Essendon affair

[barry]

We might win by forfeit, if ASADA issues infraction notices this week as is being reported in the newspapers.

Essendon may not be able to find 22 clean players on their list.

[hot potato]

We might win by forfeit, if ASADA issues infraction notices this week as is being reported

Essendon may not be able to find 22 clean players on their list.

Interesting , but the actual banning of players (if ever) is still a very long way off.

[aardvark]

Whisper is Horse is scouting Bombers VFL tapes. If the AFL stands down players issued with please explain notices it won't be much of a game. I wonder if channel 7 would still bother to televise it?

[DK_]

Whisper is Horse is scouting Bombers VFL tapes. If the AFL stands down players issued with please explain notices it won't be much of a game. I wonder if channel 7 would still bother to televise it?

If that's true, it's probably because he's expecting changes to a side that could barely scratch together a win against the Brisbane beating boys.

There's not going to be any suspensions this week, just issuing of show cause notices, after which the players have a chance to respond before they are suspended.

Not sure that their mind will be on the game though when they've just been told that their career is over because their coach decided that he wanted to cheat.

Given that they competed well with the top sides in the first few weeks if the season, but now struggle to beat the rear guard, I suspect they know what's coming and there's some serious issues down at Windy Hill.

[Matt80]

If that's true, it's probably because he's expecting changes to a side that could barely scratch together a win against the Brisbane beating boys.

There's not going to be any suspensions this week, just issuing of show cause notices, after which the players have a chance to respond before they are suspended.

Not sure that their mind will be on the game though when they've just been told that their career is over because their coach decided that he wanted to cheat.

Given that they competed well with the top sides in the first few weeks if the season, but now struggle to beat the rear guard, I suspect they know what's coming and there's some serious issues down at Windy Hill.

I think Essondon fans would be disappointed in the words that you have chosen to describe their head coach.

Let the AFL and ASADA work through the whole process and then judgements can be made.

If the bombers end up having a large majority of their list suspended, can the Bombers sign extra players from state leagues so they can put a team on the field for the rest of the season?

[Matt79]

I think Essondon fans would be disappointed in the words that you have chosen to describe their head coach.

Let the AFL and ASADA work through the whole process and then judgements can be made.

If the bombers end up having a large majority of their list suspended, can the Bombers sign extra players from state leagues so they can put a team on the field for the rest of the season?

Even if the Bomber players are given "Show Cause" notices there is a lot of water to go under the bridge before players start missing games. The players can appeal to the Sport Tribunal and then the Federal Court. This all takes time in which the players could keep playing. It will be I suspect at least 18-24 months before any players actually start missing games for all of this.

[DK_]

I think Essondon fans would be disappointed in the words that you have chosen to describe their head coach.

Let the AFL and ASADA work through the whole process and then judgements can be made.

If the bombers end up having a large majority of their list suspended, can the Bombers sign extra players from state leagues so they can put a team on the field for the rest of the season?

I acknowledge that I am relying entirely on media reports for my information and that the media is often wrong. However, it is appearing increasingly unlikely that the Essendon football club will escape without further sanctions because of its supplements program.

Given that no one has suggested that anyone but the ex-head coach drove the supplements program, and he has been suspended for irregularities with it, I would think that Essendon fans would have good reason to be disappointed with their coach rather than anything I've got to say.

As Essendon are tanking now, our team is playing them this week and my comments aren't going to prejudice the proper process, I don't see the issue with discussing it now, including who was responsible and what that says about them.

Having said all that, I'm interested in what the AFL will do about one of their biggest teams being gutted to the point of not being capable of fielding a team. There could be a whole lot of delisted players being offered a second chance.

I also wonder whether and how teams that have traded in Essendon players will fare/be compensated given they have done nothing wrong. I think I recall there was a couple from last year's trade period.

[hot potato]

Even if the Bomber players are given "Show Cause" notices there is a lot of water to go under the bridge before players start missing games. The players can appeal to the Sport Tribunal and then the Federal Court. This all takes time in which the players could keep playing. It will be I suspect at least 18-24 months before any players actually start missing games for all of this.

Exactly, lots of chill time before anyone will be (if ever) missing games.

[Matt80]

Even if the Bomber players are given "Show Cause" notices there is a lot of water to go under the bridge before players start missing games. The players can appeal to the Sport Tribunal and then the Federal Court. This all takes time in which the players could keep playing. It will be I suspect at least 18-24 months before any players actually start missing games for all of this.

With all this pending legal action, who will pay for the legal defences? Will it be the individual players or the Essondon Football Club?

[Melbourne_Blood]

Surely Essendon will have to cough up, they are the employees and ought to be held responsible

[Matt80]

Surely Essendon will have to cough up, they are the employees and ought to be held responsible

Will Essendon be able to fund the individual defences of all their implicated players? Can someone with knowledge of the law give a cost estimation of defending most of their players in the Supreme Court?

[barry]

Interesting , but the actual banning of players (if ever) is still a very long way off.

I thought a ban came into effect as soon as the infraction notice was given. They then have to appeal if they want to play before two years are up.

[Matimbo]

I thought a ban came into effect as soon as the infraction notice was given. They then have to appeal if they want to play before two years are up.

The first step is ASADA issues "Show Cause" notices to each implicated player. Each player then has a deadline to respond stating their intention to defend. This deadline would have to be a minimum of 2-4 weeks but possibly longer. If no defence is raised by a player, I presume they then receive a ban soon after. If they do raise a defence, a legal process will follow before any ban can be applied.

The only thing that could happen in this process this week is the Show Cause notices being issued.

[aardvark]

On Sen today they were saying the indications are that the afl will "stand down" players issued with notices.

[dimelb]

A main thing that puzzles me about this affair is what response will ASADA make when a player says, "I asked the club doctor and he said it would be OK. I've done my due diligence. Are you seriously suggesting I should embark on a crash course in biochemistry?"