Essendon Football Club Drama

[Jewels]

It is far too risky to do this due to the possibility of drug related suspensions. There is no limit on the time that charges can be brought against players. It seems fairly clear that most of the team took WADA prohibited substances and it is only a matter of whether there is enough proof to sanction any particular players. For example, you could sign Hurley to a multi year contract and then he gets suspended for 2 years. What do you do?

In my previous post I noted that it might be the case that the entire 2012 Essendon list is effectively frozen from moving to another club.

David Zaharacus must be thanking his lucky stars for his fear of needles!

[CureTheSane]

It's looking more and more like the club has made a really bad call in sticking behind Hird.
One wonders what longer term ramifications the club will have to endure with ill will towards Hird etc.
When the player angst steamrolls and starts getting directed at Hird and the club, I would suggest that irrevocable damage will have been done and Hird being dumped in a few months will be a band aid, rather than a solution had it been done months ago.

Essendon should have taken a leaf from Adelaide's book - "we've screwed up, and want this dealt with ASAP to move on"
Instead they want to stand on thier tainted pedastool and cry out loud.
Problem is all the deaf ears out there...

[barry]

David Zaharacus must be thanking his lucky stars for his fear of needles!

I dont believe this "fear of needles". He just didnt want a part of doing drugs. Lets call a spade a spade.

[Jewels]

I dont believe this "fear of needles". He just didnt want a part of doing drugs. Lets call a spade a spade.

Whatever, he must be one very relieved boy!

[MightyBloods]

I hope Richard does us proud and walks into the presidents meeting and says "Dibs on Goddard" before anyone else can speak.

...there is a young kid by the name of Joe Daniher who would be a handy pick up. I wonder what he is thinking now of his choice of going to the Dons over the Swans by father son?

[ernie koala]

I know Wilson has been on Hird's case all year but I think she's right that he should just fold up his tent.

Instead of this whole legal charade the League should be able to charge a club with gross recklessness. It's not even complicated.

Agree. But with the Essendon board not having the spine , or sense, or both, to dump a clearly delusional Hird ..there seems little prospect of a conclusion any time soon.

As the saying goes ...."He thinks his @@@@ doesn't stink, but his farts give him away.".....

[ScottH]

...there is a young kid by the name of Joe Daniher who would be a handy pick up. I wonder what he is thinking now of his choice of going to the Dons over the Swans by father son?

Hmmmm. Now there's a thought.

[Swansongster]

Hmmmm. Now there's a thought.

If only we could let his mum decide.

[Triple B]

Hird's called a media conference in a few hours. Surely he must be announcing he is standing aside to concentrate on his legal battles and let somebody do some actual coaching.

[DamY]

David Zaharacus must be thanking his lucky stars for his fear of needles!

I think Zaka is gorgeous haha

[Industrial Fan]

Hird's called a media conference in a few hours. Surely he must be announcing he is standing aside to concentrate on his legal battles and let somebody do some actual coaching.

Or announcing that Roos is joining his staff next year...

[ScottH]

Hird's called a media conference in a few hours. Surely he must be announcing he is standing aside to concentrate on his legal battles and let somebody do some actual coaching.

Could be a community safety announcement.
The bombers are sponsoring a needle exchange program.

[AnnieH]

Hird has ALWAYS been a tosser.

Mate, your @@@@ DOES stink.

Badly.

I'd go and see a doctor about it.

Oh. Wait.


(I'm so happy our club has a no dickheads policy.)

[Ludwig]

According to this article from Dr Peter Bruckner

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/afl/afl-news/what-drugs-are-they-on-about-20130822-2seks.html

if the charges against Essendon are correct, there can be little doubt that they were involved in a systematic doping program. Whether the club was deceived by Dank, or they failed to adequately enquire about the WADA status, is still in question. But it would seem that many if not most of the players took prohibited substances.

When Mark McVeigh appeared on the panel show after the Dean 'The Weapon" Robinson interview, he was asked if he knew what substances he took. IIRC, he said he knew exactly what he took. So if he knew, then all the players were in a position to know. Perhaps McVeigh thought he was taking X and was in fact taking Y. In either case, the players would seem to be liable.

There is a recent case where an athlete ordered a drug that he didn't know was banned, but determined its status before taking the drug. He never took the drug. He still got 2 years.

I feel sorry for the players, in the same way I felt bad for Tippett. It's hard to go against your employer and your professional advisers. But I also agree with the strict liability provisions in WADA. I believe that it is estimated that 80% of athletes that dope don't get caught, so it's pretty hard for the regulators to keep on top of this. Players are given extensive instruction on doping, but not, as in Tippett's case, what their responsibilities regarding draft tampering.

In any case, either the AFL is going to look very foolish for grossly exaggerating the charges against Essendon or we have what seems to be the most serious case of team doping for any WADA compliant sport.

[Meg]

+1