What's peoples thoughts on what Aker wrote in the Herald-Sun?

I agree with him 100%, there are plenty of people using this drug, you can use it once and get many weeks of extra performance out of it. Also you can use it on a Monday and be tested on a Saturday and the drug will be out of your system.

Thoughts?

He's the biggest tool in AFL history.

As for the issue of drugs, I agree with most, it needs to be policed and monitored better.

He's the biggest tool in AFL history.

As for the issue of drugs, I agree with most, it needs to be policed and monitored better.

Michael Braun's ability to play consistent quality football nowadays, after having a knee that was completely torn to pieces, has been very impressive.

Michael Braun's ability to play consistent quality football nowadays, after having a knee that was completely torn to pieces, has been very impressive.

Impressive enought to warrant suspision?

Impressive enought to warrant suspision?

Suspicion from the biggest ego in the AFL who can't hack or accept that other footballers are fitter than he is. If someone beats him, they must be cheating. Whether Braun is drug free or not, Aker has now got the excuse he's always wanted and can label anyone with a better engine a drug cheat.

His writing style is worse than an 8 year old and is all about self promotion.

I find it somewhat ironic that a player is named publicly based solely on the suspicions of another player yet the names of the 3 players who have tested positive are kept a secret (OK you can google easily enough to find out who they are so maybe not that much of a secret.....)

Jason Akermanis and Seven should be taken to the cleaners in the courts over this.

Suspicion from the biggest ego in the AFL who can't hack or accept that other footballers are fitter than he is. If someone beats him, they must be cheating. Whether Braun is drug free or not, Aker has now got the excuse he's always wanted and can label anyone with a better engine a drug cheat.

His writing style is worse than an 8 year old and is all about self promotion.

Agreed.

What a complete self-serving, egotistical moron.

If he really thinks Braun, or any of his opponents are using drugs, that's fine. He is entitled to, even should speak to the right channels IN PRIVATE. Why didn't he call the AFL and speak to someone about it, why did he have to go and splash it all over the newspaper? Oh that's right, because he wants attention.

He's a [censored], and while I wouldn't be surprised to know that the entire West Coast team is doped up, this revelation would be better off coming with some proof and from someone with more credibility than Aker!

Suspicion from the biggest ego in the AFL who can't hack or accept that other footballers are fitter than he is. If someone beats him, they must be cheating. Whether Braun is drug free or not, Aker has now got the excuse he's always wanted and can label anyone with a better engine a drug cheat.

I think that's an over simplistic way of looking at it. Whether you like Aker or not, there's a few irrefutable facts about the guy:

- He's a very good footballer

- He, more than any of us, would have a very good idea about the typical fitness level of an AFL midfielder

Aker isn't just saying the bloke was fitter than him. He implied that this particular player seemed to have superhuman fitness. Aker would have played enough footy against enough incredibly fit taggers to know what a fair level of fitness was. He'd have also been beaten by players with bigger engines more than a few times in his career, but he's not accusing them ALL of being cheats. Only one.

I tend to believe him on this one.

I tend to believe him on this one.

I have sympathy for genuine whistle blowers. Personal attack, ex-communication, threats to sue are all treatments they receive for exposing truth.

But Jason Akermanis seems to have had a whistle placed in his cot from the moment he was born.

Nah, i prefer the simplistic view. The guy's a tool and self promoter with very poor writing skills.

The guy's a tool and self promoter with very poor writing skills.

That doesn't mean he's wrong about this.

I have sympathy for genuine whistle blowers. Personal attack, ex-communication, threats to sue are all treatments they receive for exposing truth.

But Jason Akermanis seems to have had a whistle placed in his cot from the moment he was born.

The other piece of info I heard (not sure if this is true or not) is that Aker named Braun to the drug agency, and it was subsequently leaked from there. (It's definitely true that Aker did NOT name Braun directly to the media). If this is true does this make him a genuine whistle blower?

That doesn't mean he's wrong about this.

Spot on.

The other piece of info I heard (not sure if this is true or not) is that Aker named Braun to the drug agency, and it was subsequently leaked from there. (It's definitely true that Aker did NOT name Braun directly to the media). If this is true does this make him a genuine whistle blower?

If David Hicks deserves to be treated with the respect that the rule of law affords to all citizens then surely Michael Braun deserves to be treated with the same respect. For him to be named and charged because one opponent suspects him for the reasons given is absolutely appalling.

By all means, let's find the drug cheats and get them out of the game but let's not have these witch hunts whereby people's names and character can be blackened on the flimsiest of evidence.

If David Hicks deserves to be treated with the respect that the rule of law affords to all citizens then surely Michael Braun deserves to be treated with the same respect. For him to be named and charged because one opponent suspects him for the reasons given is absolutely appalling.

By all means, let's find the drug cheats and get them out of the game but let's not have these witch hunts whereby people's names and character can be blackened on the flimsiest of evidence.

I completely agree Jack but that had nothing to do with Aker.

Aker (allegedly) told the drug agency that he suspected something was up. IMO as a professional footballer it is his duty to do so if he has questions. That isn't blackening Braun's character. It's the media who has blackened his character.

I think that's an over simplistic way of looking at it. Whether you like Aker or not, there's a few irrefutable facts about the guy:

- He's a very good footballer

- He, more than any of us, would have a very good idea about the typical fitness level of an AFL midfielder

Aker isn't just saying the bloke was fitter than him. He implied that this particular player seemed to have superhuman fitness. Aker would have played enough footy against enough incredibly fit taggers to know what a fair level of fitness was. He'd have also been beaten by players with bigger engines more than a few times in his career, but he's not accusing them ALL of being cheats. Only one.

I tend to believe him on this one.

Yeah, I agree Nash & I think that what Aker's really trying to do is pressure the powers that be to clean up the game.

EPO & other similar drugs it seems give the cheater a huge increase in stamina, endurance, & recovery. Just what you need to become an elite running midfielder in an elite running midfield.

The sort of endurance that could give you the belief that you can out run anyone down the road, over the hill, across the lake, or down to the local restaurant for a quick snack.

Maybe even win Premiership flagsss.

I think that's an over simplistic way of looking at it. Whether you like Aker or not, there's a few irrefutable facts about the guy:

- He's a very good footballer

- He, more than any of us, would have a very good idea about the typical fitness level of an AFL midfielder

Aker isn't just saying the bloke was fitter than him. He implied that this particular player seemed to have superhuman fitness. Aker would have played enough footy against enough incredibly fit taggers to know what a fair level of fitness was. He'd have also been beaten by players with bigger engines more than a few times in his career, but he's not accusing them ALL of being cheats. Only one.

I tend to believe him on this one.

There was no reason for him to go public with this allegation. It serves no purpose.

He may very well be correct, but he should have gone about exposing this player in a private manner through the right channels, NOT through the media.

If he was accusing one of our own, I'm sure you'd feel differently.

The players sign a confidential agreement with drug testers and the league, and Aker disrespected that agreement. Even if he didn't name the player publicly, he raised the issue in a very public arena when he should have gone to the drug agency and kept it quiet. Instead he threw every journalist and his dog a bone, and the issue escalated out of control.

He has a big mouth and he should learn to keep it shut on such sensitive issues.

I completely agree Jack but that had nothing to do with Aker.

Aker (allegedly) told the drug agency that he suspected something was up. IMO as a professional footballer it is his duty to do so if he has questions. That isn't blackening Braun's character. It's the media who has blackened his character.

And it's the AFL that is tarnishing the games integrity & reputation by not taking powerfull action years ago to eradicate all these drugs from our game. They should be testing for blood doping wide spectrum.

There was no reason for him to go public with this allegation. It serves no purpose.

It opens the public's eyes to what is going on. Remember, Aker did not name names, or even really supply enough information to be able to reasonably deduct who it was. He provided a fairly abstract example of a situation he found sus.

IMO stopping the AFL from putting a blindfold over our eyes in regards to drugs in our sport is a worthwhile cause.

Like it matters if Braun is caught using EPO or something similar. He, just like Cousins, is an interstate player, he will be given a slap on the wrist told he is a naughty boy and sent to his room to think about what he has done instead of being banned for life. Anyone caught using illegal drugs of any sort ie recreational/performance inhancing, should be kicked out not sent to the US to do rehab then put back in the team a few months later.

<_<

Like it matters if Braun is caught using EPO or something similar. He, just like Cousins, is an interstate player, he will be given a slap on the wrist told he is a naughty boy and sent to his room to think about what he has done instead of being banned for life. Anyone caught using illegal drugs of any sort ie recreational/performance inhancing, should be kicked out not sent to the US to do rehab then put back in the team a few months later.

Exactly! i think Danny Ward, Simon Goodwin aqnd Kieran Jack would be, and should be [censored] off for thier minor crime.

There is no proof that EPO exists in the AFL, and Braun's reputation has been soiled because of one person's accusation which has no evidence to back it up. Not a great situation for the AFL

The EPO issue is a tricky one, my understanding is that the current way we test players makes it unlikely that anyone will be caught while using it, but it's expensive to do the more accurate tests.

Does anyone know how Michael Braun's name was linked to the Aker comments. I have read akers column, as well as seen aker on TV but never does he ever mention a name. I know aker has now informed the drug agency of his suspicions but where did the media draw Braun's name from.

Anyone out there got a clue to this riddle?

There is no proof that EPO exists in the AFL, and Braun's reputation has been soiled because of one person's accusation which has no evidence to back it up.

Who's that one person? I hope you don't mean Akermanis.

I've read the Akermanis article. Aker does not name anyone.

Does anyone know how Michael Braun's name was linked to the Aker comments. I have read akers column, as well as seen aker on TV but never does he ever mention a name. I know aker has now informed the drug agency of his suspicions but where did the media draw Braun's name from.

Anyone out there got a clue to this riddle?

From what I've heard, the story is that Aker spoke to ASADA or whoever, and the name was subsequently leaked. Akermanis would have to be a complete idiot to leak the name himself - he obviously spoke to legal eagles before the article was published.

Like it matters if Braun is caught using EPO or something similar. He, just like Cousins, is an interstate player, he will be given a slap on the wrist told he is a naughty boy and sent to his room to think about what he has done instead of being banned for life. Anyone caught using illegal drugs of any sort ie recreational/performance inhancing, should be kicked out not sent to the US to do rehab then put back in the team a few months later.

If someone was caught using EPO or the like, they wouldn't get a slap on the wrist, regardless of Club location.

From what I know Cousins was never actually caught by the AFL, and there was also no insinuation that he was using 'performance-enhancing' substances.

He may very well be correct, but he should have gone about exposing this player in a private manner through the right channels, NOT through the media.

If he was accusing one of our own, I'm sure you'd feel differently.

Unless you know something about how Ch. 7* got hold of the name, Akermanis didn't expose this player in a private manner.

If it was a Melbourne player, I'd be even more indignant that Ch. 7* decided to air this specific allegation of drug cheating at XYZ without substantiating it.

*I heard it was Ch 7 that originally mentioned Braun. If it wasn't, replace with whoever did

Who's that one person? I hope you don't mean Akermanis.

I've read the Akermanis article. Aker does not name anyone.

*I heard it was Ch 7 that originally mentioned Braun. If it wasn't, replace with whoever did

Atleast Aker has some guts....something we need at the club. I'm sorry he went to the Doggies, would have loved him at MFC. :rolleyes:

The Aker article on it's own is not that sensational. A professional sportsperson saying that they believe they have competed against people on drugs is pretty ho-hum. Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett have both said something similar in the past.

And Aker is right to highlight the inadequacies of the drug-testing programme. 500 tests a year for 600+ plus players doesn't quite work out.

ASDA is a joke. If they question Aker then they've got to ask every player in the AFL. And Aker was stupid to name a player knowing that it could be leaked and ASDA was stupid ask him. The first question that they should have asked him was, "What evidence have you got?" If the answer is none then there's no need to ask any further questions.

How and why it was leaked is another matter worth discussing. The name was leaked very quickly...