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

[rjay 23,970]

I sure hope you are right Jazz, you and i have been in complete agreements since this filthy saga began.

Unbelievable that Little is now the CEO as well as Presidente over there...

Show how much interest they took in the Switkowski report and some very interesting comments from Ron Gauci yesterday on governance and the EFC.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Show how much interest they took in the Switkowski report and some very interesting comments from Ron Gauci yesterday on governance and the EFC.

You would hardly think a sane and competent CEO would seek out the EFC CEO role given:

1. The prospect of much of the talent on the books being potentially subject to infraction notices and suspension.

2. The threat of multiple civil actions against the Club and Club officials from those imposed with infraction notices.

3. The potential interest action from the ACC and Workcover and other agencies in the ASADA outcome.

4. Existing wrongful dismissal claims against the Club by Robertson and potentially others.

5. The likelihood in light of the infraction notices that there will be a need to oversee the expensive clean out of football personnel.

6. The potential crisis management of stakeholders from the AFL , sponsors to the supporter/ membership.

7. The lingering prospect that the Golden Boy will continue his untouchable status at the Club which undermines the role of a future CEO.

And once this is all dealt there will be a need to work closely with the Board and stakeholders to completely overhaul governance and roles within the Club. A complete revamp of the "anything it takes

Then there is the BAU activities of running a club.

I am not surprised given the extreme uncertainty surrounding EFC that it would be plausible or sensible in the short to medium term to endeavour to secure a top class CEO. And boy do they need one!

From a personal point of view the given the cowardly way EFC scapegoated the last CEO Ian Robson who apparently "did not know" to protect an icon who clearly did know then the CEO role comes with a high level of toxicity.

Little is a hard and aggressive operator who might be what EFC need in the short term to ride out this treacherous position. EFC are under siege. I am not surprised Little is so hands on at this juncture. Longer term he should be removed from the Club. IMO, his fractious and aggressive stance toward the AFL, the game and his Club in the protection of Hird has been appalling.

[Redleg 37,909]

You would hardly think a sane and competent CEO would seek out the EFC CEO role given:

1. The prospect of much of the talent on the books being potentially subject to infraction notices and suspension.

2. The threat of multiple civil actions against the Club and Club officials from those imposed with infraction notices.

3. The potential interest action from the ACC and Workcover and other agencies in the ASADA outcome.

4. Existing wrongful dismissal claims against the Club by Robertson and potentially others.

5. The likelihood in light of the infraction notices that there will be a need to oversee the expensive clean out of football personnel.

6. The potential crisis management of stakeholders from the AFL , sponsors to the supporter/ membership.

7. The lingering prospect that the Golden Boy will continue his untouchable status at the Club which undermines the role of a future CEO.

And once this is all dealt there will be a need to work closely with the Board and stakeholders to completely overhaul governance and roles within the Club. A complete revamp of the "anything it takes

Then there is the BAU activities of running a club.

I am not surprised given the extreme uncertainty surrounding EFC that it would be plausible or sensible in the short to medium term to endeavour to secure a top class CEO. And boy do they need one!

From a personal point of view the given the cowardly way EFC scapegoated the last CEO Ian Robson who apparently "did not know" to protect an icon who clearly did know then the CEO role comes with a high level of toxicity.

Little is a hard and aggressive operator who might be what EFC need in the short term to ride out this treacherous position. EFC are under siege. I am not surprised Little is so hands on at this juncture. Longer term he should be removed from the Club. IMO, his fractious and aggressive stance toward the AFL, the game and his Club in the protection of Hird has been appalling.

Agree. Good post.

[Whispering_Jack 28,025]

Peter Fitzsimons writes a mean column in the Sydney Morning Herald and I only just caught up with his piece in today's edition which starts off with a tribute to our up and coming young tennis stars Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis (he could have also included Ash Barty too) - THE FITZ FILES

Fitz finishes off with this well placed whack at the golden haired boy -

Hird mentality

There was always just something about James Hird. One of the most likeable, decent, charismatic players the AFL has produced, he was also one of the best players of his era, and on his way to becoming a highly accomplished coach as well. Of this crop of AFL coaches, if you had to pick the "man least likely" to be mixed up in a drugs scandal, it would have been him. In May, however, came the front-page allegations from The Age and the Herald that Hird had taken drugs on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned list. I was as stunned as anyone. Quickly, Hird's defenders pointed out that as Hird was not competing, he was breaking no law at all, and it was his business. An interesting point, and all the stronger if Hird had said: "I will take whatever I damn well please, I am not on the field." But he didn't. He flat-out denied it, and I thought to give him the benefit of the doubt.

But then, the denouement. A 7.30 program and Danny Weidler's report on Channel Nine illustrated, in excruciating detail, just how close the relationship between Stephen Dank and Hird was, how intimately he was involved in reviewing all the supplements and extracts that Dank was giving his players. It blew apart all of Hird's denials in February that he didn't know anything about the stuff his players were given. It confirmed Wayne Bennett's analysis that a head coach would know all about what his players were getting, otherwise he was no head coach at all. But, in my view, that 7.30 report, and the content of those texts, sadly, really does make Hird's position untenable. His players were being injected with everything from the banned anti-obesity drug AOD9604 to extracts from a pig's brain, bark and cow colostrum and he knew it all from the start. He really should stand down, and the AFL and indeed all Australian sports must help to bring their teams back from the murky world into which they have wandered by instituting a blanket "no needles" policy.

[Sir Why You Little 34,714]

Says it all WJ. Good find. The text messages always nailed it for me.

[Whispering_Jack 28,025]

James Hird: That was my understanding of what a waiver meant.

[DemonFrog 1,347]

[dees189227 10,914]

Im dreading the footy season coming back in a way. All the essendon fans carrying on like the worlds against them and there precious golden boy did nothing wrong and hearing bomber thompson back in the media and the footy show every week with sam newman going on and on about it and saying Hird did nothing wrong.

[jazza 1,323]

Im dreading the footy season coming back in a way. All the essendon fans carrying on like the worlds against them and there precious golden boy did nothing wrong and hearing bomber thompson back in the media and the footy show every week with sam newman going on and on about it and saying Hird did nothing wrong.

im not

cant wait to see them suffer and channel 7 play good cop,we love bombers BS

also looking forward to sanctions [if any],it will make my year

just to top it all off,i think we will get 8th spot

2014,please deliver us bombers on a stick.

[Sir Why You Little 34,714]

What will be joyous about Ch. 7 gushing praise and sympathy on the Bummers.

Please inform me.

I hope a decision is bought down before the season commences.

Nowhere to hide that way.

[dee-luded 2,958]

But he still gets to keep his extra million, for doing nothing. IF the Bummers are hit with big fines, and possibly damages, I wonder how the 'loyal Jimmy fans' will react as the club struggles financially?

its just a STFUp & go quietly package.

the rest is just the xmas decorations & sounds of the season.

[beelzebub 22,269]

What will be joyous about Ch. 7 gushing praise and sympathy on the Bummers.

Please inform me.

I hope a decision is bought down before the season commences.

Nowhere to hide that way.

and then WYL just imagine what a bunch of sychophantic fwits ch7 will look like when their own credibility is shot along with Messendons !!

[dee-luded 2,958]

sanctioned by a wet lettuce

[jazza 1,323]

sanctioned by a wet lettuce

reminds me

proctology examination week starts tommorow

[monoccular 16,296]

Try saying that to a Essendon supporter - I have and its futile... "No you're wrong. Trust me Hird will be coaching again."

Worrying.

I can't see a future for AD or JH after this. Someone will have to be the scapegoat. Evans and Corcoran are gone, Reid has a probably the best image after the AFL dropped their charges and Thompson is small compared to Hird.

Just a matter of time till Hird gets thrown under the bus and labelled as a loose cannon.

But didn't Thompson have some dealings with Dank whilst dragging the Cats from hand baggers to supermen?

I wonder how far Hird's million bucks will go if he is cut loose? Surely if he is disgraced his media career would also be ended. May have to work for a living, or be Tanya's "kept man".

[biggestred 4,357]

don't forget, their own report (which no doubt included a touch of bias) said it was an "uncontrolled pharmacological experimental environment".

that seems to have been totally forgotten about

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

don't forget, their own report (which no doubt included a touch of bias) said it was an "uncontrolled pharmacological experimental environment".

that seems to have been totally forgotten about

Ah isn't that what ASADA has been focussing on amongst other things over the past 12 months?

I doubt it's forgotten at all.

[sue 8,463]

Ah isn't that what ASADA has been focussing on amongst other things over the past 12 months?

I doubt it's forgotten at all.

Perhaps bigestred meant it has been forgotten about by some Essendon supporters. That certainly seems true.

[What 18,810]

The karma has begun

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/ankle-surgery-for-tom-bellchambers-a-huge-blow-for-essendon-coach-mark-thompson/story-fnia3zb3-1226807134627

[PJ_12345 1,098]

But didn't Thompson have some dealings with Dank whilst dragging the Cats from hand baggers to supermen?

I wonder how far Hird's million bucks will go if he is cut loose? Surely if he is disgraced his media career would also be ended. May have to work for a living, or be Tanya's "kept man".

Thompson hired the Weapon at Geelong and brought him to Essendon.

Who knows what will happen to Hird. Lol, when you look at what's happened so far, his club has copped the biggest fine in history but he still has a job lined up after his suspension AND he still is getting paid.

[beelzebub 22,269]

The karma has begun

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/ankle-surgery-for-tom-bellchambers-a-huge-blow-for-essendon-coach-mark-thompson/story-fnia3zb3-1226807134627

the karma fairies havent begun to warm up yet !!

Yet to come, I hear much pain is. hmmm

[PJ_12345 1,098]

The karma has begun

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/ankle-surgery-for-tom-bellchambers-a-huge-blow-for-essendon-coach-mark-thompson/story-fnia3zb3-1226807134627

Daniher would be hoping they don't play him in the ruck. Wouldn't stand a chance against any much bigger bodied, established opposition.

[Crompton's the man 635]

the karma fairies havent begun to warm up yet !!

Yet to come, I hear much pain is. hmmm

(Please) me the money show

[Return to Glory 7,779]

Yes,I may well be naive in how ASADA operates but I can't help but think that sweet flock all is going to happen to the Bummers. You could have built a pyramid in the time it's taken to investigate the saga. I'm just not buying the whole 'infraction notes are coming' business.

[nutbean 8,837]

Surely if he is disgraced his media career would also be ended.

Not so sure. After a period in purgatory Wayne Carey seems to be in demand.