts imply that it was planned, though).

Either Melbourne didn't know of the extent of Dank's involvement with the players and their supplements program when they made the above statements, and when they were interviewed by the AFL , or they lied about it.

I find the former more plausible (ie, Bates lied to them about his contact Dank once the [censored] hit the fan).

It is a failure to reveal the actual involvement - it might not be a lie but it is not open and honest...and that makes it look deceitful.

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.

Now that makes me [censored] mad. Why didn't the halfwits come out with that statement at the start and neuter this event then!

Who is running the show?

Seriously, WYL would have been a better media manager that the club on this issue.

Insanity by the club to deny links with Dank.

Inexcusable is the word I'm looking for.

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.

exactly, the only thing i'm now worrying aout a bit is the fact that we seemed to try and cover it up. who the hell thought that would be a good idea?!?

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

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

Credibility is critical to retaining sponsors and attracting new money in to the club, we have once again shown that we are loose with the truth and how can anyone trust us after this?

Whilst what we have done nothing wrong, according to the statement released by the club, we look like the naughty kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar; it's all about perceptions and the perception at this point in time is that we cannot be trusted.

I'm a lifelong supporter of the club, and I don't trust them anymore.

I just don't get any of this. In the dog-eat-dog world of sports science, why should we give out any more info than what we've been asked for?

As someone pointed out elsewhere, the reference to the "cream" in the MFC statement is the real give-away. a) we don't say what it is and B) we don't even say if we used it or not. We simply point out that it's permitted. Why let the other clubs know what we're doing/taking?

At the time, we obviously checked and responded appropriately: nothing illegal, and all under the watchful eye of the club doctor. So ... why go further? It's a bit like last weekend. It was revealed after the match that one of our talls was under an injury cloud. We didn't say who it was, or what it was - why give that information out to other clubs? Same here. As long as it's all legal, who we we work with and what we take is no-one else's business, and the club were right to play their cards close to their chest.

Amazing that you actually seem to believe what you are saying here.

I agree RobbieF.

We need a sweeping reform at our footy club with everyone gone. The last few years have been an embarrassment on every level. At this point the only way forward is with a lot of AFL intervention. We've proven time and time again that we aren't able to do it ourselves, and that we can't be trusted.

I genuinely feel sorry for MFC supporters. We've got no competitiveness, no hope and we're expected to live off the scraps of half truths and panicked statements thrown at us by the club as they swing from disaster to disaster.

FMD its hard enough taking kids to the footy and getting them to wear the jumper, these FW dont make it any easier, i bet they wouldnt run there own personal interests this way, CS strikes again, the guys a little snake,these halfwits since 2008 have brought a 160 yr old institution to it KNEES, they should be [censored] ashamed of themselves.

Hasn't had much detriment to Essendung's performances, in fact may have drawn them closer.

You seriously can't see the difference between coming clean publicly and inviting an investigation into the club and denying any links and trying to sweep it under the carpet? The club denied it with half-truths yet the players knew what had gone on and knew sooner or later they could be under investigation similar to Essendon - the club could deny and hide it from the AFL, media and supporters but not the players.

Can we stop all the hysteria, the Club was asked did it have a direct link with Dank, answer by letter of law is no, Dank provided a service to the Club Doctor, if the Club asks and the doctor says no, what recourse do they have?

Dank is the modern day snake oil salesman, peddling potions and lotions to anybody who wants to buy them, he is leaking these emails and specifically using the ones that contain substances that are either not illegal or banned by the drug acronyms, that way he proves there is no case against him

As I have said in another post, we go to the doctor, he prescribes things, we inject/ingest/sniff etc, most of the time we don't ask what it is, why?.....because he is a doctor and we have been taught to trust him

This is why Hird is so confident, there is nothing there

Can we stop all the hysteria, the Club was asked did it have a direct link with Dank, answer by letter of law is no, Dank provided a service to the Club Doctor,

FCS, Take the blinkers off. The club doctor is the direct link with the club.

Which the club had originally denied.

And apparently an internal review didn't reveal this.

l'm not sure why people are separating 'the club' from 'the doctor'. He is a club employee and the the club will be held accountable for anything he has done wrong. As per the recent $500,000 fine due to 'club employees'. l also think it is incredibly naive to think that only the Doctor was aware of the extent of this relationship. He was clearly acting as a consultant to the club. He was providing services to the club. This is the heart of the matter, not whether he is strictly judged as an employee or not.

As per others dishonest leadership at best from the club. Why not state, at least privately to the AFL (which clearly didn't happen judging by the recent statements from the AFL) of the nature and extent of the Dank relationship. Exhibit Z of the off-field cultural and leadership problems that have permeated at the club in recent years.

Hopefully Peter Jackson is good with a broom.

FCS, Take the blinkers off. The club doctor is the direct link with the club.

Which the club had originally denied.

And apparently an internal review didn't reveal this.

We have probably got 'direct links' with quite a few 'inappropriate' agencies, who supply everything, next will be child labour producing club merchandise in factories in China, that is my point, all this sweeping under the carpet etc, that's nonsense we carried out a review, told everybody to sever links either direct or indirect with Dank

I am getting really [censored] off with the 'holier than thou' on here who have never made a mistake in their life, know exactly what has transpired, pontificating on unfounded and unproven allegations.

Can we stop all the hysteria, the Club was asked did it have a direct link with Dank, answer by letter of law is no, Dank provided a service to the Club Doctor, if the Club asks and the doctor says no, what recourse do they have?

Dank is the modern day snake oil salesman, peddling potions and lotions to anybody who wants to buy them, he is leaking these emails and specifically using the ones that contain substances that are either not illegal or banned by the drug acronyms, that way he proves there is no case against him

As I have said in another post, we go to the doctor, he prescribes things, we inject/ingest/sniff etc, most of the time we don't ask what it is, why?.....because he is a doctor and we have been taught to trust him

This is why Hird is so confident, there is nothing there

We have probably got 'direct links' with quite a few 'inappropriate' agencies, who supply everything, next will be child labour producing club merchandise in factories in China, that is my point, all this sweeping under the carpet etc, that's nonsense we carried out a review, told everybody to sever links either direct or indirect with Dank

I am getting really [censored] off with the 'holier than thou' on here who have never made a mistake in their life, know exactly what has transpired, pontificating on unfounded and unproven allegations.

If only it was one mistake.

The only allegations that matter are that the club was less than truthful as they have admitted it in their statement. I don't expect you to see this because you are blinded by faith in people that don't deserve your support. The club does, not the people who are destroying it by their ineptitude.

Can we stop all the hysteria, the Club was asked did it have a direct link with Dank, answer by letter of law is no, Dank provided a service to the Club Doctor, if the Club asks and the doctor says no, what recourse do they have?

Dank is the modern day snake oil salesman, peddling potions and lotions to anybody who wants to buy them, he is leaking these emails and specifically using the ones that contain substances that are either not illegal or banned by the drug acronyms, that way he proves there is no case against him

As I have said in another post, we go to the doctor, he prescribes things, we inject/ingest/sniff etc, most of the time we don't ask what it is, why?.....because he is a doctor and we have been taught to trust him

This is why Hird is so confident, there is nothing there

Hahahaha spin spin spin

the AFL and EFC needed a scapegoat and they just got one.

For those that think we are just 'spinning' - we could not spin a dradel...

This club does nothing right - not even the PR.

That statement should have been shot out in Feb and it should have had a few extra dot points about what exactly Dank's involvement was because the texts suggest he administered some of this sh!t himself.

I am angry because this is easy stuff to get right.

As I posted earlier, the Doctor was involved and that is great. He will make a f__ing fantastic scapegoat should one of the substances be illegal.

*If we are so confident that nothing was illegal and our Doctor was heavily involved then all it is is guilt by association with Dank. There would be no governance issues - just poor PR and blatant stupidity from whoever decided not to admit a partnership with Dank.

*A big 'if'.

the AFL and EFC needed a scapegoat and they just got one.

No, we will not be a scapegoat but we have placed ourselves front and centre now. Our own fault, no one else's, not the media, not the AFL, but the elected officials of the club along with the previous CEO and administration.

One concern for me, and I don't think it has been brought up, is the fact that in one of the alledged text messages, Dank mentions that we can use a certain treatment as a tax write-off and will earn the Club big bucks.

I can't see the ATO sticking their head in the sand like that good chap, Satyriconhome.

New development: The AFL has called in Bates, and any other relevant officials, to HQ this morning for a "please explain". Deleteriou said that it appears there have been "inconsistencies" between current reports and what the AFL was previously told.

For those that think we are just 'spinning' - we could not spin a dradel...

This club does nothing right - not even the PR.

That statement should have been shot out in Feb and it should have had a few extra dot points about what exactly Dank's involvement was because the texts suggest he administered some of this sh!t himself.

I am angry because this is easy stuff to get right.

As I posted earlier, the Doctor was involved and that is great. He will make a f__ing fantastic scapegoat should one of the substances be illegal.

*If we are so confident that nothing was illegal and our Doctor was heavily involved then all it is is guilt by association with Dank. There would be no governance issues - just poor PR and blatant stupidity from whoever decided not to admit a partnership with Dank.

*A big 'if'.

Exactly this. Was just watching a brief review of the story last night on news 24 this morning. From their own view, there was nothing banned taken by the players. The story is there because of the association with Dank. The ISSUE, and that which will bubble in Demetriou's mind and that of the scandal media, is the conflict between MFC's initial statement of no link with Dank, and the TRUTH, which ABC revealed last night.

It will be purely an issue of governance at the MFC. That we could so stupidly not come clean about the association with Dank, and weasel word around it now. The drug/ASADA issue will come to nothing, and it's just as well Bates was involved, despite the mindless desperation inherent in chasing dubious, if legal, advantage by supplement.

The governance issue will NOT come to nothing however, and it's grist to the mill for the notion that the MFC is at many levels, appallingly run.

In this, the buck stops with the President. Like him or not, Don McLardy must step down, as he oversees the decision making on how the Club's position is made public, and on this, where we should have just fessed up, it is a gross error of judgement.

I hate all this sacking and instability, but on this there is just no option..

Vlad is on Neil Mitchell's program this morning at about 9.40 and he is furious with Melbourne.