Essendon face AFL probe/Players found Guilty by CAS

[Tigeritis™©®]

ESSENDON are set to start the AFL season under a cloud of suspicion, with an investigation into the potential use of performance-enhancing drugs by multiple Bombers players likely to take months to complete.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/afl-supremo-gillon-mclachlan-confirms-acc-report-focusing-on-two-specific-cases-of-peds/story-e6frf9jf-1226574753324

Months?  I don't see why it should take months.
The ACC have already been on the case for a year.

I'm over all this speculation, its starting to give me the poos.
Just name the players and throw the book at em. And let's get the games under way.

.....We better beat that bloody Carlscum round 1.

[Penelope]

I heard an interview with someone from the ACC and what he said was strange when asked what evidence they had.

He said that they don't have evidence per say, but have intelligence?

he then said they have a lot of statements and that they corroborate each other.

I think what he was trying to say that they know it is going on, but don't have the hard evidence that would stand up in court.

This is probably why names have not been released publicly

[Yeahright]

Essendon will tank to "prove" they aren't using performance enhancers? 

[Tigeritis™©®]

I heard an interview with someone from the ACC and what he said was strange when asked what evidence they had.

He said that they don't have evidence per say, but have intelligence?

he then said they have a lot of statements and that they corroborate each other.

I think what he was trying to say that they know it is going on, but don't have the hard evidence that would stand up in court.

This is probably why names have not been released publicly

I suppose then its phone taps, video surveillance of probably underworld characters with obvious liaisons with certain AFL identities etc.

Probably not enough to do anything with but enough info to let the AFL know what's happening.
They say they know and try and scare players into coming forward.

Im over it! Lets just get on with the footy!

P. S. we better beat Carlscum round 1!

[WilliamPowell]

Why mention Essendon specifically now if the AFL has nothing new to say (we already knew they were under investigation) and when the AFL had refused to name any individuals or clubs until today?


Btw Ch 9 news reporting that Stephen Dank is planning to sue various media outlets for $10m.

I took today's comments by Gil McLachlan to mean that Essendon was the only club under investigation via the ACC report.

I think they've decided to make today's comments simply to try and take some pressure off clubs in that on Thursday the wording from the big "presser" with the govt, ACC, ASADA and the honchos from the major sports implied the drug side of things was rife throughout all comps, think the AFLwanted to say that isn't the case.

Unfortunately,what they've done is increase the speculation because of the "one player,one club" statement.

[gerkin greg]

Unfortunately,what they've done is increase the speculation because of the "one player,one club" statement.

i thought everyone knew who that was



edited: keep the speculation/rumours off the forum

[dwaino]

Maybe Beyonce is implicated?

[WilliamPowell]

Maybe Beyonce is implicated?

Now that is 

[Mr Magic]

Maybe Beyonce is implicated?

 

[one-eyed]

Sports scientist Stephen Dank says Essendon coach James Hird knew players were being treated

    Alex White and Amanda Lulham
    Herald Sun
    February 11, 2013 8:42PM


EMBATTLED sports scientist Stephen Dank has claimed Essendon Football Club officials, including coach James Hird, knew players were being treated with supplements.

In an explosive interview tonight Dank alleged Hird was fully aware of the program that saw players injected with substances.

"There was a collective involvement - you know it wasn't just Steve Dank," he told ABC's 7.30 journalist Caro Meldrum-Hanna.

"There was certainly input from people outside myself. There was a very significant involvement from Dean (Robinson) as the high-performance manager, there was detailed discussion with James Hird, there was detailed discussion with the club doctor."

The sports scientist proclaimed his innocence throughout the interview, saying he was a biochemist and supplement programs were regularly used at most top AFL clubs.

He denied injecting players with a banned substance and said he was "very surprised" when the club called a conference announcing it was unaware of what the program involved.

Dank denied peptides were injected but said up to four different peptide formulas could have been given to players.

Dank runs two other rejuvenation clinics in Victoria and NSW that he said ran programs separate to his work with elite football teams.

GHRP-6 or peptide 6, listed on Dank's clinic website, is a human growth hormone banned by the Australian Anti Doping Authority of Australia. He admitted he did sell the substance but denied it was used on elite athletes. He also rejected links with criminal gangs.

Dank also said fans would be naive to think Essendon was alone in its rigorous sports science push as AFL clubs chased an edge on their rivals.

Dank suggested every AFL club employed high-tech strategies in a bid to gain the ultimate on-field success.

"I don't think, you know, you'd be sort of foolish to think that Essendon were the only (club) that were looking at these sort of programs," Dank said.

"And I think when you think of what these players do on a week-to-week and a year-to-year basis, I think you've got 18 clubs that are all very well coached and obviously all have a very good high performance unit and they want cutting edge."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/more-sport/sports-scientist-stephen-dank-to-sue-over-drug-claims/story-e6frfglf-1226575060123

[dwaino]

Anyone watching Can of Worms? Aker making some ripping comments. Reckons ASADA have been taking $500k a year from AFL and NRL and still rely on the police to do their job. Reckons he passed on things he had seen years ago and yet it has taken until 2013 for anything to happen.

[mightytiges]

The AFL's anti-doping code covers club officials as well. Not sure if this includes coaches using WADA banned substances themselves but if it does and if Dank isn't telling porkies then this could go further than the players and former sports scientists at Essendon.

http://www.aflpa.com.au/images/uploads/2010_Anti-Doping_Code_2.pdf

3. APPLICATION OF CODE

3.1 This Code applies to:
(a) Players, whether in or out of competition;
(b) Clubs and their Officers;
(c) Officials; and
(d) all persons involved in any capacity or manner in Anti Doping Rule Violations.

3.2 Any Player, Club, Officer, Official or other Person to whom this Code applies who commits an Anti Doping Rule Violation or otherwise breaches the provisions of this Code is liable to the sanctions provided by the Code.
Sanctions: minimum 10 Penalty Units (refer clause 14)

3.3 A Club will be deemed to have breached this Code should any of its Officers or Officials breach this Code and may be sanctioned in addition to the Officers or Officials concerned.

-------------------------------------------------

14. SANCTIONS

14.1 Ineligibility for Presence, Use or Attempted Use, or Possession of Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods.

The period of Ineligibility imposed for a violation of Clause 11.1 (presence of Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers), Clause 11.2 (Use or Attempted Use of Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method) and Clause 11.6 (Possession of Prohibited Substances and Methods) shall be as follows, unless the conditions for eliminating or reducing the period of Ineligibility, as provided in Clauses 14.3 and 14.4, or the conditions for increasing the period of Ineligibility, as provided in Clause 14.5, are met:

First violation: Two (2) years' Ineligibility



14.3 Elimination or Reduction of Period of Ineligibility for Specified Substances under Specific Circumstances.

Where an Player or other Person can establish how a Specified Substance entered his body or came into his Possession and that such Specified Substance was not intended to enhance the Player’s sport performance or mask the Use of a performance-enhancing substance, the period of Ineligibility found in Clause 14.1 shall be replaced with the following:

First violation: At a minimum, a reprimand and no period of Ineligibility, and at a maximum, two (2) years of Ineligibility.

To justify any elimination or reduction, the Player or other Person must produce corroborating evidence in addition to his word which establishes to the comfortable satisfaction of the hearing panel the absence of an intent to enhance sport performance or mask the Use of a performance-enhancing substance. The Player’s or other Person’s degree of fault shall be the criterion considered in assessing any reduction of the period of Ineligibility.

[Penelope]

why would WADA care if club officials, who dont actually play the sport take performance enhancing drugs?

WTF would club officials even want to take this stuff to start with?

[Gigantor]

Al just wondering do you think it would affect say a teacher of school kids if the teacher was taking some sort of drug?..lol not sure what performance enhancing drug a teacher would take..maybe LSD for an art teacher or a creative writing teacher.

[Penelope]

it's such a grey area. There are substances that we the general public can take, that are found in supplements bought over the counter, that an athlete subject to testing cannot.
Club officials are not competing on the field, so I cant see why they would come under WADAs scrutiny, or even jurisdiction for these substances.

If you talk about recreation drugs, which you would not want a teacher to be on with kids in their care, then that is different. I actually dont see why players would be tested for this, as many hamper performance rather than enhance it, yet club officials and AFL officials are not tested.

It seems that it must be OK for the head honchos of the AFL to snort coke but not a player.