Once again, the AFL get what they were hoping for.  Now no hard decisions have to be made Gil.  Mate, your brother is in a world of pain after being trampled by a horse and you must be as well with all those splinters in your backside after so much fence sitting.  Get out of jail card given to you by Jobe eh?

Edited November 11, 20168 yr by iv'a worn smith

1 minute ago, iv'a worn smith said:

Once again, the AFL get what they were hoping for.  Now no hard decisions have to be made Gil.  Mate, your brother is in a world of pain after being trampled by a horse and you must be as well with all those splinters in your backside after so much fence sitting.  Get out of jail card given to you by Jobe eh?

Disagree. Watson losing the medal was the easy decision although in the the AFL Commission didn't have to make it. The hard decisions are whether to award it to Cotchin and Mitchell and whether to develop a robust policy so a situation like this never happens again (ie, clear and transparent rules as to what trangressions which come to light after the award is made will result in a player losing the award).

15 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

"Jobe Watson has decided to hand back hs brownlow medal". Like he is some kind of hero.

Yet again the spineless administrators of our great game squib on a decision. Its not Jobes to give back and it has gone on way too long.

Not too often I feel sorry for Mitchell and Cotchin but they rightfully deserve their moment in the sun for winning the medal. As well as the financial rewards that go with it.

Would like to see them sue for lost earnings over the period.

Watson has finally done the right thing. All the comments by Watson and the support crew are just window dressing designed to make people feel better and gloss over the most shameful episode in the history of the game. 

But Junior you make a very good point. The AFL should have acted on this a long time ago, rather than allow Watson to hand it back. More window dressing that sends all the wrong messages regarding drugs in sport. As you state, spineless. Or that's just business and the way things operate in the AFL bubble.

Just now, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Disagree. Watson losing the medal was the easy decision although in the the AFL Commission didn't have to make it. The hard decisions are whether to award it to Cotchin and Mitchell and whether to develop a robust policy so a situation like this never happens again (ie, clear and transparent rules as to what trangressions which come to light after the award is made will result in a player losing the award).

The point I am making was that ALF executive have been relieved of making what, by any measure, would have been an unpalatable decision for some, but that is what management is required to do from time to time.  In my view the AFL continually abrogates its commission, which is should be required to discharge, rather than make the hard decisions.  They have a history of fluffing around.

Maybe Watson, like others including myself, just wants this to go away, this whole thing from start to finish has been a mess, let's put it to bed and get on with the new season, the one amusing thing in all this for me, was a news story a couple of days ago that Essendon were amongst the clubs who were fined for administrative breaches in regards to player whereabouts and it just seemed to fade away, as non news with past history and Whitfield implications ignored....my point about the whole anti drugs program is a circus run by clowns

Edited November 11, 20168 yr by Satyriconhome

Right thing to do Jobe but should have been done the moment you were proven guilty of using Performance Enhancing Drugs. Why has he waited so long, the final hearing results were known over a month ago? Reeks of tap on the shoulder to me.

1 minute ago, Hell Bent said:

Right thing to do Jobe but should have been done the moment you were proven guilty of using Performance Enhancing Drugs. Why has he waited so long, the final hearing results were known over a month ago? Reeks of tap on the shoulder to me.

Again, probablility that they were injected with a substance that has the potential to be performance enhancing

3 minutes ago, Hell Bent said:

Right thing to do Jobe but should have been done the moment you were proven guilty of using Performance Enhancing Drugs. Why has he waited so long, the final hearing results were known over a month ago? Reeks of tap on the shoulder to me.

Precisely

3 minutes ago, Hell Bent said:

Right thing to do Jobe but should have been done the moment you were proven guilty of using Performance Enhancing Drugs. Why has he waited so long, the final hearing results were known over a month ago? Reeks of tap on the shoulder to me.

If I were a PR type advising Watson, I'd suggest the best time to make the announcement is when there is the least likelihood of extensive media coverage. So I would tell him to do it on a Friday afternoon in a week likely to be a big news week. We've known that the week of the US elections was going to be a big news week, irrespective of that outcome, so it may well have been planned since the finality of the legal process that today would be the day.

20 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

Maybe Watson, like others including myself, just wants this to go away, this whole thing from start to finish has been a mess, let's put it to bed and get on with the new season, the one amusing thing in all this for me, was a news story a couple of days ago that Essendon were amongst the clubs who were fined for administrative breaches in regards to player whereabouts and it just seemed to fade away, as non news with past history and Whitfield implications ignored....my point about the whole anti drugs program is a circus run by clowns

But isn't that the problem Saty... people just want to forget it and move on but you can't do that until the perpetrators have admitted guilt

If you want a fantastic example of the required process look at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the end of the apartheid era. (And just to make it clear there is no comparison between drug taking in sport and the crimes of the apartheid era but there is a lot in the process of admission of wrongdoing, forgiveness and moving on )

6 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

But isn't that the problem Saty... people just want to forget it and move on but you can't do that until the perpetrators have admitted guilt

If you want a fantastic example of the required process look at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the end of the apartheid era. (And just to make it clear there is no comparison between drug taking in sport and the crimes of the apartheid era but there is a lot in the process of admission of wrongdoing, forgiveness and moving on )

So Hird, Dank, Robinson, Reid,  board of Essendon, Demetriou and a couple of others at the AFL, do the words 'hell freezes over" ring bells?

He has handed back the medal, I am more concerned how we are going to contain Essedon's revitalised midfield in games

Edited November 11, 20168 yr by Satyriconhome

2 hours ago, billy2803 said:

Watch how he will be treated as some kind of hero now.  Will be sickening.

 

1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Sainthood faster than Mother Theresa perhaps ........... he deserves no less !!

 

1 hour ago, Deeoldfart said:

He probably thinks this is the honourable thing to do, and he will be lauded for it.

And sure enough, on SEN ... this shows what amazing integrity he has. What a guy.

 

 

 

If only he'd showed such amazing integrity when Dank was handing out his elephant juice, this whole thing might never have occurred.

Well done, noble upstanding Jobe! (Not.)

Gil the Gutless will be really pleased - saves him from making a decision.  He will of course feign sympathy for poor Jab. 

Scene: AFL house. Gil McLachlan is dancing around his office.

GM: Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

(The door opens, Mark Evans enters)

ME: what's up Gil? what's all the racket? Are you on that web site I showed you again?

GM: Yes! Yes! Y-- oh, it's you, Mark. Great news. Unbelievable news. Really incredible. And no-one saw it coming!

ME: Are you talking about the US election? I didn't think you were a Trump guy.

GM: Oh, it's not that. It's better than that. (sings) It's the eye of the tiger, it's the cream of the crop ... dut! ..... dut-dut-dut! ....... dut-dut-dut! ....... dut-dut-dahhhhhhhhh!

(he starts shadow boxing)

ME: Well?

GM: It's Jobe, mate! He gave it back! He gave it back! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! It's the eye of the --

ME: I wouldn't have thought that's good news. Nothing to do with that whole mess is good news.

GM: Yes, but it means I don't have to ... to make a ...... to ... to make a ...

ME: What?

GM: (whispers) ... the "D" word!

ME: Decision?

GM: Don't say it! Don't say it! You'll ruin the moment!

ME: You know what this means, don't you?

GM: Yes! I don't have to make a ......... dut! ........ dut-dut-dut! .....

ME: It means now we have to work out what to do about Mitchell and Cotchin.

(GM freezes on the spot and turns white as a sheet)

GM: You mean ..... it's the "D" word after all?

ME: Yes.

GM: Oh my god. Now I know how Hillary Clinton feels.

ME: Come on Gil. Get a grip. Remember the other "D" word.

GM: You're right. Get a grip Gil. You can see a way through this. You can-- I've got it!!!

ME: What?

GM: Find me two women who can be crazy girlfriends. It seems Mitchell and Cotchin might have hidden from drug testers in 2012!

ME: Huh? An investigation of that could take years ... Of course! I take my hat off. You're a genius.

GM: No, Mark. I'm better than that. I'm a Deal Maker.

Say what you want about Essendon but the way Jobe Watson handled this, all class.

his own club (and probably all others) could learn a lot from him on how to handle these type of situations

24 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

So Hird, Dank, Robinson, Reid,  board of Essendon, Demetriou and a couple of others at the AFL, do the words 'hell freezes over" ring bells?

He has handed back the medal, I am more concerned how we are going to contain Essedon's revitalised midfield in games

I think you have hit the nail on the head.

None of the above admitted wrongdoing and other than "resigning" none have been punished and if anything they were financially rewarded

Anyway you should feel free to move on but for me it continues to be one of footballs darkest moments

4 minutes ago, Hellfish said:

Say what you want about Essendon but the way Jobe Watson handled this, all class.

his own club (and probably all others) could learn a lot from him on how to handle these type of situations

Encounter an unprecedented drug regime and ask no questions

Allow a quack to inject unknown stuff into you without checking with ASADA

Let this happen multiple times

Avoid telling drug testers that you're taking anything at all (apart from Panadol)

Run away from the captaincy to swill beer at the Ashes

Take your sweet time not doing the obvious, ie handing it back

All class

7 minutes ago, Hellfish said:

Say what you want about Essendon but the way Jobe Watson handled this, all class.

his own club (and probably all others) could learn a lot from him on how to handle these type of situations

Of all the players.... he is the most culpable........ he was the Captain of the Club.......... he was THE leader

7 minutes ago, Ted Fidge said:

Encounter an unprecedented drug regime and ask no questions HAVE SEEN INJECTIONS/DRUGS IN REGULAR USE THROUGHOUT PRESEASON AND GAMES AS PAIN RELIEF, INJECTED BY DOCTOR, NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS IN THE NEEDLE

Allow a quack to inject unknown stuff into you without checking with ASADA FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS FROM GOLDEN BOY COACH WHO ASSURED EVERYBODY IT WAS OK, CLUB DOCTOR DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE AN ISSUE

Let this happen multiple times NOBODY KNOWS NUMBER

Avoid telling drug testers that you're taking anything at all (apart from Panadol) ASADA'S VERSION WHICH i DO NOT BELIEVE

Run away from the captaincy to swill beer at the Ashes WAS SUSPENDED FROM GAME, HAD REPORTERS/PHOTOGRAPHERS UP HIS CLACKER 24 HOURS A DAY IN MELBOURNE

Take your sweet time not doing the obvious, ie handing it back WHY? IF YOU BELIEVE YOU DID NOTHING WRONG

All class

Sorry for the capitals but don't know how to change font colour

Edited November 11, 20168 yr by Satyriconhome

13 minutes ago, Hellfish said:

Say what you want about Essendon but the way Jobe Watson handled this, all class.

his own club (and probably all others) could learn a lot from him on how to handle these type of situations

Yeah.....nah !!!

1 hour ago, Hell Bent said:

Right thing to do Jobe but should have been done the moment you were proven guilty of using Performance Enhancing Drugs. Why has he waited so long, the final hearing results were known over a month ago? Reeks of tap on the shoulder to me.

He'd have been accused of making it all about him in the throws of the season if he'd done that.  If not that, someone would have found some other way to pan him over it.  There's no pleasing people with the timing of things like this.

I read his statement and to me it was as good as I'd hope for in the context of being a player who received a ban for drugs.  It doesn't mean it was absolutely good, or that he's a hero, or that I admire him, it's just that I thought it was appropriate under the circumstances.  I don't think it would kill people just to give him that nod.

11 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

Sorry for the capitals but don't know how to change font colour

Satyr, it's Remembrance Day. No need to remind us of your horrific ignorance on the subject of drugs in sport.

Jobe, should have handed it back ages ago. Had any appeal exonerated him he could have had it back.

Hes full of shlt for mine.

Edited November 11, 20168 yr by beelzebub

20 minutes ago, Ted Fidge said:

Encounter an unprecedented drug regime and ask no questions

Allow a quack to inject unknown stuff into you without checking with ASADA

Let this happen multiple times

Avoid telling drug testers that you're taking anything at all (apart from Panadol)

Run away from the captaincy to swill beer at the Ashes

Take your sweet time not doing the obvious, ie handing it back

All class

And all this from the captain and most respected player at the club. such class

This will certainly be massaged into a win for Watson, EFC and the AFL instead of being as a result of his and his club's deplorable actions. He had no choice but to lose the medal due to being banned. It's not honourable or 'big' of him, he was banned for breaking the PED rules and carries the badge of being a drug cheat forever more. He may we'll be a nice bloke, but he, his team mates and his club have not been honest or open on this matter.