ASADA has finished its opening submission.
ASADA turns to second expert in Essendon supplements hearing Jon Pierik
The Age
January 14, 2015 - 6:28PM The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority has finished its opening submission in a specially convened hearing, alleging Essendon players were injected with a banned drug during the club's 2012 supplements program.
ASADA's initial case concluded on Wednesday after its counsel, Malcolm Holmes QC, called a second medical specialist to give evidence.
Holmes had turned to an endocrinologist earlier in the week to give evidence.
University of Sydney endocrinologist David Handelsman was reportedly one of the medical experts called. Handelsman has been called by ASADA in other cases and is an expert in peptides and hormones. Experts say one of his briefs may have been to confirm the drug at the centre of the case, thymosin beta-4, was banned.
It is understood Peter Fricker, a former director of the Australian Institute of Sport who is on the Anti-Doping Rule Violation Panel, was also to be called by ASADA to give evidence.
Fricker, a highly respected sports physician, was to discuss his 2012 meetings with Stephen Dank, the engineer of the Bombers' supplements program. This evidence, in particular, was to centre on any alleged discussions of the peptide thymosin.
Fricker took no part in reviewing the Essendon case after declaring a conflict of interest before being appointed to ADRVP early last year.
While the 34 current and former Essendon players are alleged to have been administered the banned thymosin beta-4, the players are set to argue it was a legal form of thymosin, thymosin alpha-1 or thymodulin.
ASADA's opening submission took six days, although the duration of the argument could not be used as a guide in determining the strength of its case, according to former ASADA chief Richard Ings.
"No one can judge if the ASADA case is weak or strong based on how long it takes to present. Only the tribunal can judge based on its content," he said on Twitter.
ASADA is also taking aim at Dank, accusing him of more than 30 doping violations during his time at Essendon and also at Gold Coast. This includes allegations of trafficking, administering and possessing banned peptides.
The specially convened hearing, held in private before AFL anti-doping chairman David Jones, continues on Thursday.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/asada-turns-to-second-expert-in-essendon-supplements-hearing-20150114-12o7om.html
