TOPIC:

ShinyDuck wrote: "100's if not thousands of injections"

If they weren't doing anything dodgy why did Thompson and Reid tell them to stop?

And if they didn't take the Beta 4 stuff they imported from China and compounded, where is it then?

The club never purchased TB-4 ever. They never imported it. They never compounded it. The business you refer to in China has nothing to do with the EFC and was between 3 individuals acting in their own interests. That's why the case of ASADA's failed because they can not place TB-4 at the club. The tribunal did not even consider if the players were actually administered TB-4 because their is no evidence to satisfy it existed. TB-4 was only ever dragged in to the saga when it was clear ASADA's case against AOD had fallen over and they needed to save face. Even McDevitt concedes that they do not know what that drug was and clearly by issuing SCNs without any evidence to back up its presence at EFC made a captains call to proceed anyway in complete defiance of what his own investigators advised him against doing. And lets not forget those injection numbers you mention and that everyone keeps squealing about contain all AOD and vitamin shots in an attempt to enhance & promote negative public opinion against the club even though these substances were not under investigation. ASADA huffed and puffed, bluffed then aggressively bluffed again by issuing the SCNs and when it came time to show their hand they were holding nada.

This case was always about AOD and yes if ASADA hadn't fucked up EFC would be as guilty as sin. The irony of that would now be that they would have been found guilty of using a substance that is now deemed fit and safe for human consumption even in baby food. This whole thing should have ended the moment it was made clear AOD was not going to be pursued and most likely would have been if not for the entry of a gung ho trigger happy McDevitt whose governance should now be under scrutiny after ignoring the advice from his foot soldiers who actually investigated the case. As for the EFC governance penalties yes the club I support deserved them and we will hurt for the next decade with the loss of those draft picks unless of course the players remaining on our list grow a few extra feet. gain a couple of extra legs maybe sprout some wings to suit the new game plan Hird has been working towards all this time

So Geelong Gero believes that ASADA won't appeal. Hope he's wrong. It's crap that they get off simply because they a good paper shredder. The AFL have lost it. What would have happened if it was a club like the W Bulldogs? Would Andy Fatman and Gil have protected them? In this case, money talks, truth walks.

I don't know why everyone saying Essondon and Hird got off Scott free. Didn't they loose all their games in 2013 and got kicked out of the finals because of this and got fined a million dollars or so and Hird was suspended for a year.

Dirty Weekender wrote:

ShinyDuck wrote: "100's if not thousands of injections"

If they weren't doing anything dodgy why did Thompson and Reid tell them to stop?

And if they didn't take the Beta 4 stuff they imported from China and compounded, where is it then?

The club never purchased TB-4 ever. They never imported it. They never compounded it. The business you refer to in China has nothing to do with the EFC and was between 3 individuals acting in their own interests. That's why the case of ASADA's failed because they can not place TB-4 at the club. The tribunal did not even consider if the players were actually administered TB-4 because their is no evidence to satisfy it existed. TB-4 was only ever dragged in to the saga when it was clear ASADA's case against AOD had fallen over and they needed to save face. Even McDevitt concedes that they do not know what that drug was and clearly by issuing SCNs without any evidence to back up its presence at EFC made a captains call to proceed anyway in complete defiance of what his own investigators advised him against doing. And lets not forget those injection numbers you mention and that everyone keeps squealing about contain all AOD and vitamin shots in an attempt to enhance & promote negative public opinion against the club even though these substances were not under investigation. ASADA huffed and puffed, bluffed then aggressively bluffed again by issuing the SCNs and when it came time to show their hand they were holding nada.

This case was always about AOD and yes if ASADA hadn't fucked up EFC would be as guilty as sin. The irony of that would now be that they would have been found guilty of using a substance that is now deemed fit and safe for human consumption even in baby food. This whole thing should have ended the moment it was made clear AOD was not going to be pursued and most likely would have been if not for the entry of a gung ho trigger happy McDevitt whose governance should now be under scrutiny after ignoring the advice from his foot soldiers who actually investigated the case. As for the EFC governance penalties yes the club I support deserved them and we will hurt for the next decade with the loss of those draft picks unless of course the players remaining on our list grow a few extra feet. gain a couple of extra legs maybe sprout some wings to suit the new game plan Hird has been working towards all this time

The only thing that could not be proven was the admisnistration of the PED to the players, the sole reason for this was the appauling lack of record keeping at EFC, clearly this in itself is unacce[table.

Senior Seagull wrote:

Victorian Falcon wrote: Personally ,I think Essendon got off on the "Sergeant Schultz Clause" used by many politicians & wealthy personalties..." i known nothing". Questions I would like answered are... Who was sold on Danks' scheme would be good for Essendon FC.? Who actually convinced the Club to employ him? Surely that person has the knowledge & understands the process of the program? Or do they just employ someone on a rough outline of a injection program? I do not believe the players are at fault here.They put their trust & faith in the Club would not take decisions that would jeapodise their health or careers. However under the rules sportspeople are responsible for any medication they take, so in this case they must bear some blame. The Club have shirked responsiblity by taking the control of this injection program away from their Club Doctors' & having the it administered at rooms across the road from Windy Hill. No logging of what was injected or the number of injections by their own medicos. What happened to the letter forwarded to the Club with apprehensions & concerns raised by Dr.Reid? Nobody other than "Honest Steve Danks" has a record of the program that was administerd. Convenient, that as person not registered as an AFL employee, he cannot be forced to give evidence at an AFL or ASADA investigation. Meanwhile the Club claim " we know nothing", but still know enough to state what was administered was not illegal. Sorry, to make that claim, you have to know what drugs were involved! If the scheme is as clean as they maintain why was Dean Robinson & Steve Dank forced out of the Club as pariahs. To the players...you have been thoroughly let down by your Club...in my opinion your penalty of missing a final series is enough for you. James Hird misses a year of coaching to be reimbursded with a million dollar holiday in France & attending a very exclusive & expensive business course. To have no supposed knowledge of what their players in the Clubs care were injected is an absolute disgrace! Keep the players & medical staff in thd dark & if the shit hits the fan...we revert to the "Sergeant Schultz Clause" & play dumb. We know it has worked with others in past & hopefully it will for us. Admit nothing & above all take don't responsibilty for anything...especially if our arses are the line!!!

Great summation VF. Everyone except delusional Bombers fans can see this for what it is, just another saga swept under the AFL's very large and bumpy carpet.

That's about the size of it SS.

Gent you can guarantee that if WADA appeals this Essendon will be in serious trouble, and as another poster said previously the AFL wont be able to help Essendon if that happens.

The players have received show cause notices, regardless of what the tribunal has ruled currently, under WADA rules if you get a show cause notice its up to you to do exactly that, show what was injected into you, and show that injection didn't contain anything on the banned list,

Everyone knows the Essendon played got injections, hell they admitted that themselves, so under WADA rules it will be up to Essendon players to prove what was injected and how it wasn't banned under drug laws if WADA appeals what the tribunal has said.

If the tribunal comes out next week and hangs Robinson or Dank, then WADA will appeal not long after that...........

I'm astounded that the AFL tribunal was prepared to accept that no records were kept detailing exactly what was given to the players. of course records were kept and Dank and Hird know exactly what was injected. If I were the tribunal I'd say they are guilty unless they can prove otherwise...put the onus of proof back on those two dead beats.

BC wrote: I'm astounded that the AFL tribunal was prepared to accept that no records were kept detailing exactly what was given to the players. of course records were kept and Dank and Hird know exactly what was injected. If I were the tribunal I'd say they are guilty unless they can prove otherwise...put the onus of proof back on those two dead beats.

That is all.

Get over it you lot they were found NOT GUILTY!

What would be troubling me if I was one of the players involved in this sorry saga is that the case wasn't proved primarily on the fact that there didn't appear to be any documentation as to what was in the injections. It is amazing that someone like Jobe Watson stated that it would be a relief to go to bed and not have the last thought prior to going to sleep that they have a suspension hanging over their heads. Instead they have no idea what they were given and as a consequence have ABSOLUTELY no idea what the short, medium and long term consequences to their health. Personally I know which one I would prefer.