No Essendon but Matt Johns up in Sydney says 17 Cronulla players will be handed infraction notices and the penalty will be six-month suspensions with only one month to be served in season. Interesting to see if Bomber players cop the same after this EFC legal smokescreen is finished.
Cronulla have 'co-operated' by not dragging the matter through the courts but that's only because they couldn't afford to. Nonetheless they have ended up with a slap on the wrist with 6 months, one in season. Essendon could've had that. The new ASADA boss could not have spelt it out any clearer- there are big discounts on offer for cooperating. It's hard to see how dragging out a ridiculous 3 day Federal Court case could be seen as being open and honest.
I as a taxpayer am pretty peed off with Essendon about tying up so many public resources to protect their little Elim final. They tie up the Federal Court for 3 days (our taxpayer $), the legal expenses incurred by ASADA incl QC's (more taxpayer $) all of the senior public servants from Canberra flying up and back from Melbourne and staying in hotels, meal allowances, overtime etc (more taxpayer $), this is a big junket for the legal fraternity on the backs of taxpayers and Essendon members. Idiotic behavior by Essendon and the AFL commission should punish them
again for bringing the game into disrepute
again.
They are getting 6 months minimum, possibly more now with the actions of their board.
Obviously I don't have 30 years of legal training like a fed court judge would, in fact I have none, but I would hope the judge reads out something like this:
-Government ministers have got the executive power to ask their department heads to carry out their instructions.
-AFL as the governing body can punish Essendon however and whenever it feels like it, and can gain information from whoever they please in doing so.
-ASADA can investigate any sporting club they wish, and has the legal authority to collaborate with whoever they like to in the course of an investigation.
-Can you all exit to the left please as the next case is starting in 5 minutes.