This whole episode is sad. Sad day for football.

Bomber's employment prospects for 2015 looking more positive by the minute - if he still has a team to coach.

This whole episode is sad. Sad day for football.

the sad day for football was when the likes of Hird and his henchment set out to rort the game.

Today is a GOOD day for football as it seeks to punish those who disregard the health of some and the best interests of the many.

F**K essendon

This is purely speculation but I would think ASADA's eveidence would be something like this (in simplistic terms):

• We have records of Thysomin Beta 4 being purchased and received (by the club)
• We have records of Thysomin Beta 4 being supplied (by the supplier)
• There is no evidence of Thysomin Beta 4 remaining with the club
• There is no evidence of Thysomin Beta 4 being disposed of by any other means than injection into players
• Players had to sign a waiver for the injection of Thysomin
• AND CRUICALY
  • there is no evidence of the legal version of Thysomin being purchased or recieved
  • there is no record of the legal version of Thysomin being supplied by any potential supplier (they would have sound record keeping practices, even if Essendon doesn't)
• Records of the number of injections don’t reasonably match the number of drugs/peptides purchased (excluding the Thysomin Beta 4)

Provides a pretty strong argument that the players were injected with Thysomin Beta 4 and not the legal version. With an ex judge overseeing the process now, you have to assume that the evidences would be extremely compelling.

Interesting that the language from Essendon has changed significantly over the last few months, to challenging the various technical and legal processes (regardless of the cost) but not setting out to prove (and insisting on) their innocence.

My amateur observation is this is normally the approach taken by the guilty.

Perfect timing for us to thrash the drug cheats on Sunday. Yippee!!

how long before a crack in the dam and a line forms at a class action ???

tic

toc

Perfect timing for us to thrash the drug cheats on Sunday. Yippee!!

Be careful what you wish for it may have the opposite effect and spur them on.

I would much prefer to be playing them next week.

Nows the perfect time.

Lets add the misery of a thumping to their demise

The case against Jack was based on an ABC report about SMS messages between Dank and Dr. Bates (a former Melbourne club doctor) suggesting that he should be prescribed a cream containing AOD9604. It has subsequently been reported that Jack was in the clear.

According to Gerard Whateley on AFL360 the show cause notices don't refer to the use of AOD9604 anyway. The inference is that the notices relate only to the alleged use of the "bad" Thymosin. I would prefer to wait on official confirmation that this is in fact the case but if it's true then Jack would appear to have nothing to worry about.

That's right Jack. The Age also says the notices do not refer to AOD9604 only the Thymosin Beta 4 which puts Jack Trenners in the clear.

I thought he'd be stiff to be cited in any event since he was only ever referred to in emails, sorry, SMS messages and there seemed no evidence he picked the stuff up, or used it.

Edited June 12, 201411 yr by pitmaster

Man I wish we could just beat a team just because we are the better team. Instead there is an excuse for every win we get.

and lastly, It's actually in Essendon’s interests to drag this through the courts for as long as possible. This would then minimise their exposure to potential claims for loss of income by affected players due to their retirement, delisting’s, etc; while a lot of the remaining would only having a couple of years left in their playing careers. Also keeping it in the courts gives them a chance to build their list up, with non-affected players, should they lose( and suspensions are served); allowing them to field a team (maybe even competitive). Of course there is even a chance they could win.

None of this, though, is for the benefit of the players, it's about the club!!! The players are better served by taking voluntary suspensions as per Samantha Lanes article

Can someone remind me whether Essendon themselves can be banned if more than two players have been found guilty?

and lastly, It's actually in Essendon’s interests to drag this through the courts for as long as possible. This would then minimise their exposure to potential claims for loss of income by affected players due to their retirement, delisting’s, etc; while a lot of the remaining would only having a couple of years left in their playing careers. Also keeping it in the courts gives them a chance to build their list up, with non-affected players, should they lose( and suspensions are served); allowing them to field a team (maybe even competitive). Of course there is even a chance they could win.

None of this, though, is for the benefit of the players, it's about the club!!! The players are better served by taking voluntary suspensions as per Samantha Lanes article

Can someone remind me whether Essendon themselves can be banned if more than two players have been found guilty?

except it will bankrupt the club. Lawyers of the level required are more expensive than Dolly Parton's plastic surgeon.

Essendon themselves get punished if a certain amount of players get done, correct?

They can get banned for two years from the competition. Yippee!

Something smelly has hit the fan. At last.

I feel sorry for the players, but feel they should receive the harshest penalty if only for being stupid enough to trust that cheat Hird and his cronies. If this cripples EFC I would be delighted.

Lets give them a flogging this weekend. Go Deeeeeees!

They can get banned for two years from the competition. Yippee!

I heard the head of ASADA speak on MMM this morning.

To me it seemed he was preparing the public for reduced sentences. He said that the sanction is supposed to be 2 years, but it can be reduced to one year if the players can prove it was done without their knowledge. He then said there can be "further significant reductions" in sanction time if the players co-operate with the investigation and demonstrate they have provided truthful evidence to the investigators.

IMHO, after hearing that interview, the players will end up with a 6 month sanction. Max.

The questions left in my mind is - does the AFL now have an ethical issue?

Should any Essendon player who received and show cause notice be allowed to play until they're cleared? What happened with Saad? Was that a club ban or an AFL ban when he was charged?

Could this be why Jack Trengove has gone off for surgery and a long rehab?

http://m.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/footballers-could-be-secretly-serving-suspensions-says-antidoping-official-20140612-zs5se.html

I heard the head of ASADA speak on MMM this morning.

To me it seemed he was preparing the public for reduced sentences. He said that the sanction is supposed to be 2 years, but it can be reduced to one year if the players can prove it was done without their knowledge. He then said there can be "further significant reductions" in sanction time if the players co-operate with the investigation and demonstrate they have provided truthful evidence to the investigators.

IMHO, after hearing that interview, the players will end up with a 6 month sanction. Max.

So does that mean the players might get six months but the club two years? I like the sound of that. So the players would have a restraint of trade action against the EFC and could leave to play for other clubs? Sounds fair to me. The club are the cheats here, the players are victims. (Guilty none the less)

I keep seeing this picture of James leading the team onto the field in slomo and that seekers song playing,oh the carnival is over.

I heard the head of ASADA speak on MMM this morning.

To me it seemed he was preparing the public for reduced sentences. He said that the sanction is supposed to be 2 years, but it can be reduced to one year if the players can prove it was done without their knowledge. He then said there can be "further significant reductions" in sanction time if the players co-operate with the investigation and demonstrate they have provided truthful evidence to the investigators.

IMHO, after hearing that interview, the players will end up with a 6 month sanction. Max.

But that would only apply if they have bigger fish to fry... so, to paraphrase ManDee, if it means the club gets a blanket 2 year ban (but the players can look elsewhere after their 6 months or whatever is served), then that's not such a bad outcome.

But that would only apply if they have bigger fish to fry... so, to paraphrase ManDee, if it means the club gets a blanket 2 year ban (but the players can look elsewhere after their 6 months or whatever is served), then that's not such a bad outcome.

The way I interpret it is they would be volunteering evidence against themselves.

Could this be why Jack Trengove has gone off for surgery and a long rehab?

http://m.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/footballers-could-be-secretly-serving-suspensions-says-antidoping-official-20140612-zs5se.html

I'm sure Jobe Watson is doing this. With the duration of his injury he'll probably get "time served".

The way I interpret it is they would be volunteering evidence against themselves.

Possibly, but even so, by volunteering that evidence they are in essence digging a deeper hole in which to bury the club itself.

Could this be why Jack Trengove has gone off for surgery and a long rehab?

http://m.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/footballers-could-be-secretly-serving-suspensions-says-antidoping-official-20140612-zs5se.html

I am not of the opinion Jack Trengove has a case to answer, ASADA don't seem as concerned with AOD9604 and really as far as we know he may have only had cream, i reckon our boys are in the clear.