Does anyone really believe that the whole truth will come out of this Essendon situation?

Evans is now publicly telling all that he thinks the players are safe.

Demetrio is barracking for Essendon on the sidelines...out of line IMO!

So much contradiction by those at Essendon and AFL Central.

Passing the buck and no accountability.

It does not fill me with confidence that the truth will prevail.

Can't see any way the AFL would want Essendon down on it's knees the same time as we are, pretty certain some sort of deal will be struck

What a load of S*#T the afl, media everyone getting behind the bommers and they stuck there boots into us. F all of 'em.

ha!

I thought this was going to be about identifying who had said what lies about the Demons lately.

"We are furious at the Demons for not informing us about their communications with Stephen Dank"

"Liam Jurrah's drinking problem began on a Melbourne Football Club trip to China"

"Mark Neeld racially discriminates among the players"

Who wants to add some?

There is absolutely no way a deal can be struck between the AFL and ASADA (who are answerable to WADA). If a sporting legend like Armstrong couldn't escape their wrath, there is no way that a relatively insignificant body such as the Essendon FC is going to be able to have a deal cut for them.

The bombers are pushing the line that it was an institutional breach rather than the players. This is because of a line in the WADA code that says an institution may be punished in these circumstances. They are trying to wrangle a punishment for the club as a whole rather than sanctions against the players. The problem here is that IIR the code actually says that if the institution is found to have been part of systematic breaches they may be sanctioned in addition to the individuals involved, not instead of. Still, they may feel that this is the best chance they have of avoiding having players suspended should they be found to have given them something illegal.

What I find absolutely baffling is how Evans can come out and say that the EFC have proof that their players won't benefit from substances this year.

And I say substances, because they have admitted to using the banned fat slimming drug - which is a banned substance.

So Evans says EFC won't benefit and he has proof, yet now we here in the Ziggy report, that they have no paper work of their program.
Does Evans version of no proof mean - we got rid of the paper work and now their is no evidence?

How can the EFC and AFL be 100% the club aren't benefitting this year, when experts in the field tell a different tale?

The residual benefits are so great that some experts have claimed that WADA should lengthen the 2 year ban on Olympic athletes.

Yet we are supposed to believe that EFC aren't benefitting in less than one year?

Hopefully the AFL clear this up..

Dank says he injected Hird 40 times, Hird says he injected him twice.

Who has more to lose by lying?

Does anyone really believe that the whole truth will come out of this Essendon situation?

Evans is now publicly telling all that he thinks the players are safe.

Demetrio is barracking for Essendon on the sidelines...out of line IMO!

So much contradiction by those at Essendon and AFL Central.

Passing the buck and no accountability.

It does not fill me with confidence that the truth will prevail.

almost as much as the Watergate-house affair,, where theres money, theres managed outcomes. & behind the scenes, expensive silks & private threats.

smooth it over as the organisation is more important than people & the truth. the organisation is everything, just ask your local bishop.

According to Healy he notified Essendon and the afl around October last year about drug issue concerns and rumours and both chose not to come out in public. Now the afl are lauding Essendon for being open and honest. Only open when just about to get caught? Why didn't both these groups investigate last year?

The Bombers have done a wonderful snow job to date with the Ziggy Report, a report paid for by the club and produced by a fan. Better to have had an independent report done or better still, waited for the ASADA and ACC investigations to be completed and for the facts to come out, surely?

Perhaps they can commission someone else to do a report when that happens?

Does anyone really believe that the whole truth will come out of this Essendon situation?

Evans is now publicly telling all that he thinks the players are safe.

Demetrio is barracking for Essendon on the sidelines...out of line IMO!

So much contradiction by those at Essendon and AFL Central.

Passing the buck and no accountability.

It does not fill me with confidence that the truth will prevail.

No, I can't see the truth coming out. It usually doesn't and it's not likely to here.

...besides the club and it's senior officials have a history of being liberal with the truth. The GFC, Mathew Knights, Mark Williams, the football media and the general supporter on the street could tell you that. Yet we still get fed the line about these honourable people against the black hat in Dank, well sorry I wouldn't believe much from any of them, no matter what side of the fence.

There is absolutely no way a deal can be struck between the AFL and ASADA (who are answerable to WADA). If a sporting legend like Armstrong couldn't escape their wrath, there is no way that a relatively insignificant body such as the Essendon FC is going to be able to have a deal cut for them.

best keep your money in your pocket hardtack

Heard Evans on 3AW Sports Today lamenting that the situation "is so complex and complicated" - only when you've got something to hide.

Essendrug are in a world of pain. It is merely a case of when.

This is above both the AFL & Essendrug.

Ziggy Stardust's report is designed to keep the members sated for as long as possible.

If guilty.

Player suspensions? No. Essendon loses points? No. Fines & footy department scapegoats? Yes.

The only revelation that came out this week was David Evans' apology.

It indicates that he and the board acknowledge that what took place was morally wrong (failing the duty of care to the players), regardless of whether the substances the players took end up being banned or not. As such, I'm very surprised that he maintained a need to wait until the ASADA investigation is completed before making decisions on personnel. It also tells me that Hird, Thompson and co. never really 'got it' and still don't. "I'm shocked to be sitting here," Hird said when it all came out.

The EFC board cannot apologise for what they obviously deem to be irresponsible and abhorrent practices, yet not make anyone accountable for implementing those practices. Sure they've removed Dank, Robinson and Hamilton, but as much as everyone in the footy community loves and respects James Hird, as the man in charge of football I can't understand how he's still in his job.

Essendrug are in a world of pain. It is merely a case of when.

This is above both the AFL & Essendrug.

Ziggy Stardust's report is designed to keep the members sated for as long as possible.

Oh lets hope so. Would love to see Thompson and Hird go down.

My issue lies also in their on field performance which the media seem to ignore. How often do you see a team like essendon in 2012 go from basically middle of the ladder to top of the table, best in the AFL then drop to worst team in the AFL in second half of 2012, Even worse than us, then back to top of the ladder again in 2013 ?

compare then to Richmond for instance who are making slow and steady improvement. it just does not stack up to me. The way they disposed of Adelaide round 1 and later with the pies on ANZAC day was a team that suddenly was too strong and too fit for a seasoned premiership side.

Come on. I know its not proof of drug tanking but it seems awfully suspicious.

All the vibes I am getting out of yesterday and todays "drug" articles is that nothing will happen because EFC will ensure that heads will roll (whether guilty or not) which will sate the AFL's need for the footy world to be seen as doing its job and because it is Essendon, a non expendable cog in the AFL wheel (in contrast to the expendable MFC). We are being drip fed by Evans with the AFL's assistance, assurances that the players now have not taken anything prohibitive, that James Hird only took vitamins and melatonin (guilty of wanting a good tan) - all is good with the world but we have got rid of all those nasties that ensured that good governance was not followed. Still no answer on Reid's email and why didn't he follow up his very deep concerns. He was so concerned to write the letter but not so concerned to wonder why there was no direct follow up. We are being conned by the EFC and the AFL (again).

Why do I think that we are going to come out of this worse. Why is it that the Club has admitted to JT possibly using the cream but no Essendon player used anything illegal. Even if EFC are cleared I can never believe anything that comes out of AFL PR mouths.

I would like all the invoices from the chemist who made up the "vials" to be searched and let's see what other Clubs are also on his customer list.

Truth and accountability can never be aligned with the AFL.

best keep your money in your pocket hardtack

Fortunately (or not) my pockets have held no money for many a year ;-)

All the vibes I am getting out of yesterday and todays "drug" articles is that nothing will happen because EFC will ensure that heads will roll (whether guilty or not) which will sate the AFL's need for the footy world to be seen as doing its job and because it is Essendon, a non expendable cog in the AFL wheel (in contrast to the expendable MFC). We are being drip fed by Evans with the AFL's assistance, assurances that the players now have not taken anything prohibitive, that James Hird only took vitamins and melatonin (guilty of wanting a good tan) - all is good with the world but we have got rid of all those nasties that ensured that good governance was not followed. Still no answer on Reid's email and why didn't he follow up his very deep concerns. He was so concerned to write the letter but not so concerned to wonder why there was no direct follow up. We are being conned by the EFC and the AFL (again).

Why do I think that we are going to come out of this worse. Why is it that the Club has admitted to JT possibly using the cream but no Essendon player used anything illegal. Even if EFC are cleared I can never believe anything that comes out of AFL PR mouths.

I would like all the invoices from the chemist who made up the "vials" to be searched and let's see what other Clubs are also on his customer list.

Truth and accountability can never be aligned with the AFL.

I was of the understanding that as ASADA is involved, this is not between just the EFC and the AFL - ASADA, and by extension, WADA, will impose the penalties. The AFL can impose additional penalties as a show of strength, but in the end, it will be ASADA that has the final say. Of course, correct me if I'm wrong.

Does anyone really believe that the whole truth will come out of this Essendon situation?

Evans is now publicly telling all that he thinks the players are safe.

Demetrio is barracking for Essendon on the sidelines...out of line IMO!

So much contradiction by those at Essendon and AFL Central.

Passing the buck and no accountability.

It does not fill me with confidence that the truth will prevail.

Essendon did not volunteer their information initially to the AFL.

They were informed by the AFL that their name was knee deep in the ASADA and Govt report and that they had better come clean otherwise the AFL would have no choice but to castrate them.

They then held a press conference to 'fess up'.

They are a protected species and the AFL has tried to shield them from day 1.

Luckily it is largely out of their hands. I hope they cop a lot of grief from ASADA and WADA.

I was of the understanding that as ASADA is involved, this is not between just the EFC and the AFL - ASADA, and by extension, WADA, will impose the penalties. The AFL can impose additional penalties as a show of strength, but in the end, it will be ASADA that has the final say. Of course, correct me if I'm wrong.

There will be NO penalties from ASADA if there were no banned substances used, and it is increasingly looking like the drugs/substances that they used were not banned. This includes the anti-obesity drug, which at the time was not on the banned list. Thus it comes down to issues relating to the secrecy and non disclosure to the players of injectable supplements. Not unlawful, just a bit sleazy...

I was of the understanding that as ASADA is involved, this is not between just the EFC and the AFL - ASADA, and by extension, WADA, will impose the penalties. The AFL can impose additional penalties as a show of strength, but in the end, it will be ASADA that has the final say. Of course, correct me if I'm wrong.

But if all the players toe the line, EFC have the backing and support of the AFL, EFC have the backing of their two experts that there is no proof that the players took prohibitive substances, then ASADA/WADA do not have a leg to stand on unless - they have other information that they have not revealed to Vlad. Otherwise a lot of egg on a few faces in Canberra.

Just another thought - why does there seem to be such a huge difference with what Cronulla (?) took and what EFC said they didn't take. All the initial information was that they took the same substances.

Just business as usual at AFL Headquarters.

ha!

I thought this was going to be about identifying who had said what lies about the Demons lately.

"We are furious at the Demons for not informing us about their communications with Stephen Dank"

"Liam Jurrah's drinking problem began on a Melbourne Football Club trip to China"

"Mark Neeld racially discriminates among the players"

Who wants to add some?

It's the fault of the aliens! They have been abducting our players and throwing off their game!!

It's the fault of the aliens! They have been abducting our players and throwing off their game!!

Nah....Sheedy tried to blame the Aliens years ago....