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

[SaberFang 7,151]

Hypothetical- what happens if the Drugs players receive the evidence against them, and upon actual confirmation of what they were given all decide they want out, and decide to sue the club? Could they survive that?

Unlikely, hence Essendon have been so trigger happy with the lawyers from day one. They know what they've done and they know what would happen if that came to light.

Every government agency would come knocking on their door trying to shut them down, not to mention ASADA and the AFL, and the lawyers for players seeking compensation for any health effects later in life.

[beelzebub 23,383]

Essendon SHOULD be shut down. Attrocious and despicable attitude.

No remorse on arrogance.

A blight on the game and embarrassing to the ideal of fair sport.

[Whispering_Jack 30,644]

Have they allowed them to have a runner in the Grand Final sprint? It would be outrageous if they did!!!

[beelzebub 23,383]

Lethal reckons Hird should resign..... stand in the queue there Mathews.....

Crameri contemplating dealing ( off the front foot ) with ASADA

The dams going burst wide open soon .

[PaulRB 6,411]

We should look to capitalise on the fire sale the Dons need to do to move their "about to be sanctioned" player's onto someone else's list.

I.e we trade pick 3 for Heppell, accepting he may be out for 6 months...

[What 18,810]

Lethal reckons Hird should resign..... stand in the queue there Mathews.....

Crameri contemplating dealing ( off the front foot ) with ASADA

The dams going burst wide open soon .

I see visions in my head of the Hoover dam wall starting to crack

Soon enough the entire wall will break open and the flood will be glorious

I hope for James' sake he is wearing his floaties

[old dee 23,872]

I see visions in my head of the Hoover dam wall starting to crack

Soon enough the entire wall will break open and the flood will be glorious

i hope for James's sake he is wearing his floaties

I don't

[Return to Glory 8,448]

Have they allowed them to have a runner in the Grand Final sprint? It would be outrageous if they did!!!

Ben Johnson.

[SaberFang 7,151]

If I were Crameri or Monfries my lawyer would've been on speed dial less than an hour after losing my last match for the year. Time to throw the EFC/Hird/Dank under the ASADA bus and spill the beans. Every man and their dog at AFL House will be supporting you.

[Sir Why You Little 37,127]

It will all come out before next friday i reckon...Trading begins then.

It is going to be Gloriously ugly stuff....

[Whispering_Jack 30,644]

WADA will not be taking the ASADA/NRL deals to appeal through CAS.

WADA Statement on NRL Sanctions

I detect a touch of angst about the delays on the part of ASADA in acting after their investigation was completed.

Will this have an affect on any likely deals offered to Essendon players?

I don't think they will be as lenient with the AFL players. The NRL, Cronulla and the players co-operated in the main while Essendon certainly didn't co-operate and there was the matter of the lack of governance at Essendon which hampered the investigation as well as the Federal Court action by the Bombers and Hird which was responsible for four months' delay. The AFL investigation ended in late May (?) and show cause notices followed fairly soon after with the court proceedings issued within days. The Essendon situation was a longer lasting supplement programme involving thousands of injections while the Cronulla mess was short lived and nipped in the bud when detected by its doctor.

All in all, I can't see the same leniency with the AFL which would amount to rewarding the club and players for delays while court proceedings were under way setting a poor precedent. Half a season (11 games) minimum for mine.

[deanox 9,989]

It sounds to me like WADA outlined a whole bunch of reasons that will definitely not apply to the EFC players as the reasons it won't appeal.

This suggests to me that if similar bands are handed down to EFC players WADA will appeal.

Expect proper sanctions.

[Whispering_Jack 30,644]

The WADA statement said it accepted the "no significant fault" reduction on the part of the NRL players. It will be interesting to see how WADA looks upon the waiver forms and how that affects "no significant fault".

[biggestred 5,138]

WADA is not entirely satisfied with the outcome of this case and the practical period of the 12 month suspensions that will actually be served by the players. However, having fully considered all circumstances, WADA is of the view that an appeal would not advance the fight against doping in any meaningful way.

ie we arent happy but there is no point appealing

[beelzebub 23,383]

ie we arent happy but there is no point appealing

might also be a subtle hint to get this lot of SCNs right !!!

[RickyJ45 407]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/stephen-dank-asks-why-only-essendon-and-cronullas-supplements-programs-were-investigated-20140930-10o58w.html

Dank now complaining why did he get caught standing when the musical chairs stopped.

[Dees2014 2,377]

As I understand it, ASADA is going to wait on Essendon and Hird's decisions as to whether to appeal to the Full Court of the Federal Court before re-issuing the show cause notices (final date for lodging the appeal is 10 October). Then, when the show cause notices are issued, ASADA will give the players some detail of the case against them having also indicated that it would consider discussing deals with players and their representatives should they want to come forward and talk.

It all sounds like ASADA is being nice and civilised about things but it's also a very clever pressure tactic.

I mentioned this months ago and it's now coming to pass that after this whole mess has derailed two seasons for the EFC, it is now going to play havoc with its recruiting process. The Bombers lost their first two picks in last year's draft as a result of the August 2013 governance sanctions and this year have only an end of round one pick (received through some clever negotiating) in the first two rounds. I would imagine that there is going to be a fair amount of resistance to being drafted to a club with its recent history and perhaps a questionable immediate future as well.

Then there's the question of trading and ascribing a value right in the middle of the trade period to players with uncertain futures because of the unknown nature and duration of potential sanctions for drug cheating (or if you like, for being duped into having unknown chemical substances injected into their bodies).

The Bombers and their players already under substantial pressure both internal and external hardly need this on top of everything else they're up against.

Meanwhile, I can imagine the golden boy swanning around without a care in the world earning $1m and picking up post graduate qualifications while no doubt sipping away an exotic red wine from the Napa Valley at a cafe in the shade of the Golden Gate Bridge feeling much like the Emperor Nero as Rome burned around him.

I think ASADA are playing a very cool and some might say ruthless game. They easily out-manoeuvred mr. & ms hird, and their acolyte Paul Little at their court appearance. They are now sitting and waiting for them to further self-destruct. It would not surprise me at all if hubris led the Hirds to appeal the decision which would in three months time see it being chucked out again. In the meantime ASADA will serve infraction notices, and a significant number of present and past Essendon players will negotiate their own way out of this mess, probably resulting in a significant number of them suing the Hirds, Essendon and the AFL as they do. None of those parties would IMHO have any chance of avoiding heavy damages on negligence grounds. The balance of players who do not seek an individual settlements will be left in limbo for a further 12 months or so.

The result of all this in my view will be that Essendon will find itself in receivership within 12-24 months, and Hird and Little will be both out of jobs. This is before: Workcover completes their investigation which could see further heavy fines, and possible action against the directors of EFC; and I would also suspect the corporate regulators will look very closely at issues relating to Directors duties as well. Essendon will re-form under a different corporate structure, but the old regime will be gone, very much poorer, and even some of them possibly in jail.

None of this is good for the AFL, nor for the game itself, but maybe it is the clean-out the game and Australian sport had to have to ensure that egomaniacs like the Hirds and indeed Little never again get the untrammelled power they had over the past couple of years.

[beelzebub 23,383]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/stephen-dank-asks-why-only-essendon-and-cronullas-supplements-programs-were-investigated-20140930-10o58w.html

Dank now complaining why did he get caught standing when the musical chairs stopped.

well put

[jnrmac 20,185]

The WADA statement said it accepted the "no significant fault" reduction on the part of the NRL players. It will be interesting to see how WADA looks upon the waiver forms and how that affects "no significant fault".

Doesn't appear to be too much 'co-operation' though WJ..

[Sir Why You Little 37,127]

What a mini series this will be...

[beelzebub 23,383]

What a mini series this will be...

couldnt write this stuff !!!!

[Sir Why You Little 37,127]

couldnt write this stuff !!!!

I know. Thats what i mean.

At least 1 Thirteen Part Series. Could go longer. It aint over yet.

The Gun Ho Bomber supporters who backed Hird loudly have now dissipated somewhat...

[ManDee 7,222]

What would you call it?

Thunderbelly, a 1000 shots.

S undone

From Don to undone

Junkers JU188 The bad bomber.

[Sir Why You Little 37,127]

What would you call it?

Thunderbelly, a 1000 shots.

S undone

From Don to undone

Junkers JU188 The bad bomber.

"Whatever it Takes" it is already named!!

[beelzebub 23,383]

"Whatever it Takes" it is already named!!

or

Whatever we took !!