No Oppo Supporters CAS hands down guilty verdict - Players appealing - Dank shot - no opposition - (cont in pt.2)

[baz_machine]

I'm entirely serious.

My preference is to keep the players and the jumper and the HPC and that's it.

No one is using the Same Olds are they?

 

[rines]

I'm entirely serious.

My preference is to keep the players and the jumper and the HPC and that's it.

I'm in the same boat. Yes, even I agree that Hird should go.

I think the board and thus the club has finally lost the plot.

I give Caro two weeks before she starts in on Thompson.. and whether he should step aside if the players are suspended.. and the whole thing will just start again.

 

[Phone]

the board and club lost the plot in that insane press conference when little and hird declared war on the afl. (to much fanfare in this thread)

 

[baz_machine]

Once again the board folding to the pressure been applied from HQ.

Thanks for your tenure on the board.

 

[Jobe Watson]

Thanks K.B.

Why should I give money to a club run by a board that is so cavalier with how they choose to spend it.

A million on a coach that will never coach a game. God knows how much on lawyers who have given us horrible legal advice. 2 million on an agreed to fine, when they said all along they would fight tooth and nail against the AFL only to meekly concede.

If our players accept bans after Little saying for a year now that we have done nothing wrong and will fight it all the way, that will just confirm it. What a shambles.

 

[Highly Evolved]

I do: reboot the whole ****ing thing. No Bomba, no Hird, no Little, throw out the baby, the bathwater, the bath, the hot water service, everything.

I do not think that such a rash decision can be undertaken, despite how appealing it may be.

If as a Club, we wish to build a culture of unity, then such actions would only counteract this goal if the innocence of select parties is proven at a later date.

Likewise, if this approach were taken, think of the message you are sending to all personnel in the Club, and to a lesser extent, society as a whole, (including the Membership- and supporter-base) - we want you, we want you to deliver certain deliverables, but it is on our terms. If you are perceived to, or genuinely, make a mistake, there is no guarantee that the Essendon Football Club will extend you its support.

This is such a radical situation for an entity to be in. If I wasn't so emotionally invested then it would be incredibly interesting to reflect upon, as opposed to heartbreakingly frustrating.

 

[pepsi]

I think the club want to keep bomber to appease supporters (some sections anyway) as well as players, who have a good relationship with him.

The problem with completely clearing the decks is that it could certainly give players and supporters a feeling of * this club I'm moving on. That's what I think anyway.

We are joining dots together here, but if it is what it appears and that players are looking to accept deals, bomber cannot remain at the club. I find it hard to accept any coach involved at the time remaining at the club if players accept a punishment that sees them accept they took banned substances.

 

[84859300]

the board and club lost the plot in that insane press conference when little and hird declared war on the afl. (to much fanfare in this thread)

Well, that escalated quickly.....and then died in the arse

 

[rumply]

mickwarner ‏@heraldsunmick 5m5 minutes ago
Hird expected to speak at 10.45

apparently has already been held & was simply a reading of the press release, no questions.

 

[bacon buster]

To show that the investigation was unlawful, that the process was beyond power and that it was corrupt.

and how will that help Hird?
at the end of the day, he will still need to own his involvement in the saga.
whether the process was corrupt or not, it wont change that
sounds like even if he were to be successful in his appeal, it would be a Pyrrhic victory

 

[Lance Uppercut]

theoretically if no banned substances were taken, couldn't Hird fight to clear his name and the players by simply answering the SCNs?

this is the crux of the matter for me.

The whole principle of "no athlete or club should go through this again, ASADA need to work within their legislation" is ******* bullshit. Let that fight be had by the appropriate people. Our focus should be on nothing else than the Ess players and the EFC. If nothing illegal was taken as James is so sure, then the right course of action is to fight the SCNs and infractions.

The problem is, of course, that the level of proof required by the ADRVP to issue infractions is relatively quite low, and if infractions are issued Hird feels his job is untenable. That's a ball sucking situation. But I don't really understand why simple charges should be a death knell. Shouldn't that come down to the ultimate decision by the tribunal regarding guilt or otherwise?'

Then there are the deals that are undoubtedly being done, which Hird is probably aware of, and which will put him firmly in the sights.

Utter cluster*

 

[Myoz]

Do any of us even know what to think anymore?

I go from wanting to defend Thompson to outright backing Hird to trying to find who will best defend the players and none of it makes sense. I apologise for flipflopping in my views all the time.

This is all such a clusterf*ck. Jesus Christ, to think this could all have been avoided if Dank only f*cking recorded what he was f*cking injecting. F*ck me dead.

 

[Seagrave_Holmes]

The problem is, of course, that the level of proof required by the ADRVP to issue infractions is relatively quite low

Sorry if this has been answered a million times before but are we talking about 'on the balance of probabilities' or 'beyond reasonable doubt'?

 

[rines]

So far the Little train follows a pretty predictable pattern:
Talk tough
Claim it is about the players
Talk tough
Meekly accept AFL directions

Has done it 3-4 times now.. getting sick of it.

I'm surprised more people don't feel lied to by the club.. I mean how many times have we been told they are 'confident' for them to turn around and do something that makes us look guilty as * the next day?

Anyway.. Hird has made it quite clear he won't seek to delay the SCN's.. so there should be NO issue with him appealing really. It doesn't impact the players negatively OR hold up the process.. so why shouldn't he have the right to appeal?

This is going to get worse before it gets better I think.

 

[yodellinhank]

As far as worshipping idols, Tim Watson has always been bigger than James Hird for me. But he is proving to be as bad a back room puppeteer as he was a coach.

 

[micfizzypatrick]

Sorry if this has been answered a million times before but are we talking about 'on the balance of probabilities' or 'beyond reasonable doubt'?

Neither

 

[Ben the Gooner]

That sounds very much like deals are being worked on to get this over with, that actually does explain his logic a bit

What a ******* disgrace. Donate to the flight plan!

 

[cymarak]

The problem is, of course, that the level of proof required by the ADRVP to issue infractions is relatively quite low, and if infractions are issued Hird feels his job is untenable. That's a ball sucking situation. But I don't really understand why simple charges should be a death knell. Shouldn't that come down to the ultimate decision by the tribunal regarding guilt or otherwise?

Yes, it should.

Infraction notices don't require much to issue, so we shouldn't have ASADA influencing who our coach is by virtue of deciding that there 'may' have been a 'possible' doping violation.

 

[BrunoV]

So far the Little train follows a pretty predictable pattern:
Talk tough
Claim it is about the players
Talk tough
Meekly accept AFL directions

Has done it 3-4 times now.. getting sick of it.

I'm surprised more people don't feel lied to by the club.. I mean how many times have we been told they are 'confident' for them to turn around and do something that makes us look guilty as **** the next day?

Anyway.. Hird has made it quite clear he won't seek to delay the SCN's.. so there should be NO issue with him appealing really. It doesn't impact the players negatively OR hold up the process.. so why shouldn't he have the right to appeal?

This is going to get worse before it gets better I think.

What can the AFL actually do?

Are they going to provide us with a written guarantee that they won't suspend players?

Why do we even bother listening to them any more?

 

[JayDon]

Yes, we will have to "put up with Thompson" because of the actions and choices made by our former senior coach. You can't blame everyone else but Hird for this, it just isn't logical.

Like you, I am a pissed off and frustrated supporter, but to blame everyone else but Hird for what is happening is just astounding.

Diasagree. Blame is not appropriate. And for what? He was coach. All his dialogue clearly illustrates he wants everything within boundaries. Maybe start pointing blame at Demetriou and the rest of them for starting this like 'big noters' for it to all of a sudden get blown out of proportion by fumbling government people who are no longer there. They all lost sight and control of a situation which in one case seems to be the common practice and the other with no evidence.

 

[Pevers-Legend]

The whole principle of "no athlete or club should go through this again, ASADA need to work within their legislation" is ******* bullshit.
Utter cluster****

No, actually the ruling by Middleton has far reaching consequences beyond our sport. You are naive to think otherwise.

But hey, let's go have 34 cases heard ONE BY ONE with ASADA setting the timelines and the AFL adjudicating. Should be a hoot!

 

[cymarak]

Sorry if this has been answered a million times before but are we talking about 'on the balance of probabilities' or 'beyond reasonable doubt'?

Neither.

As long as ASADA / the ADRVP believe there *may* have been a doping violation, they can trigger Infraction notices to be issued.

 

[Pevers-Legend]

and how will that help Hird?
at the end of the day, he will still need to own his involvement in the saga.
whether the process was corrupt or not, it wont change that
sounds like even if he were to be successful in his appeal, it would be a Pyrrhic victory

Hmmm, so maybe he is doing it for someone other than himself.

BUT IT IS ALL ABOUT HIRD!!

 

[Lord Nicholson]

I do not think that such a rash decision can be undertaken, despite how appealing it may be.

If as a Club, we wish to build a culture of unity, then such actions would only counteract this goal if the innocence of select parties is proven at a later date.

Likewise, if this approach were taken, think of the message you are sending to all personnel in the Club, and to a lesser extent, society as a whole, (including the Membership- and supporter-base) - we want you, we want you to deliver certain deliverables, but it is on our terms. If you are perceived to, or genuinely, make a mistake, there is no guarantee that the Essendon Football Club will extend you its support.

This is such a radical situation for an entity to be in. If I wasn't so emotionally invested then it would be incredibly interesting to reflect upon, as opposed to heartbreakingly frustrating.

That is the nature of competition, and being in competition.

To me the message would be a simple one: this saga is completely unlike anything the sport or the club has ever seen, and we are simply not equipped to both combat it and win our 17th premiership in this competition. It is an infection and it needs to be excised.

I'd argue that the PAFC have done what could be classified as a "reboot" on all levels... it can work wonders.

 

[rumply]

this is the crux of the matter for me.

The whole principle of "no athlete or club should go through this again, ASADA need to work within their legislation" is ******* bullshit. Let that fight be had by the appropriate people. Our focus should be on nothing else than the Ess players and the EFC. If nothing illegal was taken as James is so sure, then the right course of action is to fight the SCNs and infractions.

The problem is, of course, that the level of proof required by the ADRVP to issue infractions is relatively quite low, and if infractions are issued Hird feels his job is untenable. That's a ball sucking situation. But I don't really understand why simple charges should be a death knell. Shouldn't that come down to the ultimate decision by the tribunal regarding guilt or otherwise?'

Then there are the deals that are undoubtedly being done, which Hird is probably aware of, and which will put him firmly in the sights.

Utter cluster****

Was talk on radio his traders licence is under threat with any adverse finding ('proper persons' being a licence requirement), which is the underlying reason why he is continuing with this, dunno if that is correct or not.

Feel that a deal for players has already been agreed on behind closed door provided the club did not continue with legal action, will find out soon enough.