monoccular

As always, the MRP and tribunal will, in their totally impartial and reproducable manner, determine each case on its merits depending on - which player e.g. Franklin or Viney, - which club e.g. 'important club' or 'also rans', - early to mid season vs approaching finals and a 'franchise player'. That is how it has always happened and I see no reason that it will be any different this season.

Given the moral scruples of those in charge here I would not be at all surprised were there are a few numbered anonymous bank accounts in Zurich that could benefit certain folk back here.

Oh, yeah. The "Integrity Branch" or whatever joke name they give it will do their usual under table, under carpet brushing. Why duck for cover. Does anyone doubt he will be better than Stringer

In such an integrity filled environment, one could question how many of those record numbers are individuals, and perhaps how many hundreds or thousands could be names filed by rich benefactors perhaps Little? I know personally of several EFC members who have refused to re-sign.

Absolutely no way that Gil would let any meaningful punishment befall one go their darling 'special clubs'. The have brought our game into disrepute and when very generously and undeservedly given an opportunity to call it quits and move on continue to drag the game through the gutter. They actually deserve total disbandment, which of course will never ever happen. Too much $$$$$$$$ at stake both from TV rights and now more importantly gambling money.

Hitler failed in Russia because his supply line was too long....ran out of the good stuff. EssUndone's supply line has run out...though they do have a new pharmacist I guess the club still needs to earn the trust of their supporters. A bit like politicians saying they deserve to be treated with respect: they have no inherent right to respect - they just need to earn it Good points barney and small.

Sounds as if he has many of the attributes that make a very good (at least) player. Still, some are never happy. Self preservation techniques? Sorry. Tongue in cheek?

Way back when this all started I seem to recall reading that any substance that has not been approved for human consumption is banned. In addition from the listed substances approved for human consumption there is a list of banned substances. So, for a substance to be ok for an athlete to take it must firstly be an approved human consumption item, AND be one that is NOT banned.

Fair call, dee-lauded, but one can't go into a game knowing that you can't kick at all with both feet Do they have specific rôles at Collingwood? Fantastic. Looks a decent spring presumably from the "bad" foot. Can anyone comment on how well he ran?

He may not be a lock in for CHF FF and his marking hadn't been reliable, but nevertheless it is sad to see him as a result of another / same injury being, again, unable to show us if he has improved and earned his place. Especially being the last year of his contract. As pointed out above he has always given his all and has always given guidance to the younger players. Would he be offered some sort of coaching / mentoring rôle? Great opportunity for Pedersen and Frost, and later on in the season maybe Weideman or even Huelett

A vintage Schadenfreude does linger rather nicely on the palate The crime and corruption commission (or whatever it is called) needs to look into the conflicts of interest that abound in the AFL hierarchy.

It will be interesting to observe just what effect all this crap, and duplicity on the part of the AFL will have on attendances this season. One can bet that if attendances are down, and surely they will be for EFC matches (unless 'neutrals' go along just to boo and jeer), that Gil will spin some tale justifying it all. Or maybe they will just fudge the figures.

I notice that you use "he" in this sentence. Is that because it would be totally inappropriate to use "Gil" and "honourable" in the same sentence?

I am sure the soothsayers would say that was only because his preferred foot wasn't up to it, due to Mark Neeld

Thanks all for the reports great to hear that ball movement seems more precise and that more seem to run ahead into space Salem's hammy a worry though - could be a very important player especially with Milkshake missing

At this stage presumably only a training jumper

I suspect there may be plenty of booing should Gil dare show his face - or even one of his faces - at the footy I suspect that they may be very very wary of doing that again But as I read it their insurers are paying the bill. Does anyone know who are their insurers? If I find out and have any policies with them I will change insurers pronto, and let them know why in very clear words. A public campaign should be launched to name and shame their insurers. I suspect part of the ploy may be that in return for funding their appeals they may have to sacrifice the right to sue EssUndone later for any health issues - physical or mental - resulting from this shameful episode of human experimentation.

daisy - I am sure that someone the ilk of Dank could offer you a certain cure for such an ailment...and all others And, all WADA compliant I am sure they would say Ah Great that some here are still old enough to to be Python fans "fwee Jab " The AFL may never have considered that their pure, drug free, integrity boosted competition could ever fall foul of WADA or CAS . Havent had time to dream up their typical "on the run" solution yet Kangaroo courts don't generally depend on any consideration of evidence. They just make up their minds regarding who is charged and who it will effect or upset.

In that case Gil is highly likely to run with it ?

Incompetence is far too kind a slant on this sordid episode. Corrupt is even a bit kind, but I struggle to find a term to describe it better.

WADA for the media?! ? They certainly wouldn't find any performance enhancing drugs, but could possibly find some other stuff....wine, beer, spirits??? 1, 2 and 3 are all mutually exclusive, but 4 is an independent factor. I could add to biggestred 5. Records were kept at Essendon and are now hidden - mutually exclusive to 4. 6. Records were not kept by Essendon which makes them incompetent, WorkSafe non-compliant, and totally unethical.

Like the EssUndone Board and Bruce Reid's (rumored/alleged) letter?

If Dank told me that the sun rises in the east, I would look for it in the west. If he said it is midday, I would grab a torch before going outside. He has zero credibility. Zero. Even less than the AFL Commission if that is possible

You understate the prosecution case They not only failed to tell ASADA on multiple occasions, as I understand it they actually denied taking any supplements when asked. There is a big difference there - a whole new order of magnitude. Not saying yes is very different from saying no. I suspect that a certain Mr D*^# could offer some injectable substance that could be claimed to revive or even reincarnate said horse, or at least have it entered into some secret unrecorded experiment / trial. Wasn't a key part of WADA's case at CAS that they forgot about the injection? Sorry - misread. You said injunction.

Was this dreamed up by Gil - or perhaps the all to obviously underutilized integrity department - as a distraction from their ongoing pandering to those found guilty by CAS of drug cheating? As Hellfish so correctly points out, did their map of Australia stop at the Wilson's Prom lighthouse? OMG they are dumber than I thought How much input did they take from the "minor clubs" as opposed to the "important ones"? I would be interested in Peter Jackson's thoughts.