rumpole

Yes, it was truly disgusting that Melbourne followed the same formula adopted by half the clubs in the AFL and endorsed by the AFL CEO of sending players for early surgery when the season was shot, experimenting with players in different positions, bringing in youth even when they might not be quite ready and officials joking around but when a club put thousands of syringes of an unknown substance into its players' veins it's only damaging the game. No shock and awe there at all. Also off topic, I found this gem in the Footy Almanac article A legacy into which Paul Roos is tapping mentioned on a different thread:- Not sure if Dinny made any comments about Zulus when he added the adder into the committee meeting but he was obviously starting a tradition of levity at the MFC that stretched for half a century until a po faced journalist and a rogue puritanical regime of AFL hypocrites put an end to the fun. No such restrictions at the EFC ATM where they can still wave around syringes filled with Mexican jumping juice and do it with impunity. I'm with Dinny. Bring back the snake!

Word out that Caro is going to deliver Essendon an almighty whack in tomorrow's Age.

I dislike it intensely when legal counsel try to fight their clients' cases in the media. Smells of desperation to me .

When the club was knocked back last year the indication was that if we had another poor year, we might qualify. If we win only six games this year we borderline qualify on the basis of our cumulative poor record. This is especially so in the case where all we would be getting is an end of round 1 draft pick as WJ suggests.

The names are in the public domain thanks to Ralph but here's the passage with names redacted:- If he can name the non-Essendon players, why not the Essendon ones OR is it Herald Sun policy only to protect the anonymity of the Bomber players?

Apparently a few clubs have put feelers out for Griffiths from Richmond who has had injury problems in the past and now is struggling to get a game over there. Could be handy as a cover to provide key position forward depth.

DemonAndrew, don't lose sight of the fact that the use by individuals of recreational drugs is in a different category to programmes involving the use of performance enhancing drugs. Both are a problem and their use problematic but one issue should not be used to muddy the waters or be used in a PR campaign involving the other.

It's not been said anywhere that Zaharakis has been exonerated. There was a suggestion that he wasn't injected because he doesn't like needles but I understand that peptides can be ingested without injecting which is used because its quicker acting. So really, they all remain under suspicion of being drug cheats and won't be exonerated in the minds of the majority of the public until the case has been heard.

WADA CODE: 11.2 Consequences for Team Sports If more than two members of a team in a Team Sport are found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation during an Event Period, the ruling body of the Event shall impose an appropriate sanction on the team (e.g., loss of points, Disqualification from a Competition or Event, or other sanction) in addition to any Consequences imposed upon the individual Athletes committing the anti-doping rule violation.

Anyone see AFL 360. Robinson was absolutely repulsive complaining about anti Essendon "propaganda" in a segment that was complete pro-Essendon propaganda. Basically said the Essendon players had everything ticked off by their doctor but where does that leave Doc Reid?

What I am finding difficult to understand is the constant whining from the Essendon camp about ASADA leaking information to the media when independent enquiries reveal that ASADA hasn't been leaking at all. That leaves the AFL and EFC as possible leakers and judging from some of the material leaking out, you don't have to be Einstein ...

Quite right. Not a single shred of evidence whatsoever if you ignore the several thousands of documents, some of them over 100 pages, including statements and records of hundreds of interviews, some of them lasting up to 9 hours and statutory declarations from witnesses including chemists, nurses, club officials, the players themselves, waiver documents, receipts, SMS's and lots more accumulated over 16 months of investigation ... nothing ... nada ... zilch ...

Throws a different complexion on things because it tell us that the players weren't bullied into going into the programme and they were very careless about getting involved in what was obviously a dubious programme.

It's not a matter of questioning her veracity. It's more about the way she deals with her material. In that respect, she can be brilliant at times as she is in the Essendon doping article but at other times she's an absolute [censored]. Robbo tells the truth in his articles as well. It's when he starts expressing his opinion, he gets problematical.

Alcohol. Ruled out but did they conduct any another tests.

The Lions are still getting a better run from the media than we did in the last two years. Leppa hasn't had the blowtorch put on his coaching and I even heard discussion on one of the Fox panels where it was suggested the club was not far off getting a priority pick. Now that's a joke given they won 10 games last year last made the finals in 2009 and haven't finished among the bottom four recently. They have Buckley's chance of getting assistance any time soon.

Over at Talking Carlton the "Sakc Malthouse!!!" is into page 64. Meanwhile, things are hotting up on the "R4: Carlton v Melbourne (Post Match Rant Rave and Vomit)" thread where they want to burn the place down. Does this sound familiar?

Point 1 (AFL) - this is what I and many others have been saying for some time. Point 2 (Dutton) - it's certainly being painted as an "oversight" at the moment but I will reserve my judgement until I know more about how this all happened at such a crucial time in the saga and if there are going to be replacements, who they are. Forgive me for my cynicism but I have prior experience in dealing with government departments.

I wonder how long it will take for something like this to occur in the AFL - ARU rules Israel Folau out of Force clash? I'm also betting the first player so outed will be a Demons player.

That would fly in the face of Roos and his policy of holing back his young players at Casey until he thinks they're ready. He would be hugely embarrassed if those young Carlton players were instrumental in our going down today.

She wouldn't have been counting on the shameful amateurism of the AFL in the way it sought to engineer an outcome with the preservation of its competition at the forefront or of the bungling (and perhaps worse, it's meddling) of the government. Dank is feigning anger about the latest farce involving the lack of an ADRVP quorum ATM but I suspect that he's quietly laughing out of the side of his face. The delay will bring temporary respite to him, Essendon, Hird & co and the players but in the end, it's only going to further drag out the pain.

Political interference? Nah ... not possible.

In the first place, nothing in the quoted caption makes that clear at all. Secondly, your post related to trusting EFC or ASADA but stated you were neither "agreeing nor disputing" his position. Thirdly, I pointed out some good reasons to dispute his position and why many don't trust Dank in this saga. Fourthly, you haven't come up with any rebuttal at all but instead chose to resort to insult. So who's the real buffoon?

It's indeed a pity that you haven't read more of this thread because it might help you understand why most wouldn't trust Dank. But if you think about it, the very story about him refusing to come forward with proof that the injected drugs were legal (he's apparently also signed a statutory declaration saying he has no records) until he could do so in court is exactly why many don't just not trust him but also hold him in complete contempt. Here is a man who claims the program that he and Hird oversaw at Essendon was completely above board and has proof to back it up has done nothing to calm the distress and suffering of the players affected and their families. Remember, these are the young men who were placed in his professional care and who has tossed them and their club under a bus. If he's telling the truth about the injections being legal then he owes them a professional duty to disclose what he caused to be injected into their bodies. Trust this man? Don't make me laugh!!!

The Hird-Archer medal has been scrapped but Archer says its got nothing to do with Hird's problems: Glenn Archer scrapped the Hird-Archer medal Sure thing.