The Sensationalist Media Reporting of the Essendon Scandal

[lloydy_loinchop]

Note: For those who want a shorter version, skip the section in the middle with all the quotes. That takes up half the post length.

I cannot believe how substandard the media has been on reporting the Essendon Drugs Scandal. I can't fault them on how quickly they break their news, but the journalists have been very poor at putting the whole story in context and telling a coherent narrative, researching the WADA/ASADA regulations themselves, and therefore explaining the actual significance and consequences of each event. It seems to me that a new story comes out about a new instance of drug use, it becomes a headline, and no one can make heads or tails of whether it's actually illegal and is a banned substance, and if so, whether the player taking that is wholly responsible in the eyes of ASADA, and if so, what the punishment is. As a footy fan, that is all I care about. I don't care about the 'bad look' of Essendon being 'associated' with 'borderline' or 'grey area' supplements. I don't understand what a 'grey area' drug could be. If someone could please explain this, this would be great, because the way I see it, the drug is either on the banned list or not on the list at the time the drug is consumed/used/injected into the player. If it cannot be proved beyond reasonable doubt that a drug on the banned list was indeed taken at a point of time when it had been banned, then there is no problem.

In my view, it is entirely within the rights of the club to be using so called 'performance-enhancing drugs' if those are legal within the WADA/ASADA rules. The footballing public is kidding themselves if they don't think clubs will try to attain the greatest possible chemical advantage, as long as it is legal and does not harm the players.

The problem seems to be about harming the players. Tim Watson expressed his concern about the seeming 'witch dictor' activity, and Demetriou was shockrd that 'potentially injurious' substances could have been given to players. Stephen Dank, however, is a sports scientist - Watson and Demetriou are not. He is specifically hired to find and hand out cutting-edge drugs that will benefit the players, provided that they are legal and safe. Watson and Demetriou are not experts on either the legality or the safety of the drugs out there. If whatever ruling body decides that the unorthodox supplements (pig's brain, cow's first milk, etc.) were illegal or potentially unsafe, then Stephen Dank should be in trouble.

James Hird as a football coach is also not an expert on drugs, and his and the football head's duty is to set out a process though which the sports scientist department is being monitored to a reasonable extent, and in a legal sense. If Dank has deceptively given illegal or unsafe drugs to players (which he public says he has not done), then it isn't Hird's role to double-check Dank's medical research. Hird claimed that his process involved the cub doctor, and a check against the ASADA banned list. That covers the his duty to investigate his program's legality and safety in my book. Unless it could be proved Hird was complicit in the danger or illegality, he should not be involved. Hird's own drug use has also been confusedly reported. Hird is a coach, not a player, and is permitted to take drugs on the ASADA banned lsit, as long as he does not in any way promote them to players, and reinforces the anti-drug stance. Unless Hird can be proven to have failed in his duty here, he can take all the performance-enhancing drugs he wants, under ASADA's own rules. The AFL Code of Conduct apparently is another set of regualtions he must act by, and his actions could be construed to have 'brought the game into disrepute'. Firstly, such a clause seems contractually flimsy and broad in a legal sense - I doubt it could be enforceable. Secondly, the extent to which it has brought the game into 'disrepute' is exacerbated the CEO's own comments, and the absolute media beat-up of the incident. The call for him to 'step down' of his own accord because he has 'brought the game into disrepute' through his non-infraction of any rules is utterly ludicrous.

Now it may seem that I am going out on a tangent here about the drug scandal, but I think it is the media's responsibiltiy to cogently point out exactly what I have done above. Instead, they have been irresponsibly breaking news about drugs without context. They are more interested in presenting an 'explosive' story that will attract media attention and eyeballs. Nothing out to coe out of this saga until the end of the ASADA investigation, and any other legal investigation deciding whether Hird or any other Essendon employees had acted out their duty towards the players and clubs. The media know that they are fanning the flames of this story. I personally think Hird will keep coaching until his guilt is proven, and in a week's time the scandal will again be in a lull until a new piece of information has come up, or until the ASADA investigation is over. Instead the media refers to the 'latest twist in the scandal'. It is reporting is as a piece of entertainment for readerly consumption (which I guess we should expect from a revenue-driven media), rather than intelligent, informative and exact reporting.

Here is the story originally broken at the beginning of the Hird part of the scandal (IF YOU WANT TO SKIP MY CRITIQUE OF THE ACTUAL ARTICLES, PLEASE SKIP TO THE BOTTOM FOR MY CONCLUSIONS):
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/hird-injected-drugs-20130410-2hlvx.html

Governance and player welfare failings at Essendon may result in the AFL charging the club or its senior officials with improper conduct or bringing the game into disrepute.

They don't define what these supposed 'failings' actually are. Also use the weasel word 'may'. Unless they mean 'may' as in the 'the AFL would be permitted to'.

Dank has claimed that at Essendon, Hird strongly supported his work and encouraged him to push the boundaries.
According to Dank, the pair spoke and texted regularly and he was told by Hird he was in the coach's "inner sanctum".

Nothing illegal about any of this. I'd want my footy club to be 'pushing the boundaries' to get the best out of their players. And this 'inner sanctum' stuff is just playing on the publics fear and the mystery of 'the sports scientist'

In information verified by Fairfax Media, Hird was given specific details about supplements being injected into players and the practice of giving injured or older players more supplements.
Controversial practices include the exclusion of the club's part-time doctor, Bruce Reid, from key decisions on player health and using external doctors to sign off on requests to test player's blood or inject players.
Essendon lawyers will challenge any bid to penalise players for using AOD9604, saying that the Australian Crime Commission's report on doping stated it was not banned and that advice given to the club by ASADA confirmed this.
Records of Hird and Danks' dealings reveal that the coach knew specific details about the supplement regime, including the intravenous administration of vitamins and injections into the stomach or oral administration of other supplements, including an immune-booster known as a thymosin.

The term 'specific details' is used twice. Note that 'specific' is a superfluous term here. The medico wouldn't give the coach 'vague details'. The so-called 'controversial practices? The club doctor has to approve them (wow controversial). The supplements are injected (no way - medicine injected!?). And thymosin sounds like it prevents colds, but doesn't sound illegal. Also, AOD9604 is not banned. So this whole slab sounds anti-Essendon, when in fact all of it is legal and above board.

Here is another example from The Age (btw, don't even get me started on the Herald):

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...any-athlete-20130412-2hpff.html#ixzz2QCtoJr25

'He also been accused of being well aware of the club’s controversial supplement program under Dank '

Now such a sentence sounds innocent - I believe it is referring to the news of the text messages that were broken by the 7.30 Report on ABC. However, while the statement is true, its failure to critically follow-up the accusation is bad reporting. A controversial program is not an illegal one. An accusation can either be well-founded or flimsy. The text messages seem to show just that - that Hird was well aware of a controversial program. It doesn't mean that he knew there was illegaity or danger. It just shows he knew he had a supplement program that would be controversial and newsworthy if revealed to the media. The subtext behind this innocent statement is important because without it, the statement is a flat-out prosecution of Hird, without any defence. The prosecution sells papers. The defence does not - no one wants to read a story about how we dont know enough to decide anything really; that we don't know whether any drugs are illegal or unsafe; that we don't know how much Essendon knew about Dank's activities.

All we know is that Damien Barrett broke a hazy story about 'drugs at Essendon' while the Crime Commission released an explosive report on Australian Sport. The 'mystery' at the Essendon Football Club had the country turn its eyes on the story, which has involved Essendon repeatedly denying illegality; Dank repeatedly denying illegality, against the testimony of Kyle Reimers, a man of not-so-great intelligence who 'did not know' what was being 'injected' (ooooo - intravenous drugs, even more scandalous!). Since then the story's own momentum has caused Demetriou and others to comment on how 'shocking' it is, while the closest we have come to seeing a breach of ASADA rules was by a coach who retired as a player in 2007, and is therefore not punishable.

I guess I expected too much for the media to report responsibly. It's frustrating though, because it's difficult to get the truth on the matter without substantial researching and critical analysis of the articles (what the journos are supposed to do for you). If Hird gets sacked, it will be because Essendon cant stand the media spotlight. He will be the umpteenth coaching victim of the media's reporting, as opposed to actual wrongdoing.

 

[jenny61_99]

Stephen Dank isn't a sports scientists' a-hole. He has not got a PhD, and as far as I am aware, is not a registered sports scientist.

 

[krisholio14]

Didn't you know, the media run everything these days.

Most people can't think for themselves anymore, largely because unless you want to dig deeper on any given subject, the media will tell you what to think and the saturation is so great it's pretty much impossible not to be brainwashed.

 

[krisholio14]

You don't have to be a PhD to be a scientist. Even so, he was hired as an expert in his field. I'm not sure about his qualifications, but he has held jobs with other elite Australian sporting clubs. He clearly is someone who can offer a certain set of skills and knowledge to AFL clubs. He was hired on that basis.

What his title is (sports scientist or otherwise) doesn't make a jot of difference anyway, if the drugs aren't illegal or unsafe. They were signed off by the club doctor apparently (in most cases). If not, and Dank is found to have broken whatever the law is in that area in terms of providing medicine that is safe, then yes he should be charged.

Also, please don't calle me 'a-hole' based on calling Dank a 'sports scientist'. That's what the media have referred to him as. Blame them! I hope you read the rest of the article's content before criticising my two-word description of Dank out of the 2000 words I wrote....

dude, she wasn't calling you an a-hole, she was saying Dank isn't a sports scientist's a-hole, meaning Dank is a hack/fraud/crackpot/all of the above.

 

[Chameleon75]

You don't have to be a PhD to be a scientist. Even so, he was hired as an expert in his field. I'm not sure about his qualifications, but he has held jobs with other elite Australian sporting clubs. He clearly is someone who can offer a certain set of skills and knowledge to AFL clubs. He was hired on that basis.

What his title is (sports scientist or otherwise) doesn't make a jot of difference anyway, if the drugs aren't illegal or unsafe. They were signed off by the club doctor apparently (in most cases). If not, and Dank is found to have broken whatever the law is in that area in terms of providing medicine that is safe, then yes he should be charged.

Also, please don't calle me 'a-hole' based on calling Dank a 'sports scientist'. That's what the media have referred to him as. Blame them! I hope you read the rest of the article's content before criticising my two-word description of Dank out of the 2000 words I wrote....

I suggest you reread what she wrote before accusing her of vilifying you.

 

[lloydy_loinchop]

Yeah no worries. Hadn't heard the term I'll delete the response. Mods can help and delete the last three posts then. doesn't contribute to the discussion

 

[lloydy_loinchop]

Didn't you know, the media run everything these days.

Most people can't think for themselves anymore, largely because unless you want to dig deeper on any given subject, the media will tell you what to think and the saturation is so great it's pretty much impossible not to be brainwashed.

Well not impossible if people. Hopefully people read what I've said and think more critically about articles in the media. Certainly the people who think the post is 'TLDR' are beyond saving

 

[The Dice Man]

Personally Im loving it.

 

[carnthemlions]

I see you're discovered the media, welcome.

 

[nut]

It's like Xmas

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Again, I'll ask the question.

Do you think that Caro, and these well known investigative journo's are going hard at this because there's nothing to the story? Seriously?

Similarly, do you tink if there was nothing to these allegations that the AFL would've told Essendon to come forward and invite an investigation before the investigation came knocking?

 

[Haduken]

Again, I'll ask the question.

Do you think that Caro, and these well known investigative journo's are going hard at this because there's nothing to the story? Seriously?

They went hard early and were wrong. Now they're trying to cover their asses.

Similarly, do you tink if there was nothing to these allegations that the AFL would've told Essendon to come forward and invite an investigation before the investigation came knocking?

Yep. Because back then neither the AFL nor Essendon were quite sure what happened.

They're sure now.

Nothing.. will.. happen.. (well ok there may be an AFL fine)

I'm sorry that upsets you. (Unless you're Patrick Smith, in which case Ha ha!)

 

[lloydy_loinchop]

Do you think that Caro, and these well known investigative journo's are going hard at this because there's nothing to the story? Seriously?

Similarly, do you tink if there was nothing to these allegations that the AFL would've told Essendon to come forward and invite an investigation before the investigation came knocking?

I didn't say there was nothing to the story or the allegations. But at the moment, the allegations that have come up don't seem all that serious when rationally analysed. If it's such a big story, how come the journos haven't even alleged that players have taken a performance-enhancing drug that is categorically banned. This story just seems to be about a club that is nearly getting caught, but not quite. In any case, the journos would have sold enough papers already by dragging the scandal on. There doesn't have to be an endgame - they've already sold their paperrs by building it up to the point where then there is the ASADA investigation and the story drifts away.

And the AFL? Wouldn't exactly call them the bastion of reason. They're so image conscious that a sniff of rumour has them the first to pass comment and denounce the 'shocking' practices that they can't believe are going on and will certainly be punished. Being 'tough on crime' is proven to be good for political image...

 

[jenny61_99]

Yeah no worries. Hadn't heard the term I'll delete the response. Mods can help and delete the last three posts then. doesn't contribute to the discussion

Sorry I confused you. Certainly wasn't referring to you.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

They went hard early and were wrong. Now they're trying to cover their asses.

They're wrong and now trying to cover their asses?

How do you even contemplate that conclusion with what is currently happening via media? More and more questions are popping up.

 

[Haduken]

More and more questions are popping up.

Tell me what the 'new' questions are? Because all I've seen this week is rehashing of the same stuff from Day 1?

Seriously, the texts are just covering the fact that Hird and Dank worked on their program together. The program Hird said from the beginning was cleared by ASADA. That is not new information.

Whether Hird has been injected himself is completely irrelevant as it is not illegal or against ASADA for him to do so. He denies it regardless.

So tell me what these question are Echols?

 

[jenny61_99]

Tell me what the 'new' questions are? Because all I've seen this week is rehashing of the same stuff from Day 1?

Seriously, the texts are just covering the fact that Hird and Dank worked on their program together. The program Hird said from the beginning was cleared by ASADA. That is not new information.

Whether Hird has been injected himself is completely irrelevant as it is not illegal or against ASADA for him to do so. He denies it regardless.

So tell me what these question are Echols?

Well so far this week we've found out the names of the alleged substances that all and sundry have been taking. There are half a dozen "supplements" the players have been given, and some by i.v. Up to this stage Dank had only ever mentioned subcutaneous injections (although the use of i.vs has been discussed). We know that some of the supplements are questionable in terms of the WADA code (WADA advises against the use of colostrum for example, due to the presence of IGF, WADA has also banned a version of one of the drugs Dank mentioned - thymosin Beta 4 -, so we need to know what the specific drug was for clarity). We now know that Dank wasn't operating as a rogue as had been suggested by some. We found out through texts that Hird was very clearly kept in the loop with the whats and whens. We need to know if these texts are genuine. We now have confirmed from several sources - including Tim Watson - that the players were given a peptide - AOD9604 - that has not been approved for human use. WADA has since come out advising that this peptide falls under the S0 clause of the Code. We now believe that Dr Reid was frozen out of the process at some stage, that a letter of concern from him, to the board, was never tabled. We need to know who it was that failed to table that letter of concern, and why. It was revealed by Dank that he injected Hird twice a week for 3/4 of a season with hexarelin which was banned for use by athletes in 2004. We need to know whether this happened (Hird is saying he only had 2 injections from Dank of a non banned substance when he was sick, after initially denying it) and if it ever happened a) at the Club or b) with players present. So many more questions raised with the information that came out this week IMO.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Tell me what the 'new' questions are? Because all I've seen this week is rehashing of the same stuff from Day 1?

Seriously, the texts are just covering the fact that Hird and Dank worked on their program together. The program Hird said fro the beginning was cleared by ASADA. That is not new information.

Whether Hird has been injected himself is completely irrelevant as it is not illegal or against ASADA for him to do so. He denies it regardless.

So tell me what these question are Echols?

The same stuff since day 1? Rubbish.

In recent days allegations of coaches being administered drugs in the coaches box, on game day, have come out.

Allegations of Hird seeking to be injected by the Sports Scientist, and not the Club doctor, for whatever reason. That raises quite a few questions.

Text messages stating that players were knowingly - by Hird - injected with thymosin and other substances via I.V, something that McViegh refuted 'day 1'. What else was known? Why was McViegh so adamant that nothing even remotely untoward could've been administered, when the sourced texts show that Hird and Dank were discussin the use of many different substances?

Allegations that Hird was deeply involved in the implementation of the supplement regime, despite sitting in the initial press conference claiming that "The last 48 hours the Essendon football club has received information about supplements that have been given to our players as part of the fitness program at 2012" on 'day 1'. How many people at Essendon knew of the injections Hird was taking? How was this overlooked? Was it overlooked? How could a club then claim little knowledge of what took place in the supplement program for players(enough to have to invite investigation) at the initial press conference, if the coach knew all along, and the powers that be trusted him so greatly?

Whether Hird has been injected is completely relevant. If true, it shows that he has a severe conflict of interest, considering the stance needed in regards to the injection of players with banned substances. It also raises questions around just what he was willing to subject his own body to, which in turn, draws questions about his ability to guide and mentor young bodies and minds.

The AFL, if they want to get to the bottom of all of this, will want all these questions and more, answered.

 

[ziad]

I thought it was about systematic cheating. why all the effort if it didnt enhance performance.

vlad stated he knows more than is public when suggesting hird stand down - other will also.

lets continue to kill the messenger - perhaps Tim watson can be the only media voice

 

[Daytripper]

The same stuff since day 1? Rubbish.

In recent days allegations of coaches being administered drugs in the coaches box, on game day, have come out..

Poor Echols - he probably heard that Bomber Thompson took a panadol for a headache.

"Essendon coaches on drugs on Match Day."

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I thought it was about systematic cheating. why all the effort if it didnt enhance performance.

vlad stated he knows more than is public when suggesting hird stand down - other will also.

lets continue to kill the messenger - perhaps Tim watson can be the only media voice

Don't forget Rohan.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Poor Echols - he probably heard that Bomber Thompson took a panadol for a headache.

"Essendon coaches on drugs on Match Day."

I'll break my own rule and respond to you, just this once.

I'm actually starting to genuinely feel sorry for you, and your inability to even questions what's gone on at Essendon.

You're that yappy dog down the road, that barks at everyone who walks passed the fence, wondering why no one comes back to say hello. People just go on their way, ignoring you, continuing down the path, taking in all that is around them, while you remain safe if you're little 5 square feet of the world, unable to see the bigger picture.

You can target the many posters on here for discussing the issue, 'til the cows come home, but nothing you say to me or anyone else is going to stop us discussing it, or clear Essendon's name.

 

[TerryWallet]

I'll break my own rule and respond to you, just this once.

I'm actually starting to genuinely feel sorry for you, and your inability to even questions what's gone on at Essendon.

You're that yappy dog down the road, that barks at everyone who walks passed the fence, wondering why no one comes back to say hello. People just go on their way, ignoring you, continuing down the path, taking in all that is around them, while you remain safe if you're little 5 square feet of the world, unable to see the bigger picture.

You can target the many posters on here for discussing the issue, 'til the cows come home, but nothing you say to me or anyone else is going to stop us discussing it, or clear Essendon's name.

You know, right through this saga i have had my eyes firmly fixed on the implementers of the drug regime Essendon undertook. They were the ones who need to be brought to task.

I've felt a bit of sympathy for the players(younger ones mainly) and most supporters. But that is fast dissipating.

The Essendon players are not behaving like victims one iota. They are fully behind the Messiah like Hird. They are fully behind all the crap they have been pumped full of.

Essendon Football Club have lost their way. Led by the nose by a false Messiah.

Whatever It Takes was more than a slogan. It was, and obviously still is, a mindset.

 

[evo]

Nothing illegal about any of this.

But it speaks to the fact that Hird is up to speed on what was being given to the players. Ergo, if ASADA do find wrong-doing he is going to be culpable as well.

Besides, reporters aren't only confined to discussing aspects of this case that are 'illegal'. In my view there as an element of ethics to this whole saga. If you are fine with "whatever it takes" being an acceptable philsophy for a sporting club fair enough, but I, and many other members of the public aren't. If players are taking AOD1234, Thymosin etc, that is something of public interest and worthy of report, IMO. ASADA and the ACC appear to find it of interest as well.

 

[CharacterFirst]

You know, right through this saga i have had my eyes firmly fixed on the implementers of the drug regime Essendon undertook. They were the ones who need to be brought to task.

I've felt a bit of sympathy for the players(younger ones mainly) and most supporters. But that is fast dissipating.

The Essendon players are not behaving like victims one iota. They are fully behind the Messiah like Hird. They are fully behind all the crap they have been pumped full of.

Essendon Football Club have lost their way. Led by the nose by a false Messiah.

Whatever It Takes was more than a slogan. It was, and obviously still is, a mindset.

I think this is probably the case. Some of us have tried to raise these bigger issues, but usually our (my) posts have been deleted or the 'well poisoned.'

It is very like the cycling world!