Stephen Dank found guilty by anti-doping tribunal — but not on all charges Grant Baker
Herald Sun
April 17, 2015 FORMER Essendon sports scientist Stephen Dank has been found guilty of 10 charges by the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal.
Dank had been hit with 34 separate infractions.
The verdict follows the clearing of 34 current and former Bombers last month of using the banned peptide Thymosin Beta-4.
Dank’ breaches include trafficking, attempting to traffick and complicity in matters related to a range of prohibited substances.
The prohibited substances are:
— Hexarelin
— Humanofort — namely Insulin Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1), Insulin Growth Factor 2 (IGF – 2), Mechano Growth Factor (MGF), Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF), Follistatin and Thymosin Beta 4
— CJC-1295
— GHRP6
— SARMS
A hearing to decide Dank’s penalty will be held on Tuesday May 5.
Dank was cleared of charges that related to administering Thymosin Beta 4 and Hexarelin to Essendon players.
But the tribunal was comfortably satisfied that Dank was complicit in “assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up and/or other type of complicity in connection with attempted trafficking in, by selling, giving transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing” prohibited substances to support staff at Essendon, Gold Coast, Carlton and in the sport of baseball.
AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon said in a statement the case had been the most complex ever tried by the AFL Tribunal.
“The circumstances surrounding the case have been extremely difficult, given the amount of information and the number of parties involved, and the professionalism and diligence of the tribunal has been greatly appreciated by the AFL.”
Dank was previously banned for life by the NRL over his involvement in Cronulla’s 2011 supplements program. Ten NRL players accepted back-dated 12-month for their invovlement in the programme in 2014.
STATEMENT BY DAVID JONES, CHAIRMAN OF THE AFL ANTI-DOPING TRIBUNALThe Tribunal today provided to the parties its decision, which was unanimous, and reasons for the decision with respect to alleged violations of the AFL Anti-Doping Code by a former support person at the Essendon and Gold Coast Football Clubs.
The decision is as follows (the numbers refer to the infraction notice issued to the former support person on 14 November 2014):
2(A) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.8 of the AFL Anti-Doping Code by administering a substance prohibited both in and out-of-competition, namely Thymosin Beta 4, to various Essendon Football Club athletes (Players) between about January 2012 and September 2012.
2(B) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.8 of the AFL Anti-Doping Code by attempting to administer a substance prohibited both in and out-of-competition, namely Thymosin Beta 4, to various Essendon Football Club Players between about January 2012 and September 2012.
2(C) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.8 of the AFL Anti-Doping Code by assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up and/or other type of complicity in connection with administration and/or attempted administration of a substance prohibited both in and out-of-competition, namely Thymosin Beta 4, to various Essendon Football Club Players between about January 2012 and September 2012.
3(A) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.8 of the AFL Anti-Doping Code by administering a substance prohibited both in and out-of- competition, namely Hexarelin, to various Essendon Football Club Players between about January 2012 and September 2012.
3(B) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.8 of the AFL Anti-Doping Code by attempting to administer a substance prohibited both in and out-of-competition, namely Hexarelin, to various Essendon Football Club Players between about January 2012 and September 2012.
3(C) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.8 of the AFL Anti-Doping Code by assisting, encouraging aiding, abetting, covering up and/or other type of complicity in connection with administration and/or attempted administration of a substance prohibited both in and out-of-competition, namely Hexarelin, to various Essendon Football Club Players between about January 2012 and September 2012
4(A) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.6 of the AFL Anti-Doping Code by actually possessing, at various times between about January 2012 and September 2012, one or more substances prohibited both in and out-of-competition, namely Thymosin Beta 4 and/or Hexarelin, in connection with athletes (players) competition and/or training at Essendon Football Club.
4(B) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.6 of the AFL Anti-Doping Code by constructively possessing, at various times between about January 2012 and September 2012, of one or more substances prohibited both in and out-of-competition, namely Thymosin Beta 4 and/or Hexarelin, in connection with Players competition and/or training at Essendon Football Club.
4(C) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.6 of the AFL Anti-Doping Code by possessing by purchase, at various times between about January 2012 and September 2012, one or more substances prohibited both in and out-of-competition, namely Thymosin Beta 4 and/or Hexarelin, in connection with Players competition and/or training at Essendon Football Club.
4(D) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.8 of the AFL Anti-Doping Code by assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up and/or other type of complicity in connection with the actual possession, constructive possession and/or possession by purchase at various times between about January 2012 and September 2012, of one or more substances prohibited both in and out-of-competition, namely Thymosin Beta 4 and/or Hexarelin, in connection with Players competition and/or training at Essendon Football Club.
5(A) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.6 of the AFL Code by actually possessing, on or about 24 April 2012 and/or 14 June 2012, a substance prohibited both in and out-of-competition, namely a Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARM), in connection with Players, competition and training at Essendon Football Club.
5(B) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.6 of the AFL Code by constructively possessing, on or about 24 April 2012 and/or 14 June 2012, a substance prohibited both in and out-of-competition, namely a SARM, in connection with athletes, competition and training at Essendon Football Club.
5(C) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.6 of the AFL Code by possessing by purchase, on or about 24 April 2012 and/or 14 June 2012, a substance prohibited both in and out-of-competition, namely a SARM, in connection with Players, competition and training at Essendon Football Club.
5(D) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.8 of the AFL Code by assisting, encouraging, aiding and abetting, covering up and/or other type of complicity in connection with the actual possession, constructive possession and/or possession by purchase on or about 24 April 2012 and/or 14 June 2012, of a substance prohibited both in and out-of-competition, namely a SARM, in connection with Players competition and training at Essendon Football Club
6(A) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.7 of the AFL Code by trafficking in, by selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing to a third party or parties, namely Essendon and athletes of the club a prohibited substance, namely Thymosin Beta 4, in injectable form, between about January 2012 and September 2012
6(B) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.7 of the AFL Code by attempting to traffick in, by selling, giving transporting, sending, delivery and/or distributing to a third party or parties, namely Essendon and athletes of the club a prohibited substance namely Thymosin Beta 4, in injectable form, between about January 2012 and September 2012
6(C) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.8 of the AFL Code by assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up and/or other type of complicity in connection with the trafficking in or attempted trafficking in, by selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing to a third party or parties, namely the Essendon Football Club and athletes of the club a prohibited substance, namely Thymosin Beta 4, in injectable form, between about January 2012 and September 2012
7(A) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.7 of the AFL Code by trafficking in, by selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing to a third party or parties, namely the Essendon Football Club and athletes and support persons of the club a prohibited substance, namely Hexarelin, between about January 2012 and September 2012.
7(B) The Tribunal
is comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.7 of the AFL Code by attempting to traffick in, by selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing to a third party or parties, namely support persons of the club, a prohibited substance, namely Hexarelin, between about January 2012 and September 2012.
7(C) The Tribunal
is comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.8 of the AFL Code by assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up and/or other type of complicity in connection with trafficking in or attempted trafficking in, by selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing, to a third party or parties, namely the Essendon Football Club, a prohibited substance, namely Hexarelin, between about January 2012 and September 2012.
8(A) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.7 of the AFL Code by trafficking in, by selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing to a third party or parties, namely the Essendon Football Club and athletes, prohibited substances in a product known as Humanofort, namely Insulin Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1), Insulin Growth Factor 2 (IGF-2), Mechano Growth Factor (MGF), Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF), Follistatin and Thymosin Beta 4, between about January 2012 and September 2012.
8(B) The Tribunal
is comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.7 of the AFL Code by attempting to traffick in, by selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing to a third party or parties, namely the Essendon Football Club and athletes of the club, prohibited substances in a product known as Humanofort, namely Insulin Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1), Insulin Growth Factor 2 (IGF-2), Mechano Growth Factor (MGF), Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF), Follistatin and Thymosin Beta 4, between about January 2012 and September 2012.
8(C) The Tribunal
is comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.7 of the AFL Code by assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up and/or other type of complicity in connection with attempted trafficking in, by selling, giving transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing to a third party or parties, namely the Essendon Football Club and athletes of the club, prohibited substances in a product known as Humanofort, namely Insulin Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1), Insulin Growth Factor 2 (IGF-2), Mechano Growth Factor (MGF), Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF), Follistatin and Thymosin Beta 4, between about January 2012 and September 2012.
9(A) The Tribunal
is comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.7 of the AFL Code by trafficking in, by selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing, to a Carlton Football Club support person, one or more prohibited substances, namely MGF, between about March 2012 and October 2012.
10(A) The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.7 of the AFL Code by trafficking in, by selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing to a third party or parties, namely the Gold Coast Suns Football Club and support persons of the club, a prohibited substance, namely CJC-1295, in December 2010.
10(B) The Tribunal
is comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.7 of the AFL Code by attempting to traffick in, by selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing to a third party or parties, namely the Gold Coast Suns Football Club and support persons of the club, a prohibited substance, namely CJC-1295, in December 2010.
10(C) The Tribunal
is comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.8 of the AFL Code by assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up and/or other type of complicity in connection with trafficking in or attempted trafficking in, by selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing to a third party or parties, namely the Gold Coast Suns Football Club and support persons of the club, in a prohibited substance, namely CJC-1295, in December 2010.
11 The Tribunal
is not comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.8 of the AFL Code by assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up and/or other type of complicity in connection with the use or attempted use of a prohibited substance, namely CJC-1295, by a player at the Gold Coast Suns Football Club, in December 2010.
12(A) The Tribunal
is comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.7 of the AFL Code by trafficking in, by selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing to a third party or parties in the sport of baseball, one of more prohibited substances, namely GHRP6, between February 2012 and March 2012.
12(C) The Tribunal
is comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.8 of the AFL Code by assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up and/or other type of complicity in connection with trafficking in or attempted trafficking in, by selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing to a third party or parties in the sport of baseball, one or more prohibited substances, namely Hexarelin, SARMS, CJC-1295 and GHRP6 between February 2012 and March 2012.
13(A) The Tribunal
is comfortably satisfied that the former support person violated clause 11.7 of the AFL Code by trafficking in, by selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering and/or distributing, to a third party or parties who were customers of the Medical Rejuvenation Clinic, a prohibited substance of substances, including namely GHRP6 and Mechano Growth Factor, between November 2011 and September 2012.
http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/afl/stephen-dank-found-guilty-by-anti-doping-tribunal-but-not-on-all-charges/story-e6frg1xu-1227308267217