Richard Ings ‏@ringsau 8h8 hours ago

Jobe Watson & Dustin Fletcher allowed to play in International Rules against Ireland | Fox "no explanation" http://m.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/jobe-watson-and-dustin-fletcher-allowed-to-play-in-international-rules-against-ireland/story-e6frf3e3-1227124843082?from=public_rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter …

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Ha. I get it. When they are banned retrospectively for a number of matches from a certain date, the 2 International Rules games will count towards the total so they can play regular games 2 weeks earlier.

(I know that doesn't make any sense, just reacting to how dishonestly I perceive the AFL operates.)

Stand corrected on the Saad/Lees matter. Thanks for the correction.

I haven't read the whole 380+ pages of the thread (and I don't intend to either) but I have followed it for the past couple of months. There may have been a kernel of informed comment but it's been drown out by the sanctimonious ambulance chasing that's better suited with Russell Crowe in a colosseum.

Like this comment?

Apparently the AFL left it up to watson and fletcher if they wanted to play in international rules, I guess they will be allowed to choose there penalty as well, the AFL ARE A JOKE. And clearly not taking this seriously

Very disappointed that Watson and Fletcher can play. If they were part of the drugs program any win we have against Ireland will be tainted.

If neither participated in the program then I have no issue with them playing.

Apparently the AFL left it upto watson and fletcher if they wanted to play in international rules, I guess they will be allowed to choose there penalty aswell, the AFL ARE A JOKE. And clearly not taking this seriously

Left it up to them ??? !!!

Any doubt as to the AFL's integrity has surely been dispelled

Very disappointed that Watson and Fletcher can play. If they were part of the drugs program any win we have against Ireland will be tainted.

If neither participated in the program then I have no issue with them playing.

if they have been charged, the AFL is in contempt of WADA and everything it stands for.

How long must we hesitate, WADA? - and this is not ambulance-chasing, it is constantly looking down the road to see what's keeping the fire brigade.

Very disappointed that Watson and Fletcher can play. If they were part of the drugs program any win we have against Ireland will be tainted.

If neither participated in the program then I have no issue with them playing.

I remember Watson going on TV and saying he was injected with a banned substance.

How he will be allowed to play for Australia and retain his Brownlow medal is beyond me.

Left it up to them ??? !!!

Any doubt as to the AFL's integrity has surely been dispelled

Here is the quote from herald sun

The Herald Sun understands Watson and Fletcher were extremely keen to play in the series and were told on Saturday it was their choice.

They were given the freedom to pull out given they will be training and playing under intense scrutiny as the anti-doping hearing nears.

From your suppliers

Clarify this for me please. Didn't Saad essentially consume "lolly water" but simply did so on the wrong day of the week?

That;s my understanding. An off the shelf energy drink on game day. Its OK on other days but not the day of the game apparently.

That;s my understanding. An off the shelf energy drink on game day. Its OK on other days but not the day of the game apparently.

Not as bad as being injected with a banned substance

That;s my understanding. An off the shelf energy drink on game day. Its OK on other days but not the day of the game apparently.

bizzare really.... a little bit dead like !! lol

Here is the quote from herald sun

The Herald Sun understands Watson and Fletcher were extremely keen to play in the series and were told on Saturday it was their choice.

They were given the freedom to pull out given they will be training and playing under intense scrutiny as the anti-doping hearing nears.

beyond laughable.... its plain embarrassing !!

I guess this concept has moved to penalties for alleged drug cheats

Edited November 16, 201410 yr by The Chosen One

beyond laughable.... its plain embarrassing !!

Jobe and the spirit of the Brownlow . . . discuss

Mr. Edward Greeves Geelong Football Club [VFL EMBLEM] THE CHARLES BROWNLOW TROPHY Dear Sir, On behalf of the Victorian Football League, we desire to place on permanent record the appreciation of your excellent play during the Season 1924. You were selected as the fairest and best player and we have pleasure in presenting the accompanying Gold Medal in recognition of those sterling qualities. Trusting that you will be long spared to interest yourself in the adancement [sic] of the Game. We are, yours sincerely W. Baldwin Spencer (President), M.E. Green (Treasurer), E. L. Wilson (Secretary)^[1]

Here is the quote from herald sun

The Herald Sun understands Watson and Fletcher were extremely keen to play in the series and were told on Saturday it was their choice.

They were given the freedom to pull out given they will be training and playing under intense scrutiny as the anti-doping hearing nears.

It is an early indication of the wet tram ticket penalties that are coming.

Jab and Fletcher can pick and choose what they play??

Fcuk that Gill your just as bad as you predecessor.

Jab and Fletcher can pick and choose what they play??

Fcuk that Gill your just as bad as you predecessor.

If Gill want's to leave a legacy he should relaunch the brand in season 2015 as "APL "Pharmaball"!

Jab and Fletcher can pick and choose what they play??

Fcuk that Gill your just as bad as you predecessor.

No, I think Dill is worse. He will now wait and gauge public opinion then make a decision. If public opinion is too negative I guarantee you they won't play, maybe an injury problem or they have decided it better not to play whatever. The real reason will be that this AFL runs by poll.

No, I think Dill is worse. He will now wait and gauge public opinion then make a decision. If public opinion is too negative I guarantee you they won't play, maybe an injury problem or they have decided it better not to play whatever. The real reason will be that this AFL runs by poll.

you could well be right.

This is a disgrace if it is allowed to eventuate.

WADA must overrule

Performance enhancing drugs must be completely unacceptable and banned under any circumstance.

Otherwise some clubs will take the risk in pursuit of glory.

The difference between WADA and the AFL here is that WADA's integrity is not on the line - not unless they make it so. The AFL are just about discredited now, no matter what they do, in many people's eyes. WADA remains WADA, unless they chicken out and tell the world that they are actually toothless in the face of a big player. (Smiling with false teeth?)

AFL - integrity in tatters. WADA - the watchdog, though with credibility there to be destroyed, if they so choose. I'm waiting and watching.

C'mon, self-respect, fellers, please!

(According to Kierkegaard, if you dare, you may lose your footing for a time, but if you don't dare you lose yourself.)

There is no basis at all to expect WADA to "chicken out". Their record in enforcement of the rules is impeccable especially in the face of very substantial pressure on local affiliates like ASADA and USADA. They have had no hesitation in enforcing the international law where their local affiliates squibbed it either through corruption or political pressure. This after all is why WADA was set up the way it was because there was the perception that particularly in the "Third World" international rules would not be enforced transparently.

Ironic isn't it, that first world Australia has been the most public miscreant but still lectures the rest of the world how to behave.

Edited November 17, 201410 yr by Dees2014

you could well be right.

This is a disgrace if it is allowed to eventuate.

WADA must overrule

Performance enhancing drugs must be completely unacceptable and banned under any circumstance.

Otherwise some clubs will take the risk in pursuit of glory.

One already did wyl

if they have been charged, the AFL is in contempt of WADA and everything it stands for.

How long must we hesitate, WADA? - and this is not ambulance-chasing, it is constantly looking down the road to see what's keeping the fire brigade.

WADA does not get involved until the local punishments are handed down, apart from issuing guidances of various kinds.we won't know Wada's attitudes until it has had time to assess the local penalties. This could be second or third quarter next year.

As we have said many times here, there is a long way to go in this saga. And that is as it should be in view of the importance of the issues involved and the implications for the individuals.

If a Hird wins his case, then both ASADA and WADA have made it very very clear the whole process starts again including possibly re interviewing all parties. So what has Hird's obsessiveness achieved? Well apart from wasting a lot of other people's money, precisely nothing except [censored]. In fact it is worse than that - it has very substantially delayed a settlement to the very great cost to players and especially the club he professes to love so much.

The whole thing has been a catastrophe for the club and its players, engineered almost entirely by Hird and his wife.

Edited November 17, 201410 yr by Whispering_Jack
You can't say that here

No teams were suspended.

Nor were there masses of riders suspended, in reality there were very few - Basso, Ulrich, Scarponi, Valverde, plus a few lesser names ...

Lots of riders implicated, but then even more footballers where surprise surprise, none were even investigated. FIFA etc. etc.!!

The biggest part of the scandal isn't that it was so widespread, but that when it came to light, so little was done. But then again, doping wasn't illegal in Spain at the time either, so hands were tied - which explains why the suspended riders were almost exclusively non-Spanish, primarily Italian. Valverde was picked up through the back door, as he was initially banned from racing in Italy, which then led to him being banned internationally.

Also, the point should be made that a cycling team is very different from a football team. Cyclists on the same team often don't even live in the same country, and usually work with individual coaches, trainers and doctors (a bit like tennis players in that regard) - though teams like Sky are starting to change that with a more structured, organised and integrated approach.

I didn't realise that the result of this was so weak.

So you would need to go back to the Festina scandal in 1998 when the entire team were banned.

Bing181 you might find this article interesting. Someone has compiled what they call the 15 biggest doping scandals in cycling going back to the very first evidence of doping in 1886. I didn't realise that Tom Simpson who is so famous for dying in the middle of le Tour on Mount Ventoux in 1967 that there is a monument on the spot where he died, tested positive for amphetamines in his autopsy. Also didn't know that Eddy Merckx tested positive at the 1969 Giro and was banned. Here is the url to the article if you or anyone else is interested. http://www.totalprosports.com/2012/06/15/15-biggest-doping-scandals-in-cycling-history/#1