Essendon official, "Freedom, complete pardon" ASADA "I don't think so, take a cross and wait".

Ok i am a bit of a sadist so i went over to bomber blitz to see how they are coping etc,

I have read a lot of posts today and i feel sorry for any of the supporters there that have two feet on the ground. Some of them have suggested things along the line of the club might be in trouble. Its not going to be swept under the carpet etc and have been crucified..

Lucky they arnt in the same room or they would have eaten each other.

"One Cross each please....over the left shoulder"

"Crucifixtion?"....

He's not the messiah, he's just a naughty boy!

Essendon official, "Freedom, complete pardon" ASADA "I don't think so, take a cross and wait".

"They said i hadn't done anything and could go and live on an island...."

"One cross each please....

Hird takes off overseas when things are getting interesting. Now that's interesting.

Hird takes off overseas when things are getting interesting. Now that's interesting.

To live on an island? Hope he took his cross with him.

So much for taking complete responsibility

BB has said he knows one of the Bombers player's family and has heard of the distress this saga has caused them all. I was thinking of that and I just can't help but feel utter disgust for the behaviour of the club Doctor during and after this saga.

Additionally the fact that he is back there, is a disgusting reflection on this club's administration.

Imagine being a player involved and having as your club Doctor, a bloke, who let you be injected regularly in the stomach, with substances that may be harmful and illegal. You would feel like dropping him.

I said from the beginning im amazed he still has[censored].

Shows who's interest these orgd really have at heart.

ASADA was chasing Dank last December: ASADA summoned Stephen Dank before Christmas, says barrister Gregory Stanton

with a lot of weasel words by his lawyer.

The latest - John Fahey says AFL drug notices coming

The World Anti-Doping Agency's former president, John Fahey, says he believes there is now "sufficient information" for infraction notices to be issued "against a number of people" involved in Essendon's 2011-12 supplements program.

Mr Fahey said he had no issue with highly sensitive information being shared between the AFL and ASADA in last year's joint investigation into Essendon between the bodies. However he said it was not helpful to ASADA that a written update requested by the AFL that was delivered last August was labeled the interim "ASADA report".

"It wasn't," Fahey said. "It was a document for AFL use only under their code of conduct as I understand it."

I wasn't aware of this when I mentioned Raelene Boyle in previous posts but she spoke at an Australia Day function in the Long Room (not far from where 650 of the Demon faithful sat last night) and this quote from the March edition of the MCC News @ page 17 sums up nicely the moral dilemma raised by sport's drug cheats:-

Raelene's address covered sport in highs and personal lows in equal measure. She didn't dwell on brilliant track career (three Olympic silver medals, seven Commonwealth gold) but noted that sport had allowed her to make decisions about her life, mostly good decisions.

By contrast the drug cheat who beat her in both the 100 and 200 metre events at Munich in 1972 didn't make good decisions.

"Renate Stecher allowed herself to be dragged into drug-taking that was part of the East German coaching regime at the time. I've seen the records." said Raelene.

"I was lucky to be born an Aussie and while Renate cuddles her gold medals in a miserable flat in Berlin, I open the curtains and look out over the Sunshine Coast from my home in Buderim, doing whatever I like and living in the greatest country on Earth."

I can't feel sorry for a bunch of professional sportsmen who willingly signed a document which effectively gave their club authority to inject substances into their bodies whose purpose was to enhance their performance. That they didn't know what they were being given, that they were duped by professionals or that some scientist claims he was told by someone else that the drugs administered were fine (a fact about which he says he has no documentary proof) might in some circumstances be a mitigating factor in terms of penalty but it doesn't make things right or absolve them of responsibility or guilt.

The two articles quoted above (particularly the ranting of Dank's legal counsel) serve to further convince me that there is a great deal of pain ahead for Essendon, several of its officials and employees past and present and a number of its players.

Which is bad news for the AFL, the football community and sadly, for the sport we follow.

I was pinched once for speeding in a built up area where the limit was 50kph. I thought the limit was 60 but I hadn't noticed the new speed signs they put up. My driving instructor never told me they could change speed limits by putting up new signs that I might not necessarly be looking for. So can I sue him?

I was pinched once for speeding in a built up area where the limit was 50kph. I thought the limit was 60 but I hadn't noticed the new speed signs they put up. My driving instructor never told me they could change speed limits by putting up new signs that I might not necessarly be looking for. So can I sue him?

Yes, but only if you're an Essendon player or supporter.

Yes, but only if you're an Essendon player or supporter.

The Essendon saga is more akin to doing 110 in a 50 zone and focussing on the instructor not telling you the speed limit could change from 60 to 50.

The latest - John Fahey says AFL drug notices coming

The noose tightens -

Asked about Jobe Watson's comments on television last year when Essendon's Brownlow medallist captain said he believed he was given AOD-9604 in the supplements program, but had been assured it was legal, Mr Fahey declined to discuss individuals.

The status of anti-obesity drug AOD-9604 has been widely debated, but WADA's position is fixed. "I have absolutely no doubt that it's a banned substance", Mr Fahey said.

and

WADA Statement:

AOD-9604 is a substance still under pre-clinical and clinical development and has not been approved for therapeutic use by any government health authority in the world.

Therefore, under the 2013 Prohibited Substances and Methods List, the substance falls into the S.0 category ...

Coming up ... game, set, match.

Gold Coast Suns now thrown under a bus - Gold Coast Suns on notice in ASADA inquiry

Sounds like this could easily have come straight out of the

Bomber propaganda machine.

Gold Coast Suns now thrown under a bus - Gold Coast Suns on notice in ASADA inquiry

Sounds like this could easily have come straight out of the

Bomber propaganda machine.

What I found most interesting was these quotes from Dank's lawyer:

Dank’s lawyer, Greg Stanton, said if any charges were eventually laid, his client would challenge ASADA’s jurisdiction and the scientific basis for including peptides such as CJC1295, SARMS and Thymosin Beta-4 on a banned list.

“When and if it ever gets to a properly convened tribunal, there is a fundamental issue as to whether these substances should have ever been banned according to the relevant science in the first place,” Stanton said.

“One of our ultimate goals is, and we are gathering science at this point in time, is to demonstrate that these substances should have never been banned.”

They must be desperate if they think they can get anywhere going down the path of arguing the science.

Even if they could produce the necessary expertise, surely WADA has to work on the assumption that if a 'supplement' is not part of ordinary nutrition and they ban it, it is banned. Even if it turns out after many years of research that the 'supplement' is totally ineffective at improving performance.

Hahahahaha that's the equivalent of muesli being banned(it doesnt matter why, its banned), dank feeding it to everyone and then trying to get off because he thinks it shouldn't be banned.

Hahahahaha aaahahahahahaha omg aaahahahahahahahahaha

Its like a kid talking in a maths test, then trying to get out of it by arguing he should be allowed to

Im dying

They are so boned

Dank’s lawyer, Greg Stanton, said if any charges were eventually laid, his client would challenge ASADA’s jurisdiction and the scientific basis for including peptides such as CJC1295, SARMS and Thymosin Beta-4 on a banned list.

Who's side is he on?

Hahahahaha that's the equivalent of muesli being banned(it doesnt matter why, its banned), dank feeding it to everyone and then trying to get off because he thinks it shouldn't be banned.

Hahahahaha aaahahahahahaha omg aaahahahahahahahahaha

it's actually admitting guilt.

Unbelievable. They know they are gawn.

Personally, I feel sorry for Stephen Dank. The bloke relies on professional advice and ...

I know many people here disagree strongly with my approach and think the law is the law and that is it.

Well the law is an ass. Honestly. Peter Jackson last night said that he was unable to write to the vast majority of lapsed members directly and has been forced to put his letter on the website. Why? The letter broke the privacy laws. I mean FM.

Some laws are good, some are bad and some just weren't drafted with certain situations in mind. The players I spoke to last night had real concern for the Essendon players. Not one of them expressed a view they had cheated and should be punished and not one of them said they should have gone further than relying on the coaching and medicial staff's advice that the supplement program was legal.

Those delighting in the situation the Essendon players find themselves should recognize that if Danks had been appointed at MFC they'd be now baying for the blood of our players.

I have read a lot of posts today and i feel sorry for any of the supporters there that have two feet on the ground. Some of them have suggested things along the line of the club might be in trouble. Its not going to be swept under the carpet etc and have been crucified..

I too feel for the supporters. Club officials come and go. Club players come and go but the club supporters sustain the competition.

Through no fault of theirs they face seeing the Club ruined. That will effect many innocent people and have a significant impact on their lives. If MFC vanished it would effect me significantly.

It's why the individuals should be punished. Little, Hird etc etc should be hung drawn and quartered. Not one dot of leniency should be shown. Essendon should face penalties but they should not be such as to make them uncompetitive and without hope in the medium term.

What I found most interesting was these quotes from Dank's lawyer:

Dank’s lawyer, Greg Stanton, said if any charges were eventually laid, his client would challenge ASADA’s jurisdiction and the scientific basis for including peptides such as CJC1295, SARMS and Thymosin Beta-4 on a banned list.

“When and if it ever gets to a properly convened tribunal, there is a fundamental issue as to whether these substances should have ever been banned according to the relevant science in the first place,” Stanton said.

“One of our ultimate goals is, and we are gathering science at this point in time, is to demonstrate that these substances should have never been banned.”

They must be desperate if they think they can get anywhere going down the path of arguing the science.

Even if they could produce the necessary expertise, surely WADA has to work on the assumption that if a 'supplement' is not part of ordinary nutrition and they ban it, it is banned. Even if it turns out after many years of research that the 'supplement' is totally ineffective at improving performance.

One would hope that such a defence is not upon an Advice from Counsel. It's a "vibe" defence but has nothing to do with The Constitution.