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So all of a sudden it appears Essendon, even though being pharmalogically experimental, were acting within the advice supplied to them by ASADA. Hope ASADA man up and take the rap for this confusion they've created or we are in for one of the biggest legal battles this sport will ever see. Another govt body trying to justify their existence is what this whole debacle is starting to smell of, or maybe they were just raising these issues as a distraction for the ALP as many have suggested. Either way I'm feeling a lot better about my club's future today.

Dirty Weekender wrote: So all of a sudden it appears Essendon, even though being pharmalogically experimental, were acting within the advice supplied to them by ASADA. Hope ASADA man up and take the rap for this confusion they've created or we are in for one of the biggest legal battles this sport will ever see. Another govt body trying to justify their existence is what this whole debacle is starting to smell of, or maybe they were just raising these issues as a distraction for the ALP as many have suggested. Either way I'm feeling a lot better about my club's future today.

DW I hardly think that the above post is the most reasonable post that I have read in the past few months. The ACC, ASADA and WADA are hardly complicit in any ALP conspiracy theory.

It is an interesting development particularly for those who have been calling for Watson to have been summarily suspended.

We shall have to wait the outcome of the ASADA inquiry as I have said on many occasions previously. When that has been completed then the consequences of Essendon's actions will be there for all.

One possible scenario if no Essendon player is sanctioned would be a law suit against Essendon brought by the sports scientist who formerly worked at Essendon.

Another salient point is that there is still the indisputable fact that one of the substances was not passed for human consuption.

Just a little more "info"


An extract from an email written by Dank to Mazzoni in February 2012 read:

"Good evening Irene. I'm hoping to obtain confirmation on a polypeptide, AOD-9604."
Mazzoni's response read:

"Dear Steve, as I mentioned during our telephone conversation, you should contact your national anti-doping organisation, in this case ASADA, as certain drug preparations may differ between countries. Such seems to be the case with AOD-9604."
Contradicting Dank's claims that AOD-9604 has been given the green light by WADA, the agency last week confirmed the drug is banned for use in sport because it has not yet been approved for human use anywhere in the world.

According to the email evidence, Mazzoni made this clear to Dank early last year. In another email she wrote:

"Please be aware that there is a section in the prohibited list, S.0, that deals with non-approved substances. Therefore even if the substance or similar substances do not appear listed it does not automatically mean the substance is permitted."
Dank appears to have dismissed her advice, he replied:

"Thank-you for your reply and the confirmation that the product, or any related product, does not appear on the prohibited list."
Following this, Mazzoni issued Dank with another caution about the drug and it's status within Australia. She wrote:

"I could not find that it had been approved by any government regulatory health authority. That's why I say to contact ASADA to check its status in Australia."
ASADA has declined the ABC's requests for information on the exchanges it had with Stephen Dank last year about AOD-9604 and other supplements.

Meanwhile, a report on Essendon's governance and practices has been completed and is expected to be made public early next week.

The report, carried out by former Telstra boss, Ziggy Switkowski should shed some light on how club officials apparently relied on Mr Dank's advice and allowed questionable supplements to be administered to Bombers players.

Gday Swan42, After hearing what Gerard Whateley had to say on AFL360 last night it appears that ASADA have informed Essendon that under code S.0 the drug in question was not prohibited during 2012. S.2 of the WADA code has it on the banned list from Jan 2011 but ASADA have not had it on the banned list until April 22, 2013. They are the Australian authority whose job it is to interpret(for lack of a better word) WADA's code and provide guidance and understanding of this for our our sporting institutions ie AFL, NRL etc. If they have f....d it up then why should Essendon take the fall for their incompetence especially considering they contacted ASADA for advice relating to this specific drug before beginning to use it. When the police f..k it up things get thrown out of the courts and as the Australian authority on this surely there can be no other result here. Of course I'm only going on what Gerard Whateley had to say last night with these comments but he usually isn't too far off the mark.
My point about "justifying their existence" goes back to when this scandal first broke. The headlines across Australia had the media screaming for blood and that AFL was riddled with performance enhancing drugs. It appears that this is not the case and never was which is contrary to how all this was initially reported. And yes after hearing some of ASADA's guys talking about these issues I believe they were complicit in the scare-mongering that occurred. One might say happy to have the cameras pointed their way.
The ALP conspiracy theory of course is just a tongue in cheek comment. Politics don't interest me one bit.

As you've said, it will all come out over the next few months. Considering where I felt my club was at 2 weeks ago where I genuinely feared for our future it appears on legal grounds we may at least have somewhere to stand now.

this saga keeps taking new twists it seems. it feels like the essendon club is about to explode given the latest revelations. 3 key bomber excecs have left the sinking ship, and now Hird himself has conveniently named 3 rival clubs based on nothing. If that is not a cheap shot i dont know what is. Hird is swinging with both arms, not dignified. Reading all of this it is just incredible the depths with drugs essendon was prepared to go too to enable them to "so-called" catch up to other clubs. Some bloody amaturish advice thats for sure. what ever happened to steak & eggs 2 hours before a game, as sam newman would always say. yes strange but true. then again some players had a smoke at half time too

Cant imagine how Eddy Everywhere will handle this. I think any love or respect he had for Hird might just about be down the river. Its going to get messier for essendon i think.

jardine wrote: this saga keeps taking new twists it seems. it feels like the essendon club is about to explode given the latest revelations. 3 key bomber excecs have left the sinking ship, and now Hird himself has conveniently named 3 rival clubs based on nothing. If that is not a cheap shot i dont know what is. Hird is swinging with both arms, not dignified. Reading all of this it is just incredible the depths with drugs essendon was prepared to go too to enable them to "so-called" catch up to other clubs. Some bloody amaturish advice thats for sure. what ever happened to steak & eggs 2 hours before a game, as sam newman would always say. yes strange but true. then again some players had a smoke at half time too

Cant imagine how Eddy Everywhere will handle this. I think any love or respect he had for Hird might just about be down the river. Its going to get messier for essendon i think.

Jardine, I have a mate who played WAFL in the 70's and he was once telling me that the trainers sometimes used to bring cigarettes AND beer out for some senior players at the quarter and 3 quarter time huddles. He was just a wide eyed 20 year old at the time! Not sure if he was having me on but certainly times have changed!

mikeh wrote: Jardine, I have a mate who played WAFL in the 70's and he was once telling me that the trainers sometimes used to bring cigarettes AND beer out for some senior players at the quarter and 3 quarter time huddles. He was just a wide eyed 20 year old at the time! Not sure if he was having me on but certainly times have changed!

some of this is actually quite true mikeh. this type of thing was not unusual.

i can remember watching eastperth play at fremnatle oval in the 70s i think. it was early in the reserves game so the crowd was still small. we watched an east perth trainer (smoking at the time) jump the fence while the game was on, go up to the canteen and buy a heap of food, then go back to his posting on the boundary. at the quarter time siren he went up to one of the EP players, who proceeded to help him scoff down some of this food. So no dietary restrictions back then!! its very funny thinking about these things , but god how i loved footy back then. innocence was bliss.

this essendon thing just reiterates how blatantly off track we have become in the whole football scheme of things.

lift weights, train hard and eat well. thats the only "supplement" programme AFL clubs should be doing. No more stupid pills of any kind - enough is enough with these clowns who have too much ego & time on their hands. Another worthless job for the boys. i dislike how our game is being ruined from the top. the real examples are at the lower levels. in the wafl you get 2 years for drugs. in the AFL you get 3 chances. you would think it would be the other way around. Demetriou & his commission are a disgrace.

So a bit to happen on this today. Expecting the AFL to make a statement, should be coming through very soon. I am not sure how any punishment can be handed down now, it is only an interim report.

Dirty Weekender wrote: Gday Swan42, After hearing what Gerard Whateley had to say on AFL360 last night it appears that ASADA have informed Essendon that under code S.0 the drug in question was not prohibited during 2012. S.2 of the WADA code has it on the banned list from Jan 2011 but ASADA have not had it on the banned list until April 22, 2013. They are the Australian authority whose job it is to interpret(for lack of a better word) WADA's code and provide guidance and understanding of this for our our sporting institutions ie AFL, NRL etc. If they have f....d it up then why should Essendon take the fall for their incompetence especially considering they contacted ASADA for advice relating to this specific drug before beginning to use it. When the police f..k it up things get thrown out of the courts and as the Australian authority on this surely there can be no other result here. Of course I'm only going on what Gerard Whateley had to say last night with these comments but he usually isn't too far off the mark.
My point about "justifying their existence" goes back to when this scandal first broke. The headlines across Australia had the media screaming for blood and that AFL was riddled with performance enhancing drugs. It appears that this is not the case and never was which is contrary to how all this was initially reported. And yes after hearing some of ASADA's guys talking about these issues I believe they were complicit in the scare-mongering that occurred. One might say happy to have the cameras pointed their way.
The ALP conspiracy theory of course is just a tongue in cheek comment. Politics don't interest me one bit.

As you've said, it will all come out over the next few months. Considering where I felt my club was at 2 weeks ago where I genuinely feared for our future it appears on legal grounds we may at least have somewhere to stand now.

DW I have maintained my position during the calling for Jobe Watson's head that it would be up to ASADA to determine whether any infractions should be issued. The standing of AOD9604 is very much at the core of some of Essendon's problems. Neither you, me or Gerard Whateley knows whether there will be infraction notices due to the taking of AOD9604. Certainly WADA has maintained that it has always been a banned substance. I suspect that if there are infraction notices due to AOD9604 there may be a lesser suspension than the 2 years.

With respect to Essendon losing points, draft picks etc on the surface it seems to be an unsustainable position that Essendon has not brought the game into disrepute. If it comes down to a fight between the AFL and Essendon the best that Essendon can hope for is a Pyrrhic Victory.

Shame Shame Shame on ASADA & the AFL for allowing the Essendon players to have their names dragged thru mud by the media for over 6 months when they have known since mid Feb that AOD9604 was a S2 category drug and fit for human consumption with over 20yrs of medical trials and investigation, not S0 as so loosely stated by pathetic media like Ms C#ntface Wilson and not prohibited by WADA until 22/04/13. Both organisations knew and they said nothing hiding under the guise of an investigation is in process. It's absolutely ridiculous that this information is just now coming to light. Shame Shame Shame. One can only hope the AFLPA asks the cronies at AFL house why they chose not to protect their brand and the most important people in it, the players, when clearly they've had evidence contrary to the shite the media has been delivering on a daily basis. As for this Mexico drug story, seriously how gullible do the media think we are. Andrew Demetriou, to say you have no conflict of interest in sitting on the ruling committee over the charges the AFL have laid on Essendon when you've had this info since mid Feb shows how clearly out of touch you've become. The fact he's allowed this to happen on his watch is a disgrace. Hird may or may not have done wrong because he has been misled by someone he trusted but I ask what's your excuse Andrew? One small press release back in mid Feb and we wouldn't be in the middle of one of the blackest seasons this game has ever had. Not only have the players been let down by the CEO but so have the fans, the 2 most important groups of people in football, the game you are charged with working on behalf to the best of your abilities. Shame Shame Shame!!!