How pathetic then are the rest of the clubs. The AFL is protecting Essendon.

The obfuscation that is going on here has close parallels to a certain Royal commission in that the participants are

stuck between truth and its consequences on all levels and both sides.

Pathetic yes surprising No.

They all realise who is the Goose that lays the golden eggs.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/essendon-shuffle-deckchairs-as-damage-from-drug-scandal-continues-20150810-givmd2.htmlis about the forthcoming Essendon review written by Carro.

Some extracts:

- Essendon chief executive, Xavier Campbell, only guaranteed one position in the review and that was Hird's.

- ...the review...had little to no input from football department bosses Neil Craig and Rob Kerr.

- The strong impression is that another legend Tim Watson, is losing faith in Hird.

- Thompson nominated...those three men (Dank, Robinson, Hird) as the key architects and instigators of the program which was heavily punctuated with injections. He said that some board members knew what was happening also.

- the move to install Craig and Kerr at the head of the football department has not sat well with Hird

- appoint (Campbell) such a relatively young and inexperienced chief executive into a crisis management situation - particularly one so linked to the then suspended coach - was another misstep by Little.

So Hird and his CEO mate, Campbell are having the review to get rid of the people Hird doesn't like! To entrench their own positions? It beggars belief but it seems, Hird is firmly in control!

Where is the Board! They have abdicated their governance responsibility, again!

Where is Little! Looks like he has put his head in the sand.

What does Hird have on these guys!

Sounds like the MFC a few years back....good luck EFC????

Open letter Little wants the leaks investigated. He might start in Toorak...

Interesting the woman Balmey was emailing re: payment to Dank was actually Kelly's wife-to-be.

Sounds like the MFC a few years back....good luck EFC????

But will the AFL step in to get rid of them?

This story just keeps giving

Hird the only safe position

Bahahahahaha...

Interesting the woman Balmey was emailing re: payment to Dank was actually Kelly's wife-to-be.

The plot thickens!

But the AFL has stopped the story in its tracks!

Didnt Balme state very clearly today Dank was never employeed by the Cats?

Did he just source the good stuff to the weapon?

Next month 'critical' to James Hird's coaching career: Tim Watson

Astonishing.. he should have been the first sacked year ago.

This Xavier Campbell guy sounds like the worst CEO in sport.

He was the best they could find that was also desperate enough to get involved in this sordid mess.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/player-agent-calls-for-legal-action-over-supplements-saga-20150810-givu34.html

Interesting that Jess want the truth to come out...the AFL and Essendon don't so I wonder if the players will end up with a very large payout to keep the matter out of court.

I truly hope this goes to court. Forget WADA the real truth will only come out when Mike 'I leave the room' Fitzpatrick, Dill the likeable, Vlad, Little Paul, Hird the responsible and Dank the mastermind along with the puppets like Robbo end up under oath.

Forgetting all the agendas and all the vindictiveness, real and imaged, aside ... I think EVERYONE just wants to know: what the hell were those players given?

Paul little.. wow " at no stage did anyone involved raise concern to the board"

What about the letter from your club doctor?

God I hope they give him another contract extension.

I'm keen to put up a few bucks to keep him going at the club for another couple of years. Who's in?

Forgetting all the agendas and all the vindictiveness, real and imaged, aside ... I think EVERYONE just wants to know: what the hell were those players given?

So you don't understand after two years TF.

We don't know but it was not anything dangerous or illegal.

So you don't understand after two years TF.

We don't know but it was not anything dangerous or illegal.

Yes I know the charade, but really ... what were they given? But more, why aren't the players demanding to know??? (Unless ....)

Interesting that Jess want the truth to come out...the AFL and Essendon don't so I wonder if the players will end up with a very large payout to keep the matter out of court.

I truly hope this goes to court. Forget WADA the real truth will only come out when Mike 'I leave the room' Fitzpatrick, Dill the likeable, Vlad, Little Paul, Hird the responsible and Dank the mastermind along with the puppets like Robbo end up under oath.

Don't know about "forget WADA". What you are suggesting is exactly what the CAS hearings will do.WADA as chief prosecutor can be expected to bring all those people to give evidence under oath: Fitzpatrick, McLaughlin, Demitriou, Little, Hird, and Dank. I would also add Charter, the Chinese exporters and the South Yarra chemists who will this time be required under court orders to testify under oath. We must all remember that this in effect is a new trial, and anything and anyone is open for questioning. We may even see some players be called to give evidence and not rely on the transcripts from the AFL/ASADA interviews as the AFL tribunal did. This means of course they will be open for cross examination from a hostile counsel which they weren't at the tribunal. It is a very different hearing, under very different rules, and will have a very different outcome.

However, in spite of the situation going from bad to worse for Hird over the last couple of weeks, the most significant announcement came yesterday when WORKSAFE confirmed they were proceeding with their investigation into the ESSENDON drugs scandal (see this morning's Age).

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/-givu34.html

This confirms my previous advice posted on here on several occasions that Worksafe have been waiting for the AFL/ASADA/WADA/CAS processes to largely work their way through the system before they acted in full.

Any Worksafe action though could end up more serious than anything which might come out of CAS. With CAS, the worst which can befall Hird and Essendon is suspension from participating in sport and the public shame which goes with it. With worksafe, it can become a criminal matter and end up in the civil courts with penalties from heavy fines to jail sentences for the perpetrators. This especially applies to the office holders of the organisation in particular the senior executives and the Board who are directly responsible for the governance of the organisation. It could also spill over for the directors to put them in breach of directors duties under the company code. This is extremely serious for all those involved.

I would also suggest that in view of the seriousness of the possible outcomes of a Worksafe investigation, this is more likely than CAS to lead to civil action in the courts from the various office holders against Hird, Essendon and the AFL, although if players are suspended by CAS most have already said they will sue these three.

The DamBusters have not only taken off, but at least two of the dams have been breached, and the valleys below are rapidly filling up and many are drowning. The rebuild after the regime is toppled will be long, painful, and difficult, but hopefully result in a more fertile, law abiding environment in the (distant) future.

The players may have thought they were on the receiving of the 'pointy end' way back when...but we're approaching the real POINTY END .

I trust Tania has made reservations on the Cote d'azur. Expect to see anyone wh o is anyone suddenly disappear for 'prior commitments'

They won't escape scrutiny.

House of Cards to topple soon.

Keep clear !!! Lol

From The Age

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/player-agent-calls-for-legal-action-over-supplements-saga-20150810-givu34.html

* Player agent Peter Jess has called on the AFL Players Association to take legal action against Essendon and the AFL for an alleged failure of duty of care in not preventing the Bombers' 2012 injecting program. Jess, who manages former Bomber Nathan Lovett-Murray, will meet with players' association executive Ian Prendergast and lawyer Brett Murphy on Tuesday to argue why action should be taken.

■Worksafe Victoria confirmed on Monday it was still investigating the AFL and Essendon for alleged breaches of occupational health and safety, having cleared the nine remaining Victorian clubs in February.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/essendon-shuffle-deckchairs-as-damage-from-drug-scandal-continues-20150810-givmd2.htmlis about the forthcoming Essendon review written by Carro.

Some extracts:

- Essendon chief executive, Xavier Campbell, only guaranteed one position in the review and that was Hird's.

- ...the review...had little to no input from football department bosses Neil Craig and Rob Kerr.

- The strong impression is that another legend Tim Watson, is losing faith in Hird.

- Thompson nominated...those three men (Dank, Robinson, Hird) as the key architects and instigators of the program which was heavily punctuated with injections. He said that some board members knew what was happening also.

- the move to install Craig and Kerr at the head of the football department has not sat well with Hird

- appoint (Campbell) such a relatively young and inexperienced chief executive into a crisis management situation - particularly one so linked to the then suspended coach - was another misstep by Little.

So Hird and his CEO mate, Campbell are having the review to get rid of the people Hird doesn't like! To entrench their own positions? It beggars belief but it seems, Hird is firmly in control!

Where is the Board! They have abdicated their governance responsibility, again!

Where is Little! Looks like he has put his head in the sand.

What does Hird have on these guys!

Keep it going, Its fantastic. Train smash in slow motion....

I repeat that either:

A) the club knew what was being given to the players

- if it was legal we would know about it by now. Hence it was clearly illegal.

or B) the club didn't know what was given to the players.

-which is actually as bad if not worse that they would experiment on young players like that

Footy clubs keep meticulous records on everything. There is nothing left to chance. Particularly when you are running a 'cutting edge' program that costs around $600-700k. They wantto know the levels of improvement or otherwise on each player. It is simply implausible that they did not have records.

The questions I don't get are why the players are still behind Hird? Why aren't parents, player managers, wives and partners up in arms about this? If I had "concrete injected into my arse" I would not be happy...

James Hirds view of the club he loves.

Hird is poison.

Maybe the biggest punishment that club can get is having him stay on as long as possible.

No, everything is under control.

James Hirds view of the club he loves.

That's the ACTUAL view! Here's what Tird sees: