sue

Try reading the first few pages of the thread.

Yes, sometimes true. But why all the hysterical comments before it is confirmed? It seems like some of us enjoy making dramatic statements of despair whenever half a chance arises.

Oh ye of little faith, the age of miracles is not yet past - Essendon apologises: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-18/bombers-apologise-for-sanfl-player-poaching/6143788 It's a start, maybe they'll apologise to the other 17 clubs, the AFL and footy supporters in general next. Then again.....

We'd probably get done for tanking

I wonder how much of the resistance to this idea is fear of talented sporty types (who are thinking becoming pros) deserting AFL for basketball, soccer etc. so they can start earning dosh earlier. Anyone know what draft ages those sports have?

No problem funding James' retirement from footy then.

Why do so many of us get into a tizz every time they do?

So these EFC scumbags will now destroy non-AFL clubs' seasons. I just love Essendon.

OD. If it was the MFC instead of Essendon in the drug-[censored], I wonder if you'd be talking about wet-tram tickets and 6 games? More likely you'd say we are about to be run over by the R-bus. (Trouble is, the way the AFL works, you might be right.)

Clearly the AFL does not want to remove Essendon from the comp. Will never happen. And doubtless given their supporter base, the AFL will want them to be a strong club, always in or near the finals. It remains to be seen how much help the AFL will give Essendon to get back on their feet (assuming they get knocked off their feet shortly). If they are too helpful a lot of us will be outraged. I fear they will be too helpful since the whinging of other clubs is less important than the $'s to the AFL.

A more likely scenario would be one of these ring-ins mocks one of our guys for a stuff-up who responds with a punch and gets suspended for x weeks. Of course our player should know better, but the provocation of being mocked by a ring-in may me more than being mocked by a real AFL player.

Getting off because there were no records is a recipe for mass cheating everywhere for anyone with a match on standby (or these days, a large magnet). The world of sport cannot condone that.

Most likely they were unhappy, but not unhappy enough to think it worth the fuss of appealing etc. So rather than saying nothing, they put a shot across ASADA's bows. Most likely they were more strident in private.

D14, you assume that the players won't play between now and the intervention of WADA and that that will happen by July. I'm assuming they will play and WADA's intervention will take a lot longer. Neither of us knows for sure. And yes, I also think it is in the interests of the AFL and Essendon to get this over and done with. But I'm not sure EFC sees it that way. Of course they will take a long time to recover, but a delay allows them time to develop new young players, trade others in while still fielding a team which is not a complete basket case during this process. That is a (minor) win for the AFL compared with EFC playing the same team (plus 8 players) they use in the NAB cup all year. Surely. (once again I'm assuming the players play while all this goes on.) In rebuilding they'd be in no worse a position than the Suns or GWS, probably a lot better, especially if the AFL bails them out with draft picks in a few years (as they probably will).

Except for the extra delay before the WADA axe fell. Another year and a few more players get too old, the list is turned over even more. In the meantime, EFC never have to field a too weak team (except during the NAB cup). That is a win for the AFL.

You are assuming of course that it was a leak from somewhere and not an invention somewhere along the line with a lot of detail added to make it look plausible. A fairly common trick. Add journos desperate for some copy and away we go.

EFC may well be playing the same team all year. (OK, with maybe 8 other guys)

The papers often run on-line polls, most of them pretty silly just to see if anyone is reading their rag. Have I missed it, or have they studiously avoided ones asking about the public's attitude to EFC and its shenanigans? I can understand why the AFL wouldn't, but why not the more general media.

I'm just postulating that their behaviour might be corrected by a sharp rap across the knuckles by the AFL - something that has not happened to date. Once they get run over by the reality bus and all they can see is the bus' exhaust pipe, maybe they will see the folly of pitching a tent in the 'bus only' lane. I agree the probability is not high.

I agree. However if the AFL actually hit them with sanctions (unlike the situation at Xmas), the supporters may start to think differently. Maybe a more probable result would be that the current board (which is presumably made up of relatively sensible business types compared to one-eyed supporters) may change direction.

If the AFL threatened Essendon with a severe enough penalty for not playing in the NAB cup, I wonder if there would be enough sensible EFC supporters to call an emergency general meeting and sack the board. Or would the current regime prevail?

Alternative view; there is one less mad bomber supporter on the Commission.

Double wow - before we start the usual ritual wrist slashing, why do we believe any of this?

Sadly all that would happen is that we'd have all that speculation in the first half of the year and again in the second half. While it might be shorter, it would be more intense. Personally this discounting of any sort of loyalty is a giant turn-off for me. Eventually it will all be as interesting to me as watching Coles and Woolworths battle it out.

Given how often the umps miss throws and ping players unreasonably for holding the ball, this may be a new tactic Roos is working on.