Bombers must show players were duped Richard Baker and Nick McKenzie
The Age
July 1, 2013 Essendon's hopes of avoiding suspensions for players found to have taken banned substances rest on convincing the World Anti-Doping Agency that the club deliberately misled and ultimately betrayed its players.
As the drugs-in-sport inquiry enters its fifth month, Fairfax Media has learnt that its seemingly slow pace can be largely attributed to Essendon players being given every opportunity to build a no-fault or mitigating-circumstances case that will meet WADA's high evidentiary requirements.
Central to any no-fault or mitigating-circumstances case will be allegations players were duped into taking substances that they believed were WADA-approved and had been authorised by senior Essendon personnel, including the club's medical staff.
Investigators from the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority are examining whether players were given substances different to what they were told. There is also confusion over whether club medical staff had actually approved every substance administered.
Adding weight to the no-fault or mitigating-circumstances case are confidentiality agreements the club made players sign that stipulated they not tell anyone about the top-secret supplements program.
''It appears that the players have effectively been sabotaged by their own club,'' said a source aware of disclosures made to ASADA.
Another source familiar with events at Essendon last year said players genuinely believed the supplements program implemented by the club - their employer - complied with anti-doping regulations. That source said players had no option but to believe what they had been told.
''You imagine a kid down from the Northern Territory in his first year. Is he going to go against something his coach wants him to do and that club officials say is safe? No way,'' the source said.
But convincing WADA that players found to have taken banned substances should not receive suspensions is likely to be difficult, with the agency's president, John Fahey, last week saying it was up to athletes to ensure any drugs they have taken did not breach rules even if their club had declared them safe. Mr Fahey's comments came after Essendon captain Jobe Watson declared a week ago that he believed he had been injected with banned drug AOD-9604, which he said club officials had assured the players was not illegal.
While any prospect of players escaping bans will please Bomber fans, several prominent club officials, including coaching staff, are likely to be held accountable by the AFL for failing to protect players from a highly experimental program.
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