TOPIC:

A previously unreleased 2008 AFL report into West Coast Eagles' drug issues through the 2000's has been published by News Corp.

The report, compiled by retired Victorian Supreme Court judge William Gillard, found a culture of drug taking was in place at the club during 2003.

"Most of the players would have known by 2004 that some of the senior and better players were dabbling in illicit drugs," Gillard's report said.

"Yet nothing was done.The players concerned were playing good football."

The report said the drugs problem was based on'success, arrogance (and) a belief that what the players did in their own time was their own business'.

West Coast won a premiership in 2006 and also made the Grand Final in 2005.

There was evidence midfielder Chad Fletcher, who was found unconscious in Las Vegas during a post-season trip in 2006,was showing players and others in a nightclub, an image on a digital camera of what appeared to be the drug ice some days before his near-death experience, according to the report.

The leaking of the report comes a day after former captain and Brownlow Medallist Ben Cousins pleaded guilty to 11 charges, including stalking and drug possession.

Uncovers the flop eared CEO as a bit dishonest at the very least

It might have been unreleased but we all knew what was going on at the weagles and most of the other clubs, I think that this smacks of a deal done, wait 10 years and then release what ever you want, new chair and CEO.

The fact is that as more than one Journo has said, they aren't or weren't any different to most other clubs in the AFL, NRL etc.

Old news!

Grump it isn't anything to do with how old this one is - the WCE top to bottom are liars and it's officially proven now this was ignored for the sakes of the almighty premiership

Spot on Southey that is how it is , nothing has ever been done about it either.

Well i was there in '06, definitely takes alot away from what was a great game and great year.
Downright embarrassing as a paying member for the past 15 yrs.

Was always suspected on some level but such a widespread cover-up?

A pretty disgraceful and embarrassing era for West Coast and they did their best to cover up and or ignore it, but as has been said many times they were no orphans, how hard did the AFL work to cover up the goings on with many players at the Hawks, a number on 2 strikes, maybe that's why a big forward with a couple of strikes got the hell outa dodge for a new start. These were illegal and illicit drugs but were they performance enhancing? Benny boy was hugely into the gear, tested and tested and tested but never positive on a game day or at testing done at training, pretty awefull stuff but not in the same league as the prince and his band of juiced up Bombers.

Mcbob wrote: Well i was there in '06, definitely takes alot away from what was a great game and great year.
Downright embarrassing as a paying member for the past 15 yrs.

Was always suspected on some level but such a widespread cover-up?

The must disgraceful thing about all this, is nothing was ever done about it, the club has never been fully held to account, further certain members of the management are still in place and still on very, very good wickets.

I don't cop this "every other clubs was doing it BS" from what we know , there is no other club with the same sort of issues as WCE, and the old shoplifter excuse of "oh everyone nicks stuff - why cant I " Is out out piss weak.

I'm not an Eagles supporter and I'm not here to defend them, but isn't this old stuff that has already been dealt with?? Everyone knows it was pretty disgraceful but this just seems a rehash of what everyone knows?? Maybe I'm missing something.
Is it the revelation that the club knew about it pretty early but let it go on because the players were performing? Thought that was common knowledge too.

Southerner wrote: Grump it isn't anything to do with how old this one is - the WCE top to bottom are liars and it's officially proven now this was ignored for the sakes of the almighty premiership

Agreed but why weren't they held to account by the AFL, WAFC et al. The reason i believe is that once you start to air the dirty linen of one place the defence is well what about them and then the AFL has a bigger issue and I am not sure they were equipped to deal with it then and even now. look at the Essendon process, an embarrassing process to say the least (the drugs notwithstanding)! There is no defence for the behaviour but at the end of the day the product is all that matters to the ówners'.

Can we say then that the Sydney FC actually went back to back 05 & 06?