Interesting post, as always, Whispering. 

Was as talking to my wife about it. Says one thing she can't understand is why nobody has approached the clinic where the injections were given, even taken legal action against them to uncover the truth. (She is a midwife in a major hospital. Assures me nurses only allowed to give injections under a doctors orders, and detailed records must be kept. )

 

Interesting post, as always, Whispering. 

Was as talking to my wife about it. Says one thing she can't understand is why nobody has approached the clinic where the injections were given, even taken legal action against them to uncover the truth. (She is a midwife in a major hospital. Assures me nurses only allowed to give injections under a doctors orders, and detailed records must be kept. )

Just another aspect of this saga that hasn't been uncovered ... why haven't the players, the AFL, the EFC, our media and various other organisations demanded to see these records from the anti-aging clinic? (even just to find out if the records actually exist)

 

Just another aspect of this saga that hasn't been uncovered ... why haven't the players, the AFL, the EFC, our media and various other organisations demanded to see these records from the anti-aging clinic? (even just to find out if the records actually exist)

because there has hardly been even a whiff of investigative journalism done in this saga.  The media generally reported little but leaks from self-interested parties plus articles designed to bring comfort to EFC supporters or those who think only Chinese athletes deserve examination for drug cheating. 

 

Just another aspect of this saga that hasn't been uncovered ... why haven't the players, the AFL, the EFC, our media and various other organisations demanded to see these records from the anti-aging clinic? (even just to find out if the records actually exist)

because you don't go looking for things you don't want to find if they might be contrary to your narrative

that covers the efc, the afl and the majority of the media, but still leaves a lot of other interested parties. a mystery, same as the other parties key to the administration of supplements. a royal commission or something similar would be required to even have a chance of finding out 

what has happened to true independent investigative journalism with the courage to ask the hard questions without agenda? when the state government employs 1100 spin doctors what hope do you have?

 

because there has hardly been even a whiff of investigative journalism done in this saga.  The media generally reported little but leaks from self-interested parties plus articles designed to bring comfort to EFC supporters or those who think only Chinese athletes deserve examination for drug cheating. 

From day one it was quite clear that our media was a combination of the following factors ... lazy, incompetent, negligent and hopelessly compromised.

Our media ended up feeding a general public what they wanted to see and hear ... that was the agenda but it was always going to be quite exposed if the players were found guilty and subsequently banned for a decent length of time.

Those thinking that this saga is over need to do a re-think.

 

because you don't go looking for things you don't want to find if they might be contrary to your narrative

that covers the efc, the afl and the majority of the media, but still leaves a lot of other interested parties. a mystery, same as the other parties key to the administration of supplements. a royal commission or something similar would be required to even have a chance of finding out 

what has happened to true independent investigative journalism with the courage to ask the hard questions without agenda? when the state government employs 1100 spin doctors what hope do you have?

Not to mention the players ... if they truly are "innocent victims" then they certainly haven't really acted like innocent victims normally would act ... after all, it was the players who received the injections at the anti-aging clinic. No one held a gun at their heads ... 12 on their list at the time weren't charged (yet all we ever seem to hear about is Zaharakis and his supposed fear of needles)

The players are also the ones who should be pointing the finger and asking questions ... but all they've seemed to do is say that they've done nothing wrong ... and most have believed them (up until now)

The players have also denied not knowing what they were injected with (yet signed off on the supplements that were to be injected with) and ... withheld details of those injections from ASADA.

My my there's been a lot of fibs told, dc.

From the moment Vlad rang David Evans and "Tipped him off" it is obvious that the AFL as well as Essendon have not wanted the true facts exposed. 

But the AFL has done it wearing an Iron Fist. 

The WADA Code was joined so that they could secure Govt. Funding. A clean sport is way down the agenda..as long as the TV rights are signed then all is good. 

Yes the address of the offsite injection clinic. Never mentioned. 

A 2nd clinic near Caulfield Racecourse got a front page in the HUN for a day then never mentioned again. 

Did Chip mention it in his novel?

i should read it but i know most of it is fluff

 

From day one it was quite clear that our media was a combination of the following factors ... lazy, incompetent, negligent and hopelessly compromised.

Our media ended up feeding a general public what they wanted to see and hear ... that was the agenda but it was always going to be quite exposed if the players were found guilty and subsequently banned for a decent length of time.

Those thinking that this saga is over need to do a re-think.

I suppose so, Macca, but I find the dreaded Baker and Mackenzie are usually on the ball. I suppose even a hard-hitting investigative reporter would have trouble getting information out of a medical centre (patient confidentiality and all that).

i bloody hope Hunter succeeds in his action. Surely he should have some rights. Having to take legal action to find out what you were injected with.....? Jeez. And his mother is a doctor, I noticed - no wonder the family is concerned. (anyway, I suppose they've always got Bomber's assurance that whatever they took, it could cure cancer) 

 

I suppose so, Macca, but I find the dreaded Baker and Mackenzie are usually on the ball. I suppose even a hard-hitting investigative reporter would have trouble getting information out of a medical centre (patient confidentiality and all that).

i bloody hope Hunter succeeds in his action. Surely he should have some rights. Having to take legal action to find out what you were injected with.....? Jeez. And his mother is a doctor, I noticed - no wonder the family is concerned. (anyway, I suppose they've always got Bomber's assurance that whatever they took, it could cure cancer) 

We might have at least found out whether there are records or not,  ... you're right jara, getting the details of those records might be tricky but couldn't each individual player demand them? ... it's not too late for the records to be uncovered

Again, I'm of the belief and always have been that the players have a lot to answer for.

You've raised a very good point, all the same. I wonder if it's crossed the mind of anyone in the media? My guess is 'yes' but for various reasons, it didn't happen.

 

 

 

what has happened to true independent investigative journalism with the courage to ask the hard questions without agenda?

Indeed. Perhaps, it's because there are no traditional journals operating any more without agendas? Perhaps, nobody's truly independent any more? In the case of our own media, we had Murdoch with a generally pro EFC, pro Hird agenda, that was so sycophantic that it became unreadable. Fairfax generally swung the other way but had the benefit of the likes of Tim Lane and Jake Niall but I don't think there are enough in the media willing to stare the AFL and its power clubs down hard enough to get at the truth of every matter. Fairfax also has Baker and McKenzie whose investigative work exposed Dank but one has to wonder why the full results of their investigative work was never published - perhaps, legal threats?

The hope for investigative journalism might well become the small independents or perhaps Hird could open the Pandora's Box this evening if he's led by Holmes to the night of that phone call from Demetriou to Evans? 

I also wonder why Eddie McChins has been so uncharacteristically reticent. 

 

 

Indeed. Perhaps, it's because there are no traditional journals operating any more without agendas? Perhaps, nobody's truly independent any more? In the case of our own media, we had Murdoch with a generally pro EFC, pro Hird agenda, that was so sycophantic that it became unreadable. Fairfax generally swung the other way but had the benefit of the likes of Tim Lane and Jake Niall but I don't think there are enough in the media willing to stare the AFL and its power clubs down hard enough to get at the truth of every matter. Fairfax also has Baker and McKenzie whose investigative work exposed Dank but one has to wonder why the full results of their investigative work was never published - perhaps, legal threats?

The hope for investigative journalism might well become the small independents or perhaps Hird could open the Pandora's Box this evening if he's led by Holmes to the night of that phone call from Demetriou to Evans? 

I also wonder why Eddie McChins has been so uncharacteristically reticent. 

 

Where is Patrick Smith?

Has he retired i wonder from The Australian?

i know he was quite sick last year...

not a word from him...

Alright, time for the comedy event of the year

Turned it off already. She might as well have her hand in his pants.

I couldn't help myself. I tuned in for 1 minute just to see the interview set up. Who are the rent a crowd people in there? 

 

 

I couldn't help myself. I tuned in for 1 minute just to see the interview set up. Who are the rent a crowd people in there? 

 

They were selling tickets!

It's all in his eyes....guilty as charged.

 

I hate to be a pedant Bb, but I think you confused the Sun and Moon.

apparently he flew too close to the Sun,  & got burned,  so is looking for some shade (moon), dark side.

It's a pretty free for all James Hird fap-a-thon.

He's thrown everyone under the bus, except the players.

In fairness, his support for the players has been consistent.

"We saw photos, we saw a spreadsheet of Thymomodulin.

"Why did we have to prove that we were innocent?"

Well, because that's the way the drug code WORKS, Jim!

 

Interesting post, as always, Whispering. 

Was as talking to my wife about it. Says one thing she can't understand is why nobody has approached the clinic where the injections were given, even taken legal action against them to uncover the truth. (She is a midwife in a major hospital. Assures me nurses only allowed to give injections under a doctors orders, and detailed records must be kept. )

obviously dank hasn't been brought forward,  as there are more worm-cans,  more than the current one open.  Danks not the issue.  The corruption is from those who invited/brought him into that club.

From Titus O'Reilly

Tracey Holmes: Do you ever doubt yourself?

Hird: Sometimes I think there are people I've forgotten to blame. 

 

Turned it off already. She might as well have her hand in his pants.

She would have been disappointed

I only caught the last few minutes, but heard him say he still had faith in what Stephen Dank was doing because "what would Stephen Dank have to gain from doping his players?"....seriously, what a moron. There is such an obvious answer to that question, I can only assume he actually knows the answer, but isn't letting on.

He completely dismissed the CAS findings even though that finding found that those 34 players had with held information during interviews 

they are not innocent James. If they were why would important information be with held??

Well, what a steaming pile that was.

For those who didn't watch it, it covered exactly no new ground, and revealed nothing at all that hasn't been known for ages. Holmes read out from a list of prepared questions and regardless of what Hird answered, simply went on to the next question.

No followups from Tracey to any question at all. Except for a few minor "how did that make you feel" fluff.

Eg. when Hird said that Robinson and Dank were in the high performance unit under Hamilton and he had nothing to do with any of them. But at some point a meeting was held to discuss sacking Robinson and Dank .... at Hird's home. Obvious followup: if you had nothing to do with the high performance unit, why was the meeting at your home?

Or when asked about Robinson ... "I think he made mistakes. Big mistakes." Obvious followup: what mistakes did he make? But nothing. Next question.

Or when Hird said that he still believes that the players took no banned drugs. Obvious follow up: how do you explain the text from Dank to you talking about thymosin?

By the way, the word "thymosin" was not mentioned at all. Hird was careful to use the word (once) "thymomodulin". (The not-banned one.)

Most questions were a setup. "James, here was a situation which paints you in an unfavourable light. Can you explain how that was someone else's fault?" And James duly obliged.

The first 5 minutes were for Jim to say how sorry he is and how he accepts a measure of responsibility. The rest was open season on throwing people under a bus, or if Holmes placed them in front of a bus, Jim didn't attempt to pull them out of the way.

She went through a list of people for James to take a free swing at. (And he did.) Holmes: "The first name obviously, would be ..." (Dank?, thinks I.) "... Andrew Demetriou."

AFL, ASADA, CAS ... all happily sacrificed the 34 players on the basis of zero evidence.

If any of you played drinking game where you took a swig if "the players", "I'm doing it for the players" was mentioned, you would be in no position to be reading this. You wouldn't be able to turn on your computer.

It was Holmes' impression of a hard hitting interview. A failure on that front. A Today Tonight interview would have revealed more.