Bombers - gonski !

[undy]

Damn - we only get to play them once. Good be a record small ANZ crowd.

[Meg]

Craig Bird is assured of playing every match this year!

[ScottH]

That sucks for the other clubs who have taken a risk on the recruiting the bombers players.
Glad we didn't.

[barry]

This decision shows the rampant corruption within the AFL. The AFL tried to manage it, cover it up, then put up a sham tribunal to let them off.

If the AFL has any integrity, members of the board and executive team must stand down.


Contrast, how the NRL and Cronulla handled it. Admitted it, got it over and done with.

[i'm-uninformed2]

I actually feel deeply sorry for the players, as they were clearly duped. They've lost three years of their careers already, and for older ones like Watson, he'll probably tell the game to get stuffed, as he should.

As for Hird ('we'll be in a great position when this is all done'), the dopers themselves in Robinson and Dank, and the idiotic board, who decided to fight them at all costs rather than take an early plea and be done with it, what a batch of tools - ruining careers in the way they have.

One sliding doors element to this - apparently, a year or two back, Crameri wanted to cop an early plea and short sentence, but caved in under pressure from his former teammates. If he folded his cards, what would have happened?

And it's also a nice backhander to the AFL. They thought they could squeeze their own arrangements around this with the finals exclusion, 12 month suspension of Hird etc. But their dirty governance didn't stand up to independent scrutiny.

Anyway, a lot of lawsuits to follow. Essendon and the AFL (as the effective employers) have some big bills coming their way.

[Meg]

The full 48 page WADA decision attached should you wish to read it.

http://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Arbitral_Award_WADA_ESSENDON.pdf

[barry]

If you take the point of view that the players and coach were guilty, then they have probably managed it to their advantage.

Hird got 2 years of $1m coaching, whereas an admission of guilt would have got nothing.
Players near the end of their career saw out the last 2 years, rather than just 1 or none if banned.

[southsideswan]

I know the Cronulla players felt dudded when they are given the option of pleading guilty and serving a 3 months ban (October, November & December?). It meant they had to plead guilty to something they did not see that they did anything wrong. Then after this Essendon players were cleared by AFL, the Cronulla players wondered if they had done the right thing as they will always be tarred with "drug cheats". I think today they would think they took the best option. OK both cases not exactly the same but very close.

When it was a probability that all Cronulla players were to be suspended for 12 months the NRL was working on a contingency plan that Clubs would "loan" players to Cronulla for one year. I suppose a bit like football in the UK.

I wonder if that is a possibility in the instance?

[chalbilto]

I actually feel deeply sorry for the players, as they were clearly duped. They've lost three years of their careers already, and for older ones like Watson, he'll probably tell the game to get stuffed, as he should.

As for Hird ('we'll be in a great position when this is all done'), the dopers themselves in Robinson and Dank, and the idiotic board, who decided to fight them at all costs rather than take an early plea and be done with it, what a batch of tools - ruining careers in the way they have.

One sliding doors element to this - apparently, a year or two back, Crameri wanted to cop an early plea and short sentence, but caved in under pressure from his former teammates. If he folded his cards, what would have happened?

And it's also a nice backhander to the AFL. They thought they could squeeze their own arrangements around this with the finals exclusion, 12 month suspension of Hird etc. But their dirty governance didn't stand up to independent scrutiny.

Anyway, a lot of lawsuits to follow. Essendon and the AFL (as the effective employers) have some big bills coming their way.

Your post just about sums up the whole fiasco, the AFL & Essendon Board badly screwed up with the players and fans suffering.

[i'm-uninformed2]

Just a top up to my earlier thread, and something which I wasn't aware of: none of the players - current Bombers, those shifted to new teams, those making a small living in lower leagues or coaching like Mark McVeigh at GWS - can be paid in any way for the duration of the ban.

So James got a $1m for sitting out a year. The players get zip. How crap for them (and yes, I know, the code states player responsibility for good reason).

Methinks the lawsuits to follow will have an even bigger bill attached for the Bombers and AFL.

[Ludwig]

I feel sorry for the players, but felt that they were almost certainly guilty under the WADA code. It's one of the reasons I was always vehemently against recruiting any of the Essendon 34, especially when Jake Carlisle's name came up. Perhaps the trading ban saved us from making a big mistake, although I don't know if Carlisle, Ryder or any other Essendon player was considered by our recruiters. Matt80 loved Jake. I think he wanted to trade JPK and Parker for him. At least Jake can have a year doing what he likes doing most.

The competition will be hurt this year and perhaps years to come because of the loss of active players to the game. PA's chances for a big comeback will be dented by the loss of Ryder and less extent Monfries.

Can Mark McVeigh still work as a coach? Do the players get payed? Lots of questions open in my mind.

And has been said by others, the massive lawsuits sure to follow will have a significant impact on both the EFC and the AFL. Mike Fitzpatrick may not even have enough time to work on another anti-Swans scheme this year. We may get without any further penalties for doing nothing wrong for the first time in 3 years. I wonder if Essendon have insurance covering this sort of thing.

Well, just another footy year when we'll be talking more about what goes on in the courtroom than on the footy ground.

[CureTheSane]

I actually feel deeply sorry for the players, as they were clearly duped. They've lost three years of their careers already, and for older ones like Watson, he'll probably tell the game to get stuffed, as he should.

Yeah, I don't. Somebody sticks a needle in my arm, and I'm a professional athlete, then I blame myself, and they should blame themselves. Idiots.

AFL will get what they deserve for the way they handled it.

[i'm-uninformed2]

Yeah, I don't. Somebody sticks a needle in my arm, and I'm a professional athlete, then I blame myself, and they should blame themselves. Idiots.

AFL will get what they deserve for the way they handled it.

I understand where you are coming from re the players, and that's the base principle of the doping code - and some of the CAS findings make clear the players were negligent at best.

I think I was more getting to the point that of all the people to cop punishment in this, those that orchestrated the scheme get off lightly - or in Hird's case, with a million dollar bonus and free study leave - or those in positions of power that should have had good governance in place to prevent it - their CEO of the time is now running an A-league club - whereas the players have careers ruined.

And not just those that doped. Think of a young draftee this year - say a talent like their first pick. He's done nought wrong, but his first few years in the system will be cruelled through having to play in a side devoid of talent around him, pushed into situations he shouldn't be because others are absent, and is now stuck at a club distracted and demoralised by the whole shebang. Is his whole career effected as a consequence? Arguably yes.

[barry]

Gill the Dill or Fitzpatrick must surely stand down after this right ?

[dimelb]

Yeah, I don't. Somebody sticks a needle in my arm, and I'm a professional athlete, then I blame myself, and they should blame themselves. Idiots.

AFL will get what they deserve for the way they handled it.

Thoroughly agree.

My approach to the players' situation from the beginning was that all they needed to do was ask the team doctor about the injections, and if they did, they would have fulfilled any reasonable standard requirement. Now it emerges that the players, as well as the coaches (note the plural) kept it secret from the DOCTOR! And some are already complaining about 12 months; they should be grateful it wasn't two years.