Bombers scandal: charged, <redacted> and <infracted>

[Outside fifty 967]

O50 - if you are right about the seriousness of even inert peptides being used if they were bought illegally - we are going to have a problem of containment. The game can survive 35 unfortunate bannings of players. It will be immeasurably harder on the game to lose Essendon (or any team) for 2 years.

Suddenly, sponsors leave the game as all are tarnished by association, and the AFL has to surrender approx $50m of the TV deal as they are losing a 9th of the games every weekend.

Edit: Over est. money involved. $1.2b/5 x 1/9

Your absolutely right rpfc. This whole episode has enormous ramifications. The deafening silence emanating from the AFL hierarchy also has me worried. The AFL is a powerful organisation used too determining outcomes that they can control. For the first time in my memory they are in a position of little or no influence. It would take some serious Machiavellian manouvering to appease both WADA and the AFP in order for Essendon to field a team for 2013 if the rumours are true.

[Range Rover 1,935]

Witchy Wilson's paper weighs in again. Now some convicted dope fiend is linked to Injectiondon.

Club link to drug dealer

[Akum 2,660]

Your absolutely right rpfc. This whole episode has enormous ramifications. The deafening silence emanating from the AFL hierarchy also has me worried. The AFL is a powerful organisation used too determining outcomes that they can control. For the first time in my memory they are in a position of little or no influence. It would take some serious Machiavellian manouvering to appease both WADA and the AFP in order for Essendon to field a team for 2013 if the rumours are true.

Yep, agree. This is an issue that AFL HQ spin can't contain. The PR dept will be burning the midnight oil trying to come up with something a.s.a.p.

And it will get a lot worse once somebody asks how AA responded when Healy raised concerns with him after the Sports Science conference. And whether they had any other early hints - there seems to be a number of things coming out of the woodwork already, one wonders who knew what when. And why the AFL chose to focus on illicit drugs when this much more fundamental drug issue may have been ignored. Their capacity to manage drug use in their sport will come under major scrutiny, and they'd have to be very nervous.

My gut feeling is that this has a long way to go yet, and perhaps a lot more damage to the AFL "image" so precious to Vlad. Whose legacy must now be looking v shaky indeed.

[Macca 16,996]

Witchy Wilson's paper weighs in again. Now some convicted dope fiend is linked to Injectiondon.

Club link to drug dealer

From that article ...

He was arrested by Victorian drug squad detectives in 2004 and found to be in possession of 100,000 pseudoephedrine-based tablets - a precursor chemical used to make speed - in bottles labelled vitamin B supplements.

Mr Charter declined to comment on Wednesday. However, a supporter of Mr Charter's confirmed his association with Essendon and said he had provided the club with ''vitamins''.

Retired player Mark McVeigh said that he had only been given vitamin B and C injections in a sterile environment, believed to be in a house close to Windy Hill, with a registered nurse present.

One of the alleged supplements given to players was bovine colostrum. This contains a growth factor called IGF-1 that is on the banned substances list of the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Edited February 6, 2013 by Macca

[Sir Why You Little 37,050]

Witchy Wilson's paper weighs in again. Now some convicted dope fiend is linked to Injectiondon.

Club link to drug dealer

Bloody hell. Even if its half right here, this is big.

This is beyond AFL rules. Federal Police gear.

[monoccular 17,432]

Bloody hell. Even if its half right here, this is big.

This is beyond AFL rules. Federal Police gear.

Yeah but even now the Witch couldn't resist the tanking dig, could she?

[Sir Why You Little 37,050]

Yeah but even now the Witch couldn't resist the tanking dig, could she?

didn't notice that tbh. Read it twice!

[stinga81 210]

Can sympathise for the folk over at Windy Hill.

Gut feel is they'll get off, Dank and Robinson will be the only casualties. Robson, Thompson and Hird will do there best pleading ignorance face/s over the course of this investigation. One, if not all of them knew what was going on, but alas I don't see any of them getting done.

The purveyor in me is enjoying this heat on the bombers, but its not good for footy.

[rjay 24,952]

Bovine colostrum would make sense to me.

Anyone remember before one of Geelong's Grand Finals (09?) when Bomba Thompson was in charge, and Max Rooke was struggling to get fit for the match, they sent him to Germany to have calves blood injected into his hamstrings?

At the time, I wondered why the hell he would travel all the way there, when surely someone must be able to perform that procedure here in Australia.

The explanation at the time was that it was experimental and this German doctor was one of few that understood the procedure.

And Jonathon Patton has the same treatment during preseason last year, also leaving the country for it.

Could it be that this treatment, and the calves blood itself is the illegal substance?

That, like Rooke and Patton, there is a loophole allowing players to have it (if they are injured), but it is illegal to purchase and administer here?

- That would see the Essendon players actually absolved of any danger of being charged by ASADA, save for the fact they weren't injured -- explains Evans & Hird being vague about whether it was a prohibited performance-enhancing substance.

- It would explain why the Federal police are involved, and why organised crime would be said to be involved, because the procurement of this substance would be the issue.

- And it shows that Robinson and Dank have past experience with the method, in the way ASADA has intended for it to be ok to use.

Robinson directly from his time at Geelong, and Dank as they 2 spoke almost daily during that time, according to Robinson himself in an interview I read (can't recall where now).

In fact, I'd say the bovine colostrum procedure was obviously discussed while at Essendon with Bruce Reid, who left for GWS and then had Patton put in for the same.

I imagine it was the use as unintended, outside of injury recovery, that had Reid seeing differently.

One thing I really want to know -- are the players using this "Lact-Away", and if not, why??

It worked for Manly, it worked for the Eagles, it worked for Vossy and the Lions, and unless it is now prohibited or there is something better out there, I'd be shocked if the players weren't using it.

*** this is all supposition, but educated supposition from what I've read and heard from sources at other clubs.

I think you might mean John Quinn, Bruce Reid is still the Essendon doctor.

[Tatu 416]

Bloody hell. Even if its half right here, this is big.

This is beyond AFL rules. Federal Police gear.

Wilson missed the boat on this story.... She's playing catch up in this artical..... I'd say she's made up half of her version, so it looks like she's on to it..... Wilson is a joke....... Go back to sleeping in the tank wilson...

[DemonWA 3,936]

any way you spin it, this drug scandal has brought the game into disrepute. I honestly cant remember a scandal that could equal the negative effect that this one will have on the public's perception of the game.

Even if the club are cleared by the WADA, i'd expect the AFL to slap the bombers pretty hard

[Vandenberger With The Lot 238]

Listening to the AD and AFP presser now. Looks like there has been recognition of multiple clubs and they have recognized multiple players accross multiple codes using PED's.

It looks like there is going to be a further investigation. This is really going to shake up the AFL, NRL and more.

[sue 9,107]

A bit off topic, but: You've got to hand it to journos. Here is the first few sentences by M Robinson today:

UNQUESTIONABLY, James Hird would have asked himself in recent days whether he should resign as Essendon coach.

The answer is no. Resign for what?

That Hird even contemplated the question tells us the weight of responsibility he feels.

Sentence 1 - speculation

Sentence 3 - written as if the speculation was fact.

It may be that I've missed seeing elsewhere (and before this article was written) that Hird had said he had considered reigning, but then sentence 1 is wrong.

[7-UP 107]

WOW it seems like Essendon is not the only team, the presser is going to be huge

[DemonWA 3,936]

I'll happily admit i'm a hypocrite. I'm loving the media trash talking the Bombers, but hated when the shoe was on the other foot!

But part of me feels like the Bombers are accused of a serious breaches which deserve it, where as our 'tanking' investigation is based on a wishy washy 'rule' and is taking place 2-3 years after it happened

[Sir Why You Little 37,050]

This press conference is full on.

No wonder the Essendon Brains Trust looked shattered on tuesday.

They are right in this one.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Essendon coach James Hird linked to convicted drug trafficker Shane Charter

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/essendon-coach-james-hird-linked-to-convicted-drug-trafficker-shane-charter/story-e6frf9jf-1226572461168

[DemonWA 3,936]

Essendon coach James Hird linked to convicted drug trafficker Shane Charter

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/essendon-coach-james-hird-linked-to-convicted-drug-trafficker-shane-charter/story-e6frf9jf-1226572461168

thast a terrible article. Sensational statements followed by disclaimers so they dont get themselves into hot water.

[Barney Rubble 1,576]

Amazing that AD said that in 2008 the AFL were taking actions to protect the integrity of the game.

1. Performance enhancing drugs.

2. Gambling

3. Salary cap breaching.

amazing Tanking doesn't rate.

[monoccular 17,432]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/goverment-to-tackle-crime-in-sport/story-e6frf9jf-1226572459574

Geez, this is big!!!!

[sue 9,107]

Amazing that AD said that in 2008 the AFL were taking actions to protect the integrity of the game.

1. Performance enhancing drugs.

2. Gambling

3. Salary cap breaching.

amazing Tanking doesn't rate.

Some may argue tanking comes under gambling. Personally when there was a priority pick, I think gamblers should have taken into account a team's position and goals as well as form in placing a bet. Ditto for that pre-final match when Freo fielded their reserves.

Given the current press conference, it is unlikely that it is a coincidence that Essendon asked the AFL etc to investigate 2 days ago.

Edited February 7, 2013 by sue

[Sir Why You Little 37,050]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/goverment-to-tackle-crime-in-sport/story-e6frf9jf-1226572459574

Geez, this is big!!!!

BomberBlitz will go white hot now..

[beelzebub 23,380]

Is Don

Not good !!

[Sir Why You Little 37,050]

Is Don

Not good !!

Is Don Is Sus...!

[Grapeviney 9,729]

Hilarious selection of comments from Essendon supporters in the 'Hun today.

"As a lifelong supporter of the Essendon Football Club I will be tearing up my membership."

"As a 71.y.o lifelong supporter, I am finished with this club. To imagine these practices could go on unnoticed by club officials on the scale it appears to have done beggars belief. 100 years of proud tradition wiped out."

"As an Essendon supporter I think the club should not be able to play for premiership points this year and should be stripped of all draft picks. You do the crime you do the time."

Talk about perception becoming reality!