Essendon face AFL probe/Players found Guilty by CAS

[one-eyed]

Anger simmers below surface as charges laid

  Caroline Wilson
     The Age
    August 14, 2013

The scandal that has haunted the AFL's 2013 season delivered some form of resolution late on Tuesday when the game's governing body delivered serious charges against Essendon, its senior coach James Hird and three of his most trusted senior staff.

The charges, communicated without colour or flair at 7.30pm by the AFL's legal executive Andrew Dillon, came after months of interviews, mini-dramas, sub-plots and conspiracy theories, and even in the final hours the sensitivity of the wording was being debated by some of Australia's finest legal minds.

Essendon's chairman Paul Little admitted his club had done wrong but declared it would ''vigorously'' defend the charges when the club is expected to face the AFL Commission on August 26.

His club faces the loss of draft picks, premiership points and a multimillion-dollar fine. Hird and his three fellow staff members remain desperate to save their reputations, having already been tainted by the potentially harmful and illegal program they allowed to continue for so long.

The senior coach has become a besieged figure and he remained defiant to the last, privately angry in the belief he had been ill-advised back in February to accept ''full responsibility'' for the activities of his football department.

On the morning the charges were announced he claimed his players had taken no performance-enhancing or harmful substances and pointed to the fact the ASADA summary was an ''interim report''.

But this works two ways. The bad news for the Essendon players is that there remains no guarantee that infraction notices will not be served. Despite the fact ASADA believes it has enough evidence to move on players, it is waiting to continue investigating Essendon's program under new legislative powers.

In the meantime Hird, Mark Thompson, Danny Corcoran and Dr Bruce Reid have been charged with bringing the game into disrepute for their roles in the club's 2011-12 drugs program.

Essendon, Hird, assistant coach Thompson, football manager Corcoran and Reid were charged under AFL Rule 1.6 with engaging in conduct that is unbecoming or likely to prejudice the interests or reputation of the AFL or bringing the game of football into disrepute.

Behind-the-scenes negotiations are expected to continue for the next 10 days while Hird and his team must also battle to remain a viable finals threat despite the fact the Bombers could be forcibly removed from the finals.

A number of Hird's assistant coaches and the departed high-performance manager Dean Robinson are also expected to face charges from the AFL, but those developments have been shelved until the main players are dealt with.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/anger-simmers-below-surface-as-charges-laid-20130813-2rumw.html#ixzz2bqnDg4WM

[one-eyed]

Dillon indicated that while the interim Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority report had not found evidence of any "specific anti-doping rule violation" by any player, the investigation remained open.

Jobe Watson said he was administered what he believed to be AOD-9604, the failed anti-obesity drug, believing it was approved by Reid.

"In relation to the Essendon players, I can advise that although WADA has declared AOD-9604 is a banned substance, on the information currently before the AFL, there is no specific anti-doping rule violation attributed to any individual player for the use of AOD-9604 or any other prohibited substance," Dillon said.

"As such, at the present time there will be no infraction notices issued under the AFL anti-doping code.

"I note the investigation into Essendon's 2011-2012 supplements program by the AFL and ASADA remains open and could lead to further charges under the AFL rules against other individuals. Infraction notices under the AFL anti-doping code against individual players or other persons could also result."

The AFL has not ruled out the Bombers challenging the charges through the courts.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/essendon-to-vigorously-defend-afl-charges-20130813-2rudp.html#ixzz2bqohkJx7

[WilliamPowell]

Another Caro whack

Well done 

[(•))(©™]

She's stuffing AWESOME!!!

[(•))(©™]

Media need to print some articles questioning the validity of asada and wada

[Judge Roughneck]

Despite the fact ASADA believes it has enough evidence to move on players,

 

[Rampstar]

I hope Brendon Gale and his team are trying to pinch Essendons sponsors. Common Benny take them to the cleaners.

And which of ours do you suggest we give the flick Ramps?

Jeep, Bingle, KooGa, one of our newbies Metro Solar?

Look    (I think we should all start our posts with the word Look now that Dimma has taken us to the finals) the bombers must have plenty of sponsors we could pinch without it contradicting our other sponsorship arrangements. Maybe we also have the same sponsors as well in some instances. Going forward  if we dont have sponsorship arrangements with Yakult, Antler, Bosch, Wolf Blass, Ledified, Bet Ezy, Caltex, Australian Institute of Management, Belesdorf, Bluestar Logistics, Centec Security, Dental Solutions, Sealy Posturepedic. Thats just a small list of Essendons sponsors going by their website. There should be plenty of ways of bringing in new sponsors, establishing new coterie groups is just one way of doing it

[tigs2011]

3 x 10 goal wins coming up. They'll be cooked by then 

[mightytiges]

Essendon have got 2 weeks to put the feelers out.
Eddie had an interesting point tonight, could Hird (coz it's all about Hird) go for a situation of accepting a punishment without admitting guilt or liability. That way the AFL can be seen to be punishing the golden boy and he doesn't have the black mark of bringing the game into disrepute on his rap sheet. Therefore you could give him a 6 month ban and he could be coaching even Rd 1 next year.
It doesn't really impact on us what happens to the other 3 but my guess would be 6 months, the majority or all served off season. It will be interesting to see what happens to the doc.

The AFL have the Melbourne "there was no tanking" precedent of handing out punishment while not admitting anything was done wrong. Then there was the 6 month slap on the wrist for Steven Trigg at Adelaide for the Tippett salary cap scandal. So anything is possible with the AFL these days.

As for the players - the AFL wouldn't want them to receive infraction notices. Presidents, CEOs, officials and even coaches are expendable and replaceable but to satisfy the tv rights deal they need Essendon's list to remain mostly in tact and to be playing.

The round 23 game is going to be a volatile affair if Essendon are stripped of their points leading into it and with Fletcher breaking the Dons' games record after returning from suspension.   

[gerkin greg]

If the players are going to be sanctioned it will be after the season and before the drafts - Effingdrug can fill their list with pick 70 onwards

[Judge Roughneck]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/essendon-scandal-asada-says-case-is-not-closed-and-players-could-still-face-doping-charges/story-fni5f6kv-1226696644875

“Should ASADA form the view at the conclusion of its investigation that a person may have committed an anti-doping rule violation ASADA will follow its established process”.

[one-eyed]

FORMER ASADA chairman Richard Ings has criticised the anti-doping agency for lack of public communication and called on it to clarify the progress of its investigation into Essendon.

Ings also warned on Wednesday that the saga was far from over for Essendon's players, with the possibility of doping charges to linger beyond this season, even though no charges were laid against them by the AFL.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-08-14/players-not-in-clear

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ESSENDON could seek an injunction to delay a decision on any penalties over charges laid against the club and four of its staff that could allow the Bombers to play in the finals, prominent media lawyer Justin Quill says.

Quill also believes it's highly unlikely the situation will be resolved on August 26 at the club's hearing at AFL House if it isn't settled by negotiation beforehand.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-08-14/injunction-threat-looms

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WORLD Anti-Doping Agency chief John Fahey has no issue with the AFL's decision to charge Essendon staff with bringing the game into disrepute before players have been handed possible infraction notices.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-08-13/wada-boss-fahey-has-no-issue-with-afl-charge

[one-eyed]

From Essendon's BF Board so be skeptical but this is their "inside word":

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OK... latest from my man on the inside... and so far he is batting at 100%.

Deal very close to being finalised.. he believes a deal will be struck before the hearing. AFL don't want this extending into finals series. Club can ask for extra time but everyone would prefer this to be resolved sooner rather than later.

AFL currently offered 6 month suspensions for all four individuals, although Reid and Thompson can have 'suspended' sentences. All four to receive 'nominal' fines. (presumably the club would pay them anyway). EFC can take a 2.5M fine and loss of 1st and 2nd round draft picks for next year.

EFC currently looking for: All individuals to be cleared. Club sanctions are OK.

So the club sanctions are pretty much set at a huge fine ($ amount may vary) and a couple of draft picks (will hurt but we will survive - think of them as duds anyway)

The real battleground is the four individuals, AFL very keen to throw the book at Reid and Hird and Corcoran, Thompson not so much. Club will defend all four to the hilt. I suspect all four would take fines and offer apologies though. So I think middle ground can be made (in my opinion).

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/asada-when-i-rolled-with-the-punches-i-got-knocked-on-the-ground-essendon-supporters-only.989915/page-685#post-29618466

[one-eyed]

More here:

Sorry my bad.
1) Absolutely NO chance we lose premiership points. Zero. None. Nada.
2) I mean this years.. like the 'next draft'.. sorry so yeah 1st and 2nd round this year but we can still trade etc etc.. so we could possibly package up our 3rd rounder and gumby for a 2nd round.. so we aren't 'barred' from participating we just don't get allocated a pick in the first two rounds.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/asada-when-i-rolled-with-the-punches-i-got-knocked-on-the-ground-essendon-supporters-only.989915/page-686#post-29618903

My belief is that the club will accept the loss of 1-2 draft picks if it means the 'four' are cleared.

It will hurt.. but if it saves three years of fighting.. we would recover. To be fair.. you can stuff your first two rounds up anyway.. so I don't think we would walk away from the trade table over 2 picks.

Also the club sees our premiership 'window' opening from next season - 2016... so any players taken this year would be unlikely to have an impact on that anyway.

Having said that.. IF the AFL want the 'four' AND fine AND picks.. then the club will not settle.. it will go to court.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/asada-when-i-rolled-with-the-punches-i-got-knocked-on-the-ground-essendon-supporters-only.989915/page-686#post-29618987

Guys, just a quick update.

Sorry for my first, rushed, post.. the draft picks would be THIS YEAR, not next year. Sorry.

Also, the anti-doping aspect is cleared.. barring something spectacular happening (like Dank walking into ASADA and saying.. oh yeah I injected them all with steroids). ASADA will keep investigating Dank (as he was the main target anyway) but they are NOT interested in anything the players have said so far.

I think there is zero chance anything further will happen on that angle. In fact I would be surprised if we even get told if/when the 'final' report gets done... it may never be finished now that the AFL won't be pushing for it.

WADA can't/won't come over the top.. they will have been forwarded a copy of report so far.. they have no interest in this.

Players are 100% clear and vindicated.

Hopefully the hearings will help clear up.. that Hird and Co. are NOT in trouble for giving the players banned substances or cheating.. they are in trouble for ALLOWING 'dodgy' elements into the footy club, for not having better checks and balances and for basically allowing so much 'grey' into it all. Again this will be on the 'lower' spectrum of stuff.. highly unlikely we will see extensive bans or suspensions longer than 6 months.

Very important to remember that ANY punishment will be in relation to OUR internal procedures, our HR policies, our oversight, our slack record keeping and stuff that made it possible for all sorts of substances to be floating around the club last year. So people should remember.. if you get one speeding fine.. you are guilty, you pay a fine, you lose a demerit point but you don't get sent to jail. So you have 'broken the law' but you are not (generally) branded a 'criminal'.

I think the same applies here.. Thompson for allowing Dank to run unfettered. Hird as the 'man in charge', Corcoran as the one who SHOULD have been overseeing it, and Reid for signing off on AOD (which he shouldn't have). Club for hiring a guy like Dank and letting him loose for 6 months.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/asada-when-i-rolled-with-the-punches-i-got-knocked-on-the-ground-essendon-supporters-only.989915/page-694#post-29622240

[Judge Roughneck]

demented souls