Caro is feeling the heat

Wow, who would have thought????

A hack who only throws around accusations that are mostly wrong (got to fluke a few right along the way).

Maybe if her "sources" (see big foot riding a rainbow backlit Patrick Swayze unicorn) gave her facts not maybe rumours she spouts as facts, she may not be the most bitter, despised journo in the land.

I think that the single factor that's saved Hird until now and to an extent prolonged Robson's tenure has been the fact that the team had a fantastic start to the season on the field and the club has a measure of sympathetic support in the media.

Had it been otherwise both would have been sacrificial lambs by now. As it is, Hird will stay at least until the ASADA investigation outcome but if the Bombers collapse as they did last year, it may well be sooner rather than later.

Hird...yes. Robson....not really. But I agree that had they had a MFC like start to the season then it has the potential to be ugly.

I think the other main thing saving Hird is he repeated said in emails to make sure the substances were WADA approved and Dank always said everything was above board. Now Hird was naive in the highest to trust Dank by he issued Dank a clear directive.

We also see that the doctor wasn't involved and expressed his concerns (to who).

So the main issue is this guy wasn't properly vetted or supervised by the doctor, strength coach or head of football. Therefore the issue comes from the people who organize the management chain and were directly responsible for Dank's employment. So CEO and head of footy department are gone an head strength and conditioning coach has been stood down.

This is a lesson that you need a quality head of footy department to be supervising millions of dollars worth of modern day footy spending because in my mind asking the coach to be in charge would leave the coach no time to actually coach. I'm pretty sure Peter Jackson is on to this for Melbourne.

What Hird has said is irrelevant if there is no AWADA evidence to back his statements.

At the moment only the CEO has been sacked. And the person who organises the management chain. The lesson here is you need a competent and capable CEO who in turns builds a team of competent people with proper line of sight over all club activities.

I would have thought it sensible that the coach be well aware of any training supplement program. It's within the gambit of coaching responsibilities.

Hird is in a real predicament on this matter.

Wow, who would have thought????

A hack who only throws around accusations that are mostly wrong (got to fluke a few right along the way).

Maybe if her "sources" (see big foot riding a rainbow backlit Patrick Swayze unicorn) gave her facts not maybe rumours she spouts as facts, she may not be the most bitter, despised journo in the land.

How would you know the difference between the "facts" and the "rumour" beyond you don't like what she writes?

I think that the single factor that's saved Hird until now and to an extent prolonged Robson's tenure has been the fact that the team had a fantastic start to the season on the field and the club has a measure of sympathetic support in the media.

Had it been otherwise both would have been sacrificial lambs by now. As it is, Hird will stay at least until the ASADA investigation outcome but if the Bombers collapse as they did last year, it may well be sooner rather than later.

Would Mathews Knights still be there?

Some how I doubt it

How would you know the difference between the "facts" and the "rumour" beyond you don't like what she writes?

TBH I don't, but she is full of shite 99% of the time.

Once a good journo whose articles I liked reading, then about 5 years ago she become the female Hutch with Damien Barrett the product of their union.

So what do you and Caro talk about every night over dinner?

What took him so long?

Apparently this was the third time he offered his resignation over this issue.

The more I read and learn about Demetriou and his connections to influential Essendon people, the more I sense a conflict of interest here.

Now Demetriou comes out praising Robson and hinting there may be opportunities for Robson in the AFL. Now Robson is being portrayed as some type of Essendon hero. FFS! The AFL CEO should stay impartial at this point in time but instead he continues to overtly barrack for the bombers.

This behaviour just continues to fuel the arrogance displayed by this club and in particular Hird.

It is everyone else's fault except Essendon.

I note Demetriou did not utter a word of support for CS when he resigned. Maybe because CS never played a part in promoting Demetriou through the ranks to AFL CEO unlike influential bombers people have.

What you are largely referring to (correct me if I'm wrong) as that Ron Evans was the chairman of the AFL who appointed Demetriou and his son David is now Chairman of Essendon.

But I think this isn't a conspiracy but Demetriou openly doing his job. As CEO of the AFL his job is to protect the image of the AFL and for that to happen he needs to protect Essendon's image.

You won't hear him say anything nice about Dank and I think the AFL will come down with a punishment for the Bombers but right now he is pushing the positive press.

Just like he always denied tanking to protect the image of Melbourne and other clubs. Unfortunately Adrian Anderson being a lawyer was more a stickler for the rules and hence pursued the tanking investigation which he Anderson eventually wanted to abandon as there was no clear breach of rules. However he was replaced by Gil who comes from the Demetriou school of deal making.

He had no real need to defend Schwab. Melbourne keeps making bad press every weekend on the field that can't be spun as much as he'd like to. Schwab was the initial fall guy for that and so Demetriou let him go on his way.

I think the other main thing saving Hird is he repeated said in emails to make sure the substances were WADA approved and Dank always said everything was above board. Now Hird was naive in the highest to trust Dank by he issued Dank a clear directive.

We also see that the doctor wasn't involved and expressed his concerns (to who).

This is something I've struggled to get my head around. My understanding is that Hird & Dr. Reid are not only colleagues but close personal friends

Surely Reid would have communicated his concerns to Hird. If not in an official capacity then over a bottle of red

It beggars belief that the club doctor would not directly express his concerns to the coach, partucularly if they're mates

Vlad can say what he likes. If WADA and ASADA find problems they do not care where people come from.

I am amazed that Hird & Bomber are still coaching.

It was Thompson who said often "We must get Bigger and Stronger" on his arrival at Essendrug.

That is the only truth i believe coming from this shonky organization.

What you are largely referring to (correct me if I'm wrong) as that Ron Evans was the chairman of the AFL who appointed Demetriou and his son David is now Chairman of Essendon.

But I think this isn't a conspiracy but Demetriou openly doing his job. As CEO of the AFL his job is to protect the image of the AFL and for that to happen he needs to protect Essendon's image.

You won't hear him say anything nice about Dank and I think the AFL will come down with a punishment for the Bombers but right now he is pushing the positive press.

Just like he always denied tanking to protect the image of Melbourne and other clubs. Unfortunately Adrian Anderson being a lawyer was more a stickler for the rules and hence pursued the tanking investigation which he Anderson eventually wanted to abandon as there was no clear breach of rules. However he was replaced by Gil who comes from the Demetriou school of deal making.

He had no real need to defend Schwab. Melbourne keeps making bad press every weekend on the field that can't be spun as much as he'd like to. Schwab was the initial fall guy for that and so Demetriou let him go on his way.

Don't get me wrong, I am no fan of schwab it was he who screwed the MFC in recent years. My point is made at Demetriou and his open barracking for Essendon. I do not agree he should openly protect them under such circumstances.

I question Demetriou's independence when it comes to Essendon, the AFL is the holy grail of the boys club, never forget that.

Disagree with the opening post. Don't forget a few weeks ago Demetriou publicly suggested James Hird should be thinking about whether he should stand down.

For what it's worth, I think Demetriou has been the best CEO the AFL has had in my memory (I remember back to the 1960s). He's not perfect, but I don't see any bias for or against any individual team in the competition.

This is something I've struggled to get my head around. My understanding is that Hird & Dr. Reid are not only colleagues but close personal friends

Surely Reid would have communicated his concerns to Hird. If not in an official capacity then over a bottle of red

It beggars belief that the club doctor would not directly express his concerns to the coach, partucularly if they're mates

The issue is that Reid was by passed by Hird and the club.

How could Reid raise concerns over matters he had no awareness of???

The issue is that Reid was by passed by Hird and the club.

How could Reid raise concerns over matters he had no awareness of???

Apparently he did raise concerns. The "missing email".

Sorry, letter, not email. Mentioned in this article, along with many others & radio & TV

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/switskowski-report-reveals-lack-of-clarity-about-who-was-in-charge-of-essendon-football-department/story-e6frf3e3-1226635979664#.UZ7okB2LCSo

I must learn how to put links in with an abbreviated title

Edited to include link

How would you know the difference between the "facts" and the "rumour" beyond you don't like what she writes?

How would anyone know?

She's been outed in the past for passing on incorrect information as fact. It depends entirely on the reliability of her sources and her fact checking. While she's been good in some areas, she's made her share of mistakes, particularly in recent times when she's taken on the mantle of a tabloid journalist. That's the nature of the business she's in at the moment.

Apparently he did raise concerns. The "missing email".

Sorry, letter, not email. Mentioned in this article, along with many others & radio & TV

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/switskowski-report-reveals-lack-of-clarity-about-who-was-in-charge-of-essendon-football-department/story-e6frf3e3-1226635979664#.UZ7okB2LCSo

I must learn how to put links in with an abbreviated title

Edited to include link

When you go to click the link button to paste the URL, instead highlight some text (or a shorter title like what you want) like

The greatest journalist of all time

and then procede to paste the URL list usual in the link prompt and it should look like this:

The gretest journalist of all time

Ron Gauci to the Bombers.

Heard it here...

I believe it...

oh the irony, the afl's twist of bitter lemon about this, & the timing... a patchup of mammoth props.

blackened Bomber lands with One engine out,,,, then bleached clean by vlad, with citric acid,,, then sunlight.

When you go to click the link button to paste the URL, instead highlight some text (or a shorter title like what you want) like

The greatest journalist of all time

and then procede to paste the URL list usual in the link prompt and it should look like this:

The gretest journalist of all time

Thanks PJ

The more I read and learn about Demetriou and his connections to influential Essendon people, the more I sense a conflict of interest here.

Now Demetriou comes out praising Robson and hinting there may be opportunities for Robson in the AFL. Now Robson is being portrayed as some type of Essendon hero. FFS! The AFL CEO should stay impartial at this point in time but instead he continues to overtly barrack for the bombers.

This behaviour just continues to fuel the arrogance displayed by this club and in particular Hird.

It is everyone else's fault except Essendon.

I note Demetriou did not utter a word of support for CS when he resigned. Maybe because CS never played a part in promoting Demetriou through the ranks to AFL CEO unlike influential bombers people have.

It may be a bit like the golden handshake at a retirement function of a Multinationals thankyou dinner.

ssshh!!!

“As the leader of the football department, as the coach, I take full responsibility for what happens in our football department."

James Hird

Feb 6 2013

Bye Bye Hirdy

Just a note. Vlad's kids barrack for essendune.

How would anyone know?

She's been outed in the past for passing on incorrect information as fact. It depends entirely on the reliability of her sources and her fact checking. While she's been good in some areas, she's made her share of mistakes, particularly in recent times when she's taken on the mantle of a tabloid journalist. That's the nature of the business she's in at the moment.

The people potting for inaccuracies are mainly not in the position to make these claims. It's get back to who her sources were and what was said by them. We don't know that.

Apparently he did raise concerns. The "missing email".

Sorry, letter, not email. Mentioned in this article, along with many others & radio & TV

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/switskowski-report-reveals-lack-of-clarity-about-who-was-in-charge-of-essendon-football-department/story-e6frf3e3-1226635979664#.UZ7okB2LCSo

I must learn how to put links in with an abbreviated title

Edited to include link

Well he clearly may not have known as much as he should have. It's hard if he has been by passed.

But hell if he did raise concerns in that letter and it did not get raised to the highest level then those in between the recipient of Reid's letter and Evans are in the gun for that.

Disagree with the opening post. Don't forget a few weeks ago Demetriou publicly suggested James Hird should be thinking about whether he should stand down.

For what it's worth, I think Demetriou has been the best CEO the AFL has had in my memory (I remember back to the 1960s). He's not perfect, but I don't see any bias for or against any individual team in the competition.

And backtracked within 48 hours, Dave and Bill must have complained.

Worst CEO since Ross Oakley

Has NO integrity