I'm between a rock and a hard place.
I want the scum to get harshly penalised but if Melksham goes down I'll be pizzed off that we've again been so forking stupid.
1 for signing Goodwin and 2 for signing Melksham.

I'm between a rock and a hard place.

I want the scum to get harshly penalised but if Melksham goes down I'll be pizzed off that we've again been so forking stupid.

1 for signing Goodwin and 2 for signing Melksham.

Ditto, but I want real justice even if it bites us on the arse. This thing is bigger than any club; bigger than the game.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but the decision off the club on Goodwin and Melksham would have to be the worst in the last 20 years, which is really saying something. Both will be rubbed out in my view, and we are unlikely to see Melksham next season, closely followed by Goodwin.

From all that we hear, Goodwin is a very worthy character, and a very astute coach, but the train is rocketing along the track now which will collide with all who were foolish enough to be associated with James Hird. WADA has made that very very clear in the last few days in Melbourne.

How we could have been so stupid to get ourselves involved in this is beyond me.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but the decision off the club on Goodwin and Melksham would have to be the worst in the last 20 years, which is really saying something. Both will be rubbed out in my view, and we are unlikely to see Melksham next season, closely followed by Goodwin.

From all that we hear, Goodwin is a very worthy character, and a very astute coach, but the train is rocketing along the track now which will collide with all who were foolish enough to be associated with James Hird. WADA has made that very very clear in the last few days in Melbourne.

How we could have been so stupid to get ourselves involved in this is beyond me.

Surely Roos would stay on for another 2 years if that eventuated.

It must be October!

Surely Roos would stay on for another 2 years if that eventuated.

It won't eventuate. There are no charges against Goodwin in place, even (nearly) 3 years after the event.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news ...

You're not the bearer of bad news. You're just overreacting.

You're not the bearer of bad news. You're just overreacting.

Amen to that bing.

1 for signing Goodwin and 2 for signing Melksham.

Goodwin won't go down with the players.

That will come later when WADA go after the coaches, using the results from the players' hearing.

Amen to that bing.

You tell 'em, OD. You're the bearer of bad news around here.

Sounds like WADA is annoyed with things down here. I suspect Old Dee's wet tram ticket may be drying out.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/supplements-saga/why-did-asada-drop-aod9604-wada-boss-wants-review-20151016-gkb81p.html

Sounds like WADA is annoyed with things down here. I suspect Old Dee's wet tram ticket may be drying out.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/supplements-saga/why-did-asada-drop-aod9604-wada-boss-wants-review-20151016-gkb81p.html

No wonder essendon have been so confident the whole time. What a moron that simonssen is

Sounds like tram ticket time for the AFL as well, except these ones might have resignations written on them...

You tell 'em, OD. You're the bearer of bad news around here.

Sounds like WADA is annoyed with things down here. I suspect Old Dee's wet tram ticket may be drying out.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/supplements-saga/why-did-asada-drop-aod9604-wada-boss-wants-review-20151016-gkb81p.html

Wet or dry sue it is still a tram ticket.

Wet or dry sue it is still a tram ticket.

But OD, it is the trend that counts. From dry ticket based on wood pulp to baseball bat is only a few steps. We will see.....

But OD, it is the trend that counts. From dry ticket based on wood pulp to baseball bat is only a few steps. We will see.....

Yep we shall sue.

I don't want them to get off

I just see that they will get very low actual penalties.

...ticket...bat...timber jinker !!!

...ticket...bat...timber jinker !!!

Good morning bb still praying for a belting I see?

Yep we shall sue.

I don't want them to get off

I just see that they will get very low actual penalties.

If they're found guilty and receive small penalties then that won't be the end of it. I'm leaning towards them being found guilty but I reckon the penalties may not be on the harsh side - but again, that's only a guess.

But, if they are found guilty then regardless of the penalties there will almost certainly be much more to play out - the players (especially those players no longer at Essendon) may sue the club and WADA may well go after the coaches and administrators. Worksafe could easily become heavily involved as well.

This whole thing could go on for years.

A guilty verdict has large consequences regardless of the penalties. If they're are found not guilty, you'd have to wonder what this has all been for. Think I'm right in saying that the AFL tribunal ultimately hands out the penalties but will the tribunal be in synch with WADA?

Good morning bb still praying for a belting I see?

no need to pray OD

Hypothetical

WADA wins appeal

AFL hands out watered down penalties

Then WADA will be straight back to CAS to apeal them.

There's no escaping the inevitable.

Hypothetical

WADA wins appeal

AFL hands out watered down penalties

Then WADA will be straight back to CAS to apeal them.

There's no escaping the inevitable.

And all the while the Bombers have been on a steady decline ... the investigation and the length of it has hurt that club and will continue to hurt that club.

Their own supporters are seemingly happy to see the club slowly but surely move on those included in the original 34 - whilst some might see that as a positive for them I see it as somewhat of a negative. Their culture is suffering and I can see them in the lower reaches of the ladder for quite some time as a result.

They could have avoided all that by coming clean and being totally transparent from the beginning.

It looks like there is no love lost between WADA and CAS!

'In an extraordinary retaliation in the countdown to a Court of Arbitration in Sport panel judging the most high-profile drugs case in Australian sports history, the secretary general of CAS has described the world's foremost anti-doping body as being "nervous"...Mattieu Reeb was responding to criticism of its functioning, tabled this week by World Anti-Doping Agency boss David Howman, saying his public critiques were unfounded and "unacceptable"...

"The latest opinion of the WADA director general about CAS demonstrates once again that WADA is getting nervous when an important CAS hearing is approaching," Reeb said. "By doing this, WADA is trying to discharge it in advance of any negative outcome. This method is unacceptable, especially from an institution like this. "The question is why these unfounded criticisms are raised so close to an important hearing …WADA erroneously believes that complaining publicly against CAS now can help explain any potential negative outcome in the Essendon case later."

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/wada-said-to-be-nervous-about-essendon-case-20151017-gkbj8l.html

The article says the result should be brought down within a few weeks of the case ending so around mid Dec.

I'm in the camp believing players will get a short suspension if found guilty. My view is based on the principle of 'timely justice' coming into play in negotiating penalties between player reps and ASADA/WADA before going to the AFL Tribunal.

Whatever the penalty I would be surprised if there was no 'game time lost' so maybe a 9mnth penalty (if they allow the ealier 'provisinal suspension', 6 months if they don't).

There is every chance suspended players will be on the park after the 2016 bye if a 1yr penalty...earlier if its less.

For those on here who argue for more than 1 year penalty I would like to see some reasons please.

For those on DL hoping for some favourable hearing for WADA at CAS it looks like it won't happen.

Pretty stupid of WADA to ruffle CAS feathers!

The clear measure I take from that article is that CAS is in control not WADA.

CAS will do its job: apply the law fairly and impartially without fear nor favour, which is as it should be.

I take from that article that CAS are not just an arm of WADA. They will look at this case straight down the line and won't take any guff from either WADA or Essendon. Which hopefully will give a just and appropriate outcome.

Hypothetical

WADA wins appeal

AFL hands out watered down penalties

CAS hands down penalties. AFL as the appropriate administrative body only get to a) endorse and b) enforce said penalties.

If there are penalties, they start from the date they're issued, i.e., last day of the hearing (unless there are mitigating factors, hard to see in this case). Which could easily be sometime in February or later. So even if any penalties get reduced to 6 months (hard to see how ...), he would still effectively miss next season.