THE AFL was informed last year that an Essendon official had made inquiries about peptides - the substances at the centre of the club's scandal - at a sports medicine conference 12 months ago, according to former Brownlow medallist and AFL commentator Gerard Healy.
Healy said that he notified the AFL's then general manager of football operations Adrian Anderson, about the inquiry by the Essendon official, which Healy said was merely one of ''concern'' rather than any attempt to procure it.
Healy was spoken to by AFL integrity officer Brett Clothier, who is heading the AFL's part in the joint investigation with the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority into Essendon's possible use of performing-enhancing drugs.
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http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-was-told-of-peptides-inquiry-20130205-2dwvk.html#ixzz2K2eJjI2XESSENDON players were taken away from the club and injected with unknown substances by sports science staff last season.
The Herald Sun can reveal the off-site injections will form part of an investigation by the AFL and Australia's anti-doping watchdog into inappropriate use of supplements at the club in 2012.
Sources allege organised crime gangs also have been linked to the scandal.
It is alleged the alarm was raised at Windy Hill midway through last season about the activities of the club's performance scientist, Stephen Dank, who has since left the club.
Expense forms totalling more than $10,000, including the cost of a registered nurse to perform injections, were regularly submitted by Dank to the club.
Essendon late last night stood down club high performance manager Dean Robinson, pending the outcome of the investigation.
The substances, which have not been identified, were taken orally, by injection and intravenously.
Essendon players were asked to sign waivers, supposedly exonerating the club of wrongdoing in the taking of the mystery substances.
It is understood an Essendon official spoke to an organised crime investigative body about his knowledge of performance-enhancing drugs in football last November.
The AFL is aware that its sport is being targeted by peddlers of illegal substances.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/essendon-facing-afl-investigation/story-fnelctok-1226570861343