La Dee-vina Comedia

But the Holmes-Hird interview will be conducted in the Ethics Centre, so I'm sure it will be fair-minded and unbiased.

Probably something to do with backdating, no fault clauses...

Just a couple of thoughts on matters raised in this thread. The trade: I have always assumed our club recognised that Melksham came with risks but knew that the risk for Essendon of keeping him was greater due to their need to offload some of the 34. If that was correct, I also assumed that we got Melksham at a cheaper price (in trading terms) than he would otherwise have cost. Perhaps we would have also had to offer a player as well as the pick we gave up, or there might have been an exchange of picks as well, if he was a risk-free trade. Whether we agree it was value for money or not is not my point. Only that the club thought it was and that the discount was worth it. Payments during the suspension: If players cannot be paid during their suspension, does that just mean they can't get cash added to their bank accounts by the club during their suspension? Could not the clubs have already pre-paid a substantial component and agreed to hold over the rest for a future season, thereby not depositing any cash but nevertheless fulfilling the remuneration commitments made? This would be consistent with McLachlan's statement that their payments would be part of the 2016 TPP calculations, even if they are not physically being paid during the period of suspension.

Reminds me of being a Uni student. 100% membership of the Australian Union of Students was achieved by having a compulsory fee which we had to pay, whether we wanted to be a member or not.

Well, I know I wouldn't be diving in at that end.

While I don't disagree with the sentiments above, don't forget Marsh is an employ of the AFLPA and may just be expressing the views he was asked to present by his Board. I can't recall who is no the AFLPA Board, but I think it's generally accepted they're from the deeper end of the AFL player gene pool.

Warning: The following might be full of errors. Feel free to correct anything that's factually incorrect. I understand that appeals of CAS decisions are rarely, if ever, pursued. Is it correct that a CAS decision can only be appealed on the application of the law rather than the merits? For what it's worth (and I'm not a lawyer), I would have thought that if the players believe that the outcome (meaning either the penalty or the finding) was manifestly unfair and given that only one of the current players was actually called to give evidence, I wonder whether the grounds necessary to lodge an appeal might have been met? Anyway, has anyone at Essendon or representing the players made absolutely clear that they will not be pursuing an appeal?

Mick Warner, Herald Sun

On a day when supplements are the main story, this: Herald Sun ‏@theheraldsun 18m18 minutes ago Freeze-dried supplements containing human poo are being tested for weight loss http://trib.al/bKGbHh6

I'm just glad we're not playing them in Round 1. Imagine the media all over the place at that game. I think whoever Essendon plays in that game will be under enormous pressure...and we don't seem to cope too well with going into games as favourite in the first place

That's not quite correct od. Fitzpatrick has pointed out that they want to give Jobe an opportunity to be heard as to his arguments why he should be able to keep the medal. Clearly that couldn't happen before today. I think it's a proper process. (And I think the AFL will have no choice but to take his medal from him.)

Sorry, ding. Sincere apologies. I didn't mean to offend. I had hoped someone else would pick me up for doing exactly the same thing but apparently irony can be hard to detect on this internet thingy.

AFL has confirmed EFC can top-up and promote all its rookies. Melbourne, PA and, St Kilda and Bulldogs can only upgrade rookies with immediate effect.

Seems a bit cowardly. Not game to do so in person?

I'm not so sure about this. We knew when we recruited Melksham that he came with this specific risk. Unless we got prior confirmation from the AFL that topping up would be allowed should he be suspended, it is arguable that we don't deserve the opportunity to top-up. Also, I'm not sure what the value of a top-up player might be. Presumably a top-up player is someone not considered good enough to recruit in the first place. Why would we want to play a top-up player ahead of every other (fit) player on our list?

Salmon and Garlic (sic). You're making me hungry.

BBO, please do not post any more selfies.

Well, dc, if you thought my language was too non-specific, let me make myself clear: Essendon stands condemned for cheating. It also stands condemned for damaging its players' health and livelihoods. And it stands condemned for damaging the whole AFL competition (meaning the brand as well as, once again, the football season itself).

On the other hand, they are likely to play more games than they might otherwise have expected.

No. It's much worse than I thought it was.

Wonder whether Carlisle will serve his 'snapchat' penalty concurrently?

No it's not. It's a terrible day. Saying it's a great day is like saying dropping a bomb on Hiroshima was great because it brought WWII to its end. But if CAS formed the view that the players (a) took a banned substance and (b) knowingly did so, then a terrible day is the day we had to have. We cannot allow drugs in any sport. EFC stand condemned for its cavalier attitude both with its lack of care for the rules and more importantly its lack of care for its players.

Except that this is CAS, not the AFL/WADA...although whether that makes it any more or less sensible I have no idea.

No wonder his first name is Christian. As Pontius Pilate once said: "You joke but he has both a responsibility to his contract to say nothing of to himself for his career He fcuked up. It was dumb and exhibits his naïveté early in his senior career. I'm not wanting to crucify him.... Just teach him." Absolute monty for the Rising Star award, too.

I think there's some latent and probably unintentioned 'veil of negativity' in this post. How much pressure would there be if we were, say 9 wins, 3 losses and Collingwood was the reverse?