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

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Mods feel free to delete if post is too big. But this article is a good recap of the parties involved....

THE CAST: WHO’S WHO IN THE ESSENDON SUPPLEMENTS SAGA


THE SCIENTISTS


STEPHEN DANK

The architect of the 2012 supplements program. Brought into the club by fitness boss Dean Robinson — with whom he had worked at the Gold Coast Suns — and effectively sacked after the 2012 season after a spate of soft-tissue injuries. Told the Australian Crime Commission he gave the players Thymomodulin — not Thymosin beta-4 — and has stuck to that line. Has not cooperated with ASADA and has failed to answer charges against him at the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal.

SHANE CHARTER

The biochemist claimed in interviews with ASADA that he sourced the raw product for Thymosin Beta 4 for Dank in China. The former fitness adviser of James Hird and other top footballers, Charter refused to sign a statement for the anti-doping watchdog and piggy-backed on court action from Nima Alavi to avoid a subpoena to appear at the AFL tribunal.

NIMA ALAVI

Compounding chemist used by Dank to prepare supplements. Claimed to ASADA he compounded what may have been Thymosin beta 4 for Dank, but that Dank was to have it tested. Like Charter, Alavi refused to sign an ASADA statement or give in person evidence at the tribunal.



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Coach James Hird is back at the helm after serving a suspension last year. Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images





ESSENDON


JAMES HIRD

The coach copped a suspension from the AFL for governance breaches — but later claimed he only did so under threats, duress and inducements. He risked his job by continuing to wage a one-man war against ASADA after a joint action with the club, seeking to have ASADA’s investigation ruled unlawful, was thrown out of the Federal Court.

MARK THOMPSON

Poached from Geelong to be Hird’s right hand man, Thompson only reluctantly paid a $30,000 AFL fine for his part in the saga after it was past due in November last year. Took over from Hird for the 2014 season and then appeared to campaign for the job at the best and fairest award after an apparent approach from chairman Paul Little. Later the pair fell out and Thomspon was effectively dumped when the right job for him could not be found.

DANNY CORCORAN

The former football department boss was suspended by the AFL for his part in governance failings at the club and never meaningfully returned.

BRUCE REID

The long-time club doctor wrote to Hird and football boss Paul Hamilton early in 2012 to express his concern about the supplements program, but was initially charged by the AFL for not doing more to stop it. Those charges were embarrassingly dropped when Reid threatened Supreme Court action against the league. He remains on staff.

IAN ROBSON

The first office-holder to fall on his sword as the full details of saga began to emerge. Robson resigned shortly after the club-sanctioned Ziggy Switkowski report into governance landed in May 2013. He landed on his feet as CEO Melbourne Victory soccer club, but has never publicly addressed his time at Essendon.



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Dean ‘The Weapon’ Robinson lost his position at Essendon in the wake of the scandal, then sued the club.

DEAN ROBINSON


The “Weapon” was brought in to oversee Essendon’s fitness program and enable the Bombers to compete with bigger bodied sides such as Collingwood. He turned to Dank to assist him. Won close to $1 million from Essendon in a wrongful dismissal settlement last year.

DAVID EVANS

Stood down as chairman in mid-2013 after revelations of a phone call between Evans and then AFL boss Andrew Demetriou before Essendon “self reported” the drugs problem to the AFL and ASADA the next day. A former close friend of Hird, the pair fell out over the cooperative nature of Evans’ relationship to Demetriou and the AFL.

PAUL LITTLE

The super-rich former Toll transport boss took over from Evans as chairman and took a more combative approach — at one stage declaring he had lost confidence in the AFL executive. Soon after, he accepted negotiated punishments on behalf of the club. Has been steadfast the players did not take performance enhancing drugs.

XAVIER CAMPBELL

Has risen to become chief executive despite revelations in the ASADA interim report that he was caught up in the supplements culture.





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Andrew Demetriou left his role as AFL boss before the players were charged. Picture: Nicole Garmston





THE AFL


ANDREW DEMETRIOU

The former AFL boss tried to straddle the roles of chief administrator and commissioner — effectively a judge and juror of Essendon’s punishment for governance breaches. The conflict in the two roles damaged his performance in handling the saga and ultimately his legacy. Left the AFL before players were charged.

GILLON McLACHLAN

Demetriou’s 2IC for much of the saga, McLachlan put his renowned negotiating skills to good use in dealings with Hird, Essendon, ASADA and the Federal Government in his bid to achieve the best results for the AFL. He has later acknowledged the football public needs to see fair and proper process at play in integrity matters — not just an outcome the league deems best.

ANDREW DILLON

Rarely seen or heard, Dillon — as the AFL’s general counsel and boss of integrity — has overseen the AFL’s functions in the supplements saga, including laying governance charges against the club and later issuing infraction notices to the players.

BRETT CLOTHIER

Clothier’s role in the saga began when he warned Hird about peptides back in 2011. Effectively ASADA’s go-to man at the AFL during the investigation, he sat in on many ASADA interviews with players and other Essendon personnel and even caught an early look at ASADA’s interim report.

ABRAHAM HADDAD

The former UN investigator — brought in to the AFL’s integrity unit effectively as a betting cop — in 2011 found himself arranging and attending many ASADA interviews with players and Essendon officials.





ASADA


AURORA ANDRUSKA

The former chief executive was at the Australian Crime Commission meeting in January 2013 when AFL bosses were first briefed about a drug problem at a club. In the following days, she agreed to a “joint” investigation with the AFL — so ASADA could use the AFL’s powers to force players to submit to interview. Came under pressure from the AFL to deliver a report before the 2013 finals series, so Essendon could be punished, and from the Federal Government to achieve a “result.” Left office before players were hit with show cause notices.



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Former head of ASADA Aurora Andruska. Picture: Norm Oorloff

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Ben McDevitt, Andruska’s replacement as ASADA chief.

BEN McDEVITT


Tough-talking former federal copper took over from Andruska in late 2013. Was seen to be open to deals with players when they were first hit with show cause notices in June last year. His public comments have been fewer and more guarded since then. Is responsible for recommending the cases against the players to Anti-Doping Rule Violation Panel, which ultimately signs off on show cause notices.

GARY DOWNES

Former Federal Court judge brought in by ASADA on a short-term contract last year to review the thousands of pages of documents and interview transcripts collected over the course of the investigation and deliver a concise brief. His report to McDevitt is believed to have recommended the agency pursue doping charges.





THE FEDS


KATE LUNDY

The former sports minister was there on the “blackest day” press conference and, according to notes tendered in the Federal Court in Essendon and Hird’s failed challenge, kept the pressure up on ASADA to deliver outcomes to suit the AFL’s commercial needs and the government’s agenda — with ASADA officials noting that the government believed the ongoing drama was harming re-election chances.

RICHARD ECCLES

Briefed ASADA investigators on his dealings with “G” at the AFL while a staffer in the Prime Minister’s office at the height of the saga. In one email to ASADA, Eccles said: “where ASADA forms a view that the defence of no fault or negligence is available … ASADA and the AFL agree that they will support the application … before the relevant tribunals as far as was possible and a really good thing”.
 

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Just reported it will be postponed until tomorrow. Unbelievable!!









































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