Certified Legendary Thread 34 Essendon* Players suspended for doping violations - No opposition fans. Check OP for thread rules

[Aphrodite]

**** 'em, let them boycott. Automatic forfeit and 4 points to the opposition.
They would be the absolute laughing stock of the competition.

They already are!

 

[Gw2_James]

After reading all of this, i just have this to say to Essendon.

 

[Malifice]

This is looking more and more like a full 2 year suspensions.

The bill for EFC is already over 10 million.

Full 2 year suspensions will bring that up to 30 million quick smart.

Jesus. The AFL better hook them up to a life support machine stat.

 

[Carl Tone]

Be awesome if they did boycott the whole season, I would be okay with that.

If the TV stations are worried about the fixture being destroyed TL15 has a solution. For the Carlton vs Essendon game just replay the 1999 Preliminary Final, I would be ******* happy with that. All other clubs could nominate the most humiliating defeat they imposed on Essendon and that gets played in lieu of their fixture.

You want ideas AFL....just call me in!!

All of that.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

This is looking more and more like a full 2 year suspensions.

The bill for EFC is already over 10 million.

Full 2 year suspensions will bring that up to 30 million quick smart.

Jesus. The AFL better hook them up to a life support machine stat.

Is that 30 mil to be paid by EFC?

 

[Malifice]

Is that 30 mil to be paid by EFC?

A fair chunk will come from insurance and the AFL.

They've been winning the battle with retaining supporters to date, and I have no idea how.

 

[LanceRomance]

A fair chunk will come from insurance and the AFL.

They've been winning the battle with retaining supporters to date, and I have no idea how.

I think this is what happens to non believers

 

[coryne]

A fair chunk will come from insurance and the AFL.

They've been winning the battle with retaining supporters to date, and I have no idea how.

But how much of what insurance has paid to date will have to be repaid if it is shown that the club has doped its players? How much of the other expenses which will be generated due to a guilty verdict will be covered?

 

[Malifice]

I think this is what happens to non believers

I can understand supporters getting behind them. Hour of need and all that.

But this is surely conditional on removing those responsible for this shitfight, restoring the integrity of the club, being open and transparent with members etc.

They've done everything other than that. Not only is Hird still there, but they have done nothing but spin spin spin and drag the rest of the competition down the gurgler for years.

Its like rewarding a spoilt child for throwing a tantrum after getting smacked for being naughty.

 

[Malifice]

But how much of what insurance has paid to date will have to be repaid if it is shown that the club has doped its players? How much of the other expenses which will be generated due to a guilty verdict will be covered?

Beats me.

Loss of gate takings, sponsors, match day revenue, legal fees and payouts from actions brought by no fewer than 34 players (loss of earnings, reputation, etc). Tack onto that the fines, and legal costs already (plus loss of cash from getting booted from the finals) and its a very high figure indeed.

Thirty million is a conservative figure in fact.

They've recruited in expectation of getting stung too. Cooney, Godard etc. Laughably this should keep them off the bottom of the ladder for the next two years so they wont even get any draft picks while they suck, and no-one is coming to watch them play.

Just an utter shambles how this has been managed from day 1.

You can bet your bottom dollar they have been grovelling to the AFL behind closed doors for some 'contingency' planning, yet here they are sooking about backdating of suspensions and threatening to boycott the NAB cup.

Smash them I say.

 

[DaVillaBlues]

Jesus, if what Mal has posted comes true, it could almost kill off the Essendon footy club (certainly would erode at their big cash reserves and assets)

I feel desperately sorry for the parents and families of young players drafted in the past 2/3 years.

This is all hubris on James Hird. Just strikes me as Nero partying as all of Rome falls apart around him.


I suppose one good thing in this scandal is that we have forever lost the mantle as the biggest cheats in VFL/AFL history.

 

[Aphrodite]

Jesus, if what Mal has posted comes true, it could almost kill off the Essendon footy club (certainly would erode at their big cash reserves and assets)

I feel desperately sorry for the parents and families of young players drafted in the past 2/3 years.

This is all hubris on James Hird. Just strikes me as Nero partying as all of Rome falls apart around him.


I suppose one good thing in this scandal is that we have forever lost the mantle as the biggest cheats in VFL/AFL history.

Only Carlton CHEATS!

 

[Funk]

Doesn't necessarily mean anything substantial - but interesting to note that most betting agencies don't appear to be offering odds on Essendon games yet.

Was setting up my Supercoach team when I noticed the Sportsbet display listed odds for every round one game, but had Essendon ($0.00) vs Sydney ($0.00). A quick browse around turned up similar situations for other major betting companies.

Seems even the professional punters aren't willing to back them in!

3 of the truest words ever spoken are:

"FOLLOW THE MONEY!!!!!!"

Not a good sign for EFC.

 

[Malifice]

Jesus, if what Mal has posted comes true, it could almost kill off the Essendon footy club (certainly would erode at their big cash reserves and assets)

Mate, if 34 players are stood down for 2 years after being told by the club everything was OK, it opens up a massive claim in negligence against the club from those players.

Loss of current and future earnings (salary and endorsements) for 2 years for 34 players? Plus legal costs?

Plus the whole playing group turning on the club for having careers ruined?

Ouch.

Then tack on loss of gate revenue, sponsors, members (although they seem to be sticking around), match day stuff, merchandise, etc etc.

Happily say that 30 million is a conservative estimate over the 5 year haul this will run for.

 

[cookie monster]

Beats me.

Loss of gate takings, sponsors, match day revenue, legal fees and payouts from actions brought by no fewer than 34 players (loss of earnings, reputation, etc). Tack onto that the fines, and legal costs already (plus loss of cash from getting booted from the finals) and its a very high figure indeed.

Thirty million is a conservative figure in fact.

They've recruited in expectation of getting stung too. Cooney, Godard etc. Laughably this should keep them off the bottom of the ladder for the next two years so they wont even get any draft picks while they suck, and no-one is coming to watch them play.

Just an utter shambles how this has been managed from day 1.

You can bet your bottom dollar they have been grovelling to the AFL behind closed doors for some 'contingency' planning, yet here they are sooking about backdating of suspensions and threatening to boycott the NAB cup.

Smash them I say.

I love the passion in this thread. Great post

 

[Dramoth]

This is looking more and more like a full 2 year suspensions.

The bill for EFC is already over 10 million.

Full 2 year suspensions will bring that up to 30 million quick smart.

Jesus. The AFL better hook them up to a life support machine stat.

* em Mal.. If it was Carlton, we would have been booted from the competition already and one of the VFL teams brought in to take our places. All our premierships would have been stripped off us and all our players received lifetime bans.

Essendon* know the facts when they went into this. There was/is complicity at the board level and everyone involved needs to be punished. Hird knows that he is for the high jump which is why he is over in the states looking for new roles. Hopefully his future employers will be looking at the papers over here in Australia and would realise what a liability St Jimmy the Tird would be to their organisation in terms of publicity... could you just imagine them introducing to St Jimmy in their offices.

Employer: "And this is James Hird, ex-Australian rules dual premiership player and coach of Essendon, he will be handling your account with us..."
St Jimmy: "Hi there, welcome onboard"
Client: "Are you the same James Hird who was in charge of the worlds biggest systematic doping regime? I dont what him anywhere near my accounts... you have already shown that you are willing to play fast and loose with the rules and if you do that with my money... it could end up costing me a fortune... bye".

 

[Mezzoculo]

Mate, if 34 players are stood down for 2 years after being told by the club everything was OK, it opens up a massive claim in negligence against the club from those players.

Loss of current and future earnings (salary and endorsements) for 2 years for 34 players? Plus legal costs?

Plus the whole playing group turning on the club for having careers ruined?

Ouch.

Then tack on loss of gate revenue, sponsors, members (although they seem to be sticking around), match day stuff, merchandise, etc etc.

Happily say that 30 million is a conservative estimate over the 5 year haul this will run for.

That kind of loss will affect the entire AFL - headquarters and clubs. Not sure we should be rooting for that outcome.

 

[OldBlueFan]

The collective shock at the player's potential boycott of the NAB cup is somewhat surprising, I must say.

What would you do in their position? Any ban that they receive is going to be considered to have started from the last time they played a competitive game within their sport. Therefore, if they play even a single NAB game and suspensions follow, then their ban will start from the date of that game.

It just makes sense that they'd want to avoid playing any game that would see their ban start 6 months later than it otherwise would.

Even if they get the full 2 year ban, for the younger players, this will mean that they can start a normal pre-season in 18 months time (at the end of the 2016 season). Again, if they play between now and any suspension notice, they will not get a pre-season in for 2017, thus that season will be shot too.

 

[ODNBlue]

Excuse my ignorance, but is there a precedent in world sport to have your ban backdated to your last event or does continuing training overrule that?

 

[DaVillaBlues]

Hird isn't ruling out an High Court Challenge..

FFS, at what point does Little Paul and the EFC board just bite the bullet and sack him ?

Do the players honestly have any more faith in a coach more obsessed about pursuing a futile court action, that is pretty much bound to fail ?

Hird is taking egotistical selfishness to a level I can scarcely comprehend.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

I heard Hird on the radio and he was saying that the court case has cost him a fortune and he needs to find the money somewhere blah blah blah * off

 

[Ladytron]

Hird isn't ruling out an High Court Challenge..

FFS, at what point does Little Paul and the EFC board just bite the bullet and sack him ?

Do the players honestly have any more faith in a coach more obsessed about pursuing a futile court action, that is pretty much bound to fail ?

Hird is taking egotistical selfishness to a level I can scarcely comprehend.

I still don't understand why they extended his contract AFTER this all came to light... the board has created a rod for its own back
He must have a photo of prominent club members doing inappropriate things to goats

 

[ODNBlue]

Essendon coach James Hird still open to High Court appeal

This is the best bit...

"This is not about suppressing evidence, it's not about trying to get the players off on a technicality, it's about trying to get the players a fair system.

"We were forced to go and give evidence in the hearings and we weren't provided with confidentiality that one would expect."

I call bull s**t.

 

[LanceRomance]

I heard Hird on the radio and he was saying that the court case has cost him a fortune and he needs to find the money somewhere blah blah blah **** off

the tribunal can't end soon enough.

we have to put up with this crap until the end of it.

If the players get pinged and he can't get a high court appeal I reckon he is done and we won't have to hear from him again.

 

[Big_Luch]

Essendon coach James Hird still open to High Court appeal

This is the best bit...



I call bull s**t.

i dont understand what he is fighting for? He didnt want the players to have to tell the truth? crazy