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

[Silvagnis]

ASADA probe: Dons seek clarity

Watson still stands to lose his 2012 Brownlow Medal and with at least 11 other teammates still faces being charged with taking banned substances, something – if proven – the new boss of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority says is his responsibility and his alone.

Monday’s Fairfax Media revelation that up to 40 Bombers or former Bombers who played at the club in 2012 will receive show-cause letters from ASADA which could lead to infraction notices came as a shock to the club as it did to the AFL and the AFL Players Association. Those letters could come as soon as Tuesday and almost certainly by the end of the month.

ASADA probe: Dons seek clarity

 

[Jabba73]

ASADA probe: Dons seek clarity

ASADA probe: Dons seek clarity

It is now Tuesday, holding my breath anxiously waiting for the mail to arrive ...........

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

ASADA probe: Dons seek clarity

ASADA probe: Dons seek clarity

How could the infractions possibly come as a shock?

 

[Jabba73]

How could the infractions possibly come as a shock?

FFS MEB, have you not listened to a word Tania has said since the story broke?

Sheesh, she even kept notes for you to follow.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

FFS MEB, have you not listened to a word Tania has said since the story broke?

Sheesh, she even kept notes for you to follow.

I'm a simple kind of gal, you know?
Seems pretty obvious that when you do something wrong, you're gonna be punished...but that's just me.

 

[Jabba73]

I'm a simple kind of gal, you know?
Seems pretty obvious that when you do something wrong, you're gonna be punished...but that's just me.

You would think so, however, the word out of EssADA* is that they have not done anything wrong.

I am hoping that ASADA finds otherwise.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

If everyone on tour was found guilty - then they would suspend the lot.

Same deal.

Suspending all of the riders is different to suspending all of the teams. The AFL wouldn't want the whole competition to stop for 2 years.

 

[Dramoth]

ASADA probe: Dons seek clarity

ASADA probe: Dons seek clarity

I love this paragraph...

The players have continued to choose the path of collective representation and every case at this stage is being handled by Queen’s Counsel David Grace who remains determined that no player was aware he took a banned substance and that every player signed documents which attested to that fact. According to McDevitt’s on Friday, this will not save them if he can prove those substances were banned.

They still think that their players will get off on the ignorance law... when the incoming boss of ASADA has just turned around and announced that it's the players responsibility to know whats being put into their bodies.

Going by that comment alone... Jab, give back the Brownlow now you cheating scumbag... you have openly admitted on TV to taking a banned substance.

FARKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK.......... shit bollocks crap... just checked to see how old the cheat is... and the bastard shares my birthday... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

On the plus side... a 2 year ban will effectively finish his career for the cheats!

 

[Dramoth]

I'm a simple kind of gal, you know?
Seems pretty obvious that when you do something wrong, you're gonna be punished...but that's just me.

But they are Essendon*... they dont get punished for cheating and if they do... it's quickly swept under the mat... like the fact that the 1993 cup really belongs to Carlton.

 

[Wickzki]

Wickzki, I hope that is not all that happens. I am expecting draft sanctions as well.

I hear what you're saying and I know why you're saying it. However, when they cannot possibly field a complete side the AFL is going to be damaged significantly. There is a fundamental difference between Carlton's penalties and conceivably Essendon's. We were screwed for the most part of a decade (we're still suffering from it to be honest) for what we did. However we never faced a reality of being unable to field a team. If ASADA hits their list as hard as anticipated then they wont be able to. The AFL cannot afford to have a dead duck team. As hurt as we were I believe the AFL too was hurt by Carlton being as bad off as what they put us. They will have learned lessons from that.

If you want them to face draft penalties then make them draft last in the first round for a year or two. However, the greatest way that the AFL could penalize Essendon is to ban them from postseason play (AFL Finals) for 5 to 10 years (regardless of where they finish on the ladder, even if that is top spot). It's similar to how the NCAA (US collegiate sport) sanction their teams (as well as taking away scholarships, something that obviously cannot happen here). This would ensure the sanctity of the competition. If they were banned for 10 years it would more than likely ensure that no Essendon player who was found guilty of doping would win a premiership with Essendon except potentially the youngest of them (e.g. Daniher if he were one of them). The worst possible thing for the AFL would be if either before their bans or after they came back from their bans this Essendon team won a premiership.

 

[Thrawn]

The AFL cannot afford to have a dead duck team.

Of course they can.

It would serve as the ultimate deterrence to any club who would dare go down such a path again. This issue is much bigger than the AFL or its revenue, the eyes of the world are watching this. We need to make the right choice no matter how painful it is to one club, or the AFL's pocket. Zero tolerance has to be applied here no matter how many players are affected, that is part of the code the AFL is adhering to. The bigwigs at ASADA and the ADRVP do not care one iota about Essendon being on its knees for a huge length of time, nor the AFL's misgivings. Well you know what? Too bad. They should have thought about that before injecting banned and unknown substances to a group of stupid, naive young adults.

In fact, they are lucky to be dead ducks because whatever was injected into them might have severe health consequences. This is more important than gate earnings and crowd numbers. ASADA need to hit them hard for the good of the game, and because it's the right thing to do. It will also heighten Australia's reputation as a country that does not tolerate drug cheating, a plus for political point scoring I am sure. Essendon will still be able to field a team, it will just be a team of reserve players. Said bans will possibly be 2 years, in competition, so that is effectively 4 seasons. That is a long time in a football career. I don't see them coming back from that and winning a flag, they will have to rebuild from the ground up again, but handicapped with draft penalties. It will take the best part of a decade to rebuild from that. A deserved punishment, but not something that will kill them.

No, what may kill them are all the lawsuits that may come from those players, and possibly WorkSafe's intervention after the report is released to them when all this is over. But this is the bed they made, they have to lie in it. I don't think they will die, they have too many wealthy and influential supporters for that, much like we did. Plus, the AFL will give them a financial hand like they did with us.

 

[Dramoth]

The health consequences are something that Essendon* havent even bothered to think about. What happens if in 3-5 years one of the young players involved starts showing side effects from the drugs and ends up dying early. If that happened... I dont think that even the wealthy and influential supporters have enough money to keep the club from being killed by the lawsuits.

 

[Wickzki]

Of course they can.

Can the smaller clubs that rely on huge gate receipts from Essendon* games, television deals, etc.?

If a "big 4" AFL club is on its knees it hurts more than just the AFL and that club.

There's a reason the smaller clubs were ecstatic when the bigger clubs were all somewhat successful last year.

 

[Thrawn]

Can the smaller clubs that rely on huge gate receipts from Essendon* games, television deals, etc.?

If a "big 4" AFL club is on its knees it hurts more than just the AFL and that club.

There's a reason the smaller clubs were ecstatic when the bigger clubs were all somewhat successful last year.

I don't see why not. There will still be an Essendon playing, and people will still be attending. The loss for those clubs should be minimal, if not then they'll have to change things up with the AFL. Perhaps there will be some compensation for these clubs, it's hard to say.

 

[The_Wookie]

 

[Dramoth]

Tim Watson... talking hand puppet for the Essendon* football club.

Swinging like crazy at the Age reporters and trying to fudge shit like that...

 

[Jabba73]

Hold onto your rookies everyone, the AFL may decree that EssADA* can take the rookies off other team lists in order to field a side for the rest of the season.

It is hard to see where else they will be able to top up with players without destroying the lower tier competitions.

At least AFL listed rookies are (almost) up to standard and less likely to get physically torn apart by the strongest teams.

 

[LanceRomance]

Hold onto your rookies everyone, the AFL may decree that EssADA* can take the rookies off other team lists in order to field a side for the rest of the season.

It is hard to see where else they will be able to top up with players without destroying the lower tier competitions.

At least AFL listed rookies are (almost) up to standard and less likely to get physically torn apart by the strongest teams.

I thought they might do that with the rookies

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

Surely the rookies will have a choice as to whether or not this happens?! I can't bear the thought of our boys running around in that godforsaken sash

 

[LanceRomance]

Surely the rookies will have a choice as to whether or not this happens?! I can't bear the thought of our boys running around in that godforsaken sash

Yes. The heath Scotland plan could backfire lol.

 

[zeeCFC]

What is this rookie business? I haven't heard it anywhere else...doesn't seem like it could ever happen.

 

[thylacine60]

Came as a misquote from ex-Bomber and Fraser Brown tackling bag, Dean Wallis. Word was actually "bookies".

 

[Wickzki]

I do not believe that it would be AFL rookie listed players who would be picked up by the Scum as they are "listed" players to another AFL club. Like zee, I've not heard of it. Sounds preposterous to think that Essendon could just say "We'll take Jaryd Cachia, thanks."

You'd be looking at the state league players below that level.

It could be Miles Sewell's chance to get an AFL game.

 

[zeeCFC]

Came as a misquote from ex-Bomber and Fraser Brown tackling bag, Dean Wallis. Word was actually "bookies".

As long as they stay away from our Wookies!

 

[thylacine60]

Some players are untouchable. Wookster sits somewhere above that.