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

[biggestred 4,377]

So anyway, back to essendon injecting their players multiple times with mutiple unknown substances

[John Crow Batty 8,305]

Its strange how Tird has been so well hidden. I am surprised no one has spotted him overseas. No reported sighting of him since he left. And no sightings on social media that I am aware of. Where are the door stop journalists and paparazzi?

[daisycutter 28,684]

good news... and we can all move on

i think i've just found my new favourite word of the month

[rjay 24,046]

I think we are talking at cross purposes.

I agree that AD rang Evans, I just believe him and the ACC when they say he didn't know of the investigation.

He clearly knew however that the Bombers were up to something.

I think he just told them to fess up if they were doing something naughty, as they would be caught eventually and it would go better for them if they owned up.

They did own up as a result and got a pretty light penalty as a result IMO.

The heads up IMO came from AD because of heavy speculation in the industry that the Bombers were cheating.

Yep, and I think he did the right thing by the club but some within are trying to hang him out to dry.

[daisycutter 28,684]

So anyway, back to essendon injecting their players multiple times with mutiple unknown substances

which are actually helpful in treating cancer (according to top specialist consultants)

[beelzebub 22,320]

Its strange how Tird has been so well hidden. I am surprised no one has spotted him overseas. No reported sighting of him since he left. And no sightings on social media that I am aware of. Where are the door stop journalists and paparazzi?

apparently hard to flush him out

[biggestred 4,377]

Some Unsolicited Advice to the Essendon Football Club: Shut Up!

[Whispering_Jack 28,092]

Sir Craig Reedie: This isn’t simply a fight against drugs; it’s an ongoing battle to protect clean athletes

"People have a right to be cynical about sportsmen and women but rather than assume that we are in a never-ending fight against doping, in reality our goals are more aligned with protecting the clean athlete."

[John Crow Batty 8,305]

Could it be the players want to stay out of the court case just in case they want to take the 6 month deal later?

[biggestred 4,377]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/lawyers-representing-james-hird-suggests-essendon-has-case-to-reclaim-2014-draft-picks-players-identities-protected/story-fni5f6kv-1226978247680

James loser Hirds lawyer saying the Bombers should get back their $2 million and lost draft picks

bwahahahahahahahaha

They've lost their [censored]

[Whispering_Jack 28,092]

I have long maintained that the interview by Age investigative journalist Nick McKenzie with Stephen Dank mentioned in the article below was the smoking gun in the case against Essendon. The comments made by a very cocky Dank about TB4 (and about AOD9604) in this interview gave the game away in my eyes.

When Dank indicated his refusal to be interviewed by ASADA and then failed to respond to its show-cause notice, it left the Bombers lamentably exposed and left it open for the case to be made out to the standard required of "reasonable satisfaction". This is because without Dank's say so, there is no alternative explanation as to the identity of one of the key drugs the Essendon players were given in the programme devised by Dank and for which James Hird once acknowledged he was responsible. Taken in conjunction with the receipts and documentation of what was delivered to the club, the SMS trail provided by convicted drug supplier Shane Charter, the properties of the "good" and the "bad" thymosin and statements given voluntarily by the players themselves, the evidence was always strongly pointing towards anti-doping violations.

ASADA ups ante on Essendon

I believe there's a lot more and that EFC's Federal Court action will fail as well so that some time next month, some of the players are going to become fully aware of the extent of the case against them and, like many cyclists who turned over against Lance Armstrong, those who are being well advised will act out of self-interest and in their show-cause responses, give ASADA what it wants to make out the final case against Dank, Hird and one or two others at Essendon including a long time servant whose continued presence at the club leaves me scratching my head.

It will be too late to resurrect the Bombers in 2015 but no doubt they will eventually recover as Melbourne is now starting to do under Paul Roos.

Will it deter others in the future from trying to do something similar?

Never say never.

[M_9 1,792]

Yesterday I attended the funeral of a good mate. Terry was diagnosed late last year with terminal cancer, and given 7 months to live. It was completely unexpected. He was 60 years old, a much loved father and husband.

Up until the time of his diagnosis he was extremely fit - a surfer, a gun swimmer and skier. He won medals at the masters surf carnival, and took his family around the world searching for perfect powder runs.

In his eulogy his son mentioned that Terry had been passionate about alternate therapies and how, when growing up, the kitchen was full of exotic (legal) substances. Terry never went without his daily glass of wheat grass. Terry was very spiritual. He was a vegan for most of his life.

Listening to the eulogy I wondered if, just maybe, one or more of these substances had been a factor in him getting cancer. I would very much doubt it.

This morning I thought about the 34 Essendon players. What if, in 20 or 30 years time, they, like Terry, are diagnosed with cancer? What if they never find out what drugs injected into their system?

Would they literally 'die wondering'?

[Whispering_Jack 28,092]

There's been a fair amount of sympathy for the players on the basis that they were "duped" into participating in a dubious programme that went terribly wrong for them and their club. Here's a piece that looks at drug cheating athletes from a slightly different perspective in the context of international track and field. I recommend a full read if you want to gain an understanding of what sport is up against in the world of sports science and doping ~

An open letter to Tyson Gay

Gay was banned in June 2013 after testing positive for a banned anabolic steroid in two out-of-competition tests. The ban was reduced from two years by USADA due to Gay's cooperation and ended on June 23.

His return to competition at yesterday's IAAF Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland saw him compete against two sprinters who have also served doping bans. Justin Gatlin won Olympic 100m gold in Athens in 2004 and bronze in London in 2012 but also served a four-year ban from 2006-10. Mike Rogers was out for nine months in 2011 after failing a drugs test.

For those with Foxtel, the Lausanne meet is being shown today at 12.30pm on Eurosport Channel and the 100m race is a must for those interested in which drug cheat performs the best.

It's a shame what is happening to this wonderful sport but little wonder that its losing its attraction around the world. Hopefully, this will serve as a reminder for the AFL and the football loving public to treat the anti doping scourge seriously and not give in to sentimentality about players being duped.

On a lighter note, there is a sport that's not to my knowledge subject to the WADA Code but you can watch it today on ESPN and Eurosport Channel where it's being screened at various times during the day ~ the 2014 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest which takes place every year on 4 July at Coney Island, New York. I was lucky enough to be there a month ago today to taste one of those magnificent hot dogs (I had mine with chili sauce). Guaranteed no peptides in the recipe.

[Uncle Fester 2,840]

True but AD would have covered his rear better if he had called all the clubs.

I'm reminded if the old Jewish joke about the man who murders his parents and asks for mercy from the judge because he is an orphan. Essendon have taken that to a new level.

Ahhh. That's the definition of chutzpah. We are seeing plenty of chutzpah from the EFC these days.

[jnrmac 19,323]

I think we are talking at cross purposes.

I agree that AD rang Evans, I just believe him and the ACC when they say he didn't know of the investigation.

He clearly knew however that the Bombers were up to something.

I think he just told them to fess up if they were doing something naughty, as they would be caught eventually and it would go better for them if they owned up.

They did own up as a result and got a pretty light penalty as a result IMO.

The heads up IMO came from AD because of heavy speculation in the industry that the Bombers were cheating.

I am staggered that this explanation is not more widely accepted. I agree with it wholeheartedly. Its so frigging obvious.

I believe AD that he was not told by the ACC. But he is not stupid and the footy world was awash with speculation about the bummers. They had been told as much by many industry insiders. Their 'black ops' were designed to be on the cutting edge. Maybe they didn't mean to go over the edge but it seems clear they have. The who secretive nature of it and full book of dodgy characters.

These cheating scumbags will stop at nothing to besmirch everyone and everything. They have chosen to go down in flames and in flames they will go. A greater example of self-immolation you will not see.

I for one will enjoy it because they are my most hated club. But I fear what it will do for the rest of the comp.

ps One thing that intrigues me is that the charges against Dank include his time at the Suns. Noone has really stated what information they have collected from the Suns but that could well be explosive too.

[beelzebub 22,320]

AND to have last years draft pics back....

Lawyers representing James Hird suggests Essendon has case to reclaim 2014 draft picks, players’ identities protected

Might be hard for Hird to comprehend but he wont be at the Helm in 2015

[Ted Lasso 17,123]

Who's winning at the moment WJ?

[Freddy Fuschia 666]

Jason Winderlich set to stay at Essendon via contract clause, another loss for free agency

But not only will Essendon find it hard to acquire players through free agency or the trade, it will be hard to trade them out given they might face bans at their new clubs.

[deanox 8,780]

"The club believes the AFL did not think through how much the penalties would have a multiplying effect on the Bombers list management strategies."

Seriously? As of the AFL hasn't seen the magnitude of the effect of draft penalties to Melbourne and Carlton over the past 15 years?

This was the best part of the penalties handed down. It closed their window immediately and almost guaranteed it would remain closed for a decade.

[Whispering_Jack 28,092]

Who's winning at the moment WJ?

Judging by that post above from Freddy Fuschia, it must be me because I made that point at least two weeks ago about the fact that one effect of Essendon's litigation and the failure to bring about finality to this saga would be to hamper the Bombers' recruiting efforts for next year.

To answer your question, ASADA has increased its lead from 15 points at quarter time to 20 points late in the second term. This, despite a lot of noise from their deranged fans in the grandstand. The AFL seems to have picked up some problems it might have to deal with by sending to the MRP. Apparently, Bomber Thompson's refusing to pay his $30k fine from a year ago. There are also some issues with medicos.

Although he works for Murdoch which in the main has been cheerleading and obfuscating for the Bombers, Patrick Smith's match report in today's Australian sums it up the best ~

Caught with their pants down ... and I’m not talking about league

Those who uncritically cling to Essendon’s innocence in the peptide scandal continue to point to AOD 9604. The peptide began as central to the inquiry — found nat­ional headlines when Essendon skipper Jobe Watson admitted on television that he had been injected with it — but is not mentioned in any of the 34 show cause letters delivered to present and past ­Essendon players.

It is seen as some sort of evidence that Essendon had been bullied into self-reporting. It is such nonsense. The peptide has been banned since 2011 but because of poor, incomprehensibly poor, communication and supervision by ASADA its status was not made clear to even the Australian Crime Commission when it released its report into sport and organised crime on February 7 last year.

It might perplex ASADA that the AFL authorised Harcourt to talk about the case — even in gener­alities — while the national drug body had nowhere near completed its investigations.

But none of these things compromise the most important issue before football — the task of finding out whether Essendon players were given performance-enhancing drugs.

Much of the media, the Essendon eccentrics and all those who dream of conspiracies are frothing about nothing but irrelevancies. The only story is the legality of the Dank program.

Quite ... and it's worth shouting this from the rooftops again and again ...

What were the Essendon players injected with and was

it a substance banned under the WADA Code?

The heckling and booing from the Bomber fans in the grandstand is nothing other than. white noise.

[Redleg 38,028]

In the latest piece of garbage from Bomberland, Bomber Thompson now says he won't pay his fine because of the comments by Harcourt.

First, why hasn't he already been made to pay it, over a year from when it was ordered and he agreed to it?

Second, what did Harcourt say that in any way that allows him to suggest that he now shouldn't pay the fine?

Third, he got that fine as part of a deal avoiding suspension, can the AFL now set aside the fine and ban him from football instead as he has broken the agreement?

Lastly, please PJ don't allow any of these people near our club.

I have always disliked Carlton, because of the way its supporters and officials treated the rest of the competition and for what I copped, my whole school years from them. I am now finding I dislike Essendon nearly as much. They appear determined to take down the whole AFL with themselves.

[Lucifers Hero 37,323]

Jason Winderlich set to stay at Essendon via contract clause, another loss for free agency

The irony of that story is that at the bottom of the video it states that player names are to be anonymous yet John Ralph goes on to name two players who coincidently are no longer at Essendon. I wonder if he is subject to any legal penalties for breaching court imposed rules?

Also, he should be seriously ashamed that he named currently non Essendon players. The extent to which the HS is protecting and barracking for Essendon and its current players has just reached obscene levels. Its one thing to point the figner at bodies like the AFL, ASADA etc but another to name two players as if they are the only guilty ones, almost implying that the unnamed, annonymous current Essendon players are not. WOW! Whoever gave Ralph the names should be shot...so should the editor who approved the story.

[beelzebub 22,320]

Theres the old expression...hold your fire until you see the whites of their eyes.

Essendon and Co have been letting fly willy nilly with anything and everythng rational or otherwise. Their timing is inept i would suggest. Most of ASADA"s powder is still dry and as the gormless march towards their 'glorious' day in court the muskets are being primed and aimed.

Little by little ...step by step...onwards, deleriously onwards

Going to be a Turkey shoot !!!!

[beelzebub 22,320]

The irony of that story is that at the bottom of the video it states that player names are to be anonymous yet John Ralph goes on to name two players who coincidently are no longer at Essendon. I wonder if he is subject to any legal penalties for breaching court imposed rules?

Also, he should be seriously ashamed that he named currently non Essendon players. The extent to which the HS is protecting and barracking for Essendon and its current players has just reached obscene levels. Its one thing to point the figner at bodies like the AFL, ASADA etc but another to name two players as if they are the only guilty ones, almost implying that the unnamed, annonymous current Essendon players are not. WOW! Whoever gave Ralph the names should be shot...so should the editor who approved the story.

These are the acts and doings of desperate people

[rumpole 483]

The names are in the public domain thanks to Ralph but here's the passage with names redacted:-

Already former Essendon players including <redacted> (Port Adelaide) and <redacted> (Western Bulldogs) have been handed show cause notices that could eventually see them facing six-month bans or more.

If he can name the non-Essendon players, why not the Essendon ones OR is it Herald Sun policy only to protect the anonymity of the Bomber players?