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

[kelvin_sheedy]

Interesting how the Hird haters that have been led by the nose come to the conclusion that the Xavior story has been leaked by him. I'd say its related more to Weapons payout and the hush hush component of it with him handing out drugs (not illegal) to officials.

When you've been fooled completely into one narrative its only natural to think this way.

 

[baz_machine]

"Dogs are so predictable, aren't they"

Frank Underwood


Nb - dog as in attack dog

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Not a good week for the Fairfax Witch. In her article she states the injection program only ended in August 2014.

 

[Dan Cooper]

Not a good week for the Fairfax Witch. In her article she states the injection program only ended in August 2014.

It gets hard to concentrate when you are hating as hard as she has been the past couple of years.

 

[Pevers-Legend]

Not a good week for the Fairfax Witch. In her article she states the injection program only ended in August 2014.

Could understand 2013 as the 2 key is next to the 3. But 4, well that just shows she is incompetent. And does anyone check her article who knows anything? What a Shit paper

 

[westking]

Not a good week for the Fairfax Witch. In her article she states the injection program only ended in August 2014.

exactly. She is only selling her garbage to the same ol' people each time. She fails to understand that her reputation is being diminished with each agenda driven article she pens about Hird.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Taken a bit of time to digest everything I've seen and heard, what a week.

Unfortunately and it pains me to say it, I lay the blame for the events of this week purely at the feet of the Hird camp (I say camp deliberately).

There's been one constant from Hird throughout this entire saga, one admirable, typical constant that has made him even more loved by us - he's ALWAYS, at every turn here, fallen in line and toed the club line. Usually to his own detriment, he...

- took part in the very first press conference and said things he did agree with, because the club told him to do it. In typical Hird fashion, he did it.

- agreed to cooperate fully with the investigation that he is still adamant wasn't required - and did so

- performed admirably as coach under immense public scrutiny and extraordinary attacks on his character and family by gutter dwellers in the media

- offered his resignation (before the Freo game last year) when he thought it might be the best thing for the club. When the club refused to accept his resignation, he ploughed on as before

- dealt with the media literally at his door every single day and handled it all with good grace and incredible calmness

-maintained a united front with chairman Evans for months, despite it now being clear the two were at direct odds

- joined with the club in proposing legal action against the AFL last year

- withdrew that legal action when told to

- participated it that disgusting, grotesque disgrace last year at AFL house when everybody went behind closed doors, listened to the AFLs threats and succumbed to them, because they were given no choice - accepting a huge suspension, against his wishes

- did not interfere whatsoever with the playing group or football dept this year

- walked back into the club the day his suspension finished ready to work, then accepted the decision for him to have no direct football role, and again didn't interfere.

Now on all these points it can be argued if it was the right thing or not to do for himself - but that's not the point. Whichever way you think, one thing is constant - he fell in line with the club.

At every turn, if you wish to be part of a club, that's what you have to do. It can be thankless, unjust and some can be called upon far more often they than ever should be - but that's how it has to be in a footy club. You don't get a pass from it just because you've done it a million times before. Nobody has understood this more than Hirdy over the past 20 years. He's answered the call as much as anybody.

If you don't like that, go and play tennis.

If you want proof, look at other clubs throughout history where people start going their own way and are allowed to. The places splinter and become a joke.

Now you might argue that Hird has earnt the right to do as he pleases at Essendon. That's simply not the case. People seem to get over the "nobody is bigger than the club" term. But it's absolutely true. Everybody has to be pulling in the same direction, whether they've been there 5 mins or they've been pulling that direction for 20 years. Hirdy has always got that.

The club must endure, it'll be here long after Hirdy and long after all of us have gone. It's a living thing, it attracts people down generations, pulls them together and united them in common cause. That must endure or we might as well shut the doors.

People must be joking when they say it's "just a group of individuals". Christ. A bunch of people standing at a bus stop is just a group of individuals. This is a club. The mighty, feared, revered Essendon Football Club.

And the club has, to be fair, looked after him wherever it could where it didn't harm the club - as it should. It retained him against incredible pressure, defended him, spoke glowingly of him at every opportunity, handed him a contract extension that wouldn't even come into effect until after he'd spent a year completely outside the game (a huge show of faith in any coach), paid him a full salary whilst on leave in defiance of the AFL, and this week offered him the opportunity to resign and pursue his own course, with a handsome (and I mean handsome) payout. That's the way it should have been, with him delivering a short farewell on Wednesday night with all the grace and humility he's always shown on and off the field. He deserved all that.

So for him to act in direct contradiction to the club this week - and to somehow not recognise that he needed to resign to do so - is a huge shock. It's completely inconsistent with how's he's acted for the last two years and indeed the last twenty years. I don't get it. He's no doubt being advised, the only thing I can think of is he's been poorly advised by people who don't care for the club. Maybe he's just reached the end of his tether and lost it. I don't know.

Surely he must realise that whilst he's part of the club, carrying on his personal war means threats of harm will be made against the club and players to dissuade him. No good can come of it for him or for the club.

The club is acting in the best interests of the players and in line with their wishes. They've approved the clubs course of action. This is the way the club is going. The players are the ones with their careers on the line here, because the club (not just Hird of course, the club) ****ed up.

So for the first time in this whole god forsaken mess I say:

Hird must go.

He must. The club has to pull the trigger on him, and he's forcing them to do it. I think he's been advised (poorly) as such. Who knows.

I don't want it to happen. Nobody does. The players don't want him gone. But I know they realise what has to happen if he takes this action and peels off in his own direction.

That's why when the playing leaders met him this week, they didn't say "resign". Nobody wants that. Nobody. They said "please drop this appeal"... in no small part because if he doesn't, they know exactly what needs to happen.

I don't for one second mean "banish him". The EFC doors will always be open to him and I hope he returns one day in some official capacity. He's obviously deserved that. This is not a nice experience for anybody and he deserves to continue to receive the support, love and respect we've always given him. He certainly has mine.

You only had to hear Timmy during the week. He was enlightening as always, due in large part to him obviously representing Jobe. He was asked what he wants Hird to do, again he didn't say "resign". He wants him at the club like we all do. But he said he must drop this appeal. He knows what will happen on Monday if Hirdy doesn't either resign, or pull the reins on his lawyers. It has to happen or the club will be in far bigger trouble than it has at any other point in this whole saga: it'll be, by definition, splintered. We are Essendon. We can't have that... from anybody.

 

[MightyDon]

Grant Thomas @Thomo_Grant Follow
@Ms_Catus I've been away for a few weeks and I'm still reading the same righteous garbage.

 

[Dan Cooper]

Tim Watson has been a rock throughout this saga and a barometer for those of us not close enough to the action to see all of the wood from the trees. I take a lot of notice when he speaks and to what he is saying.

 

[mxett]

What medication people take is none of our business so long as they are not breaking the law.

what people do to themselves is their business of course, as long as they arent harming others. However behaviour like that described is not what id expect from the leaders of a multimillion dollar organisation

 

[Can Opener]

what people do to themselves is their business of course, as long as they arent harming others. However behaviour like that described is not what id expect from the leaders of a multimillion dollar organisation

I'm tipping you haven't seen the movie wolf of wall street

 

[westking]

My fear with the current state of play, is that if Hird decides not to proceed with this appeal, then it has allowed those who have acted inappropriately and dishonestly to get away with it. It sets a dangerous precedent for anyone who passes ASADA's and the AFL's path again.
Hird standing up now, is alot more then about the legal wranglings, but about some core values that alot of us humans should live our life by. Intergrity, honesty, strength of resolve and determination no matter how hard the situation is to persist and never give in. This, will translate and influence the entire club for generations to come.
If he concedes defeat now, and we start with a so called clean slate in 2015, knowing that injustices was accepted by all involved at Essendon, well the club will have lost all that it has gained over its entire history. How can any player then look to Hird or the next coach and want to bleed in that last quarter to help out a fellow team mate?

Even the mistakes that Hird and co that made in 2012 are lessons learnt. The trick to making mistakes is learning from them and I think the club, at a club level and at an individual level have learnt these lessons. The club surely has been punished by the AFL and here they come again. Its bullshit it has come to this but it has.
Remember it is better to die with your boots on, so the club needs to find the resolve to stand up next to Hird and to continue this fight!!!!

You just cannot allow an injustice to be swept under a carpet. let alone multiple ones.

I expect Hird to continue this appeal, I expect the board to decide to appeal, I expect the players to want to appeal and I expect the supporters to understand and agree to this appeal.

 

[mxett]

I'm tipping you haven't seen the movie wolf of wall street

i hope youre not suggesting the behaviour seen in that movie is acceptable. look, if people want to risk their health by using drugs with potential side affects they don't understand thats their issue. But its far from intelligent behaviour, and not what id expect from the sort of strong and stable leadership i want at my club

 

[Harlequin]

Husband listening to f'n Mark Fine last night. He was joined by Stephen J Peake.
Fine on his little Hird rant when Peake said that Hird would have been advised on his chances prior to lodging an appeal and that we should never underestimate the intelligence of James Hird. He actually defended Hird's rights in this matter which left Finey's voice getting higher and higher. Peake did not let Fine speak over him and is really quite balanced. He also made comments about how obsessed the media was in bringing about the downfall of Hird and it is the medias influence which has led to so much negativity towards Hird.
I did turn the radio off when some tool professing himself to be in the legal profession from Sydney said that Hird is guilty because the head coach knows everything that goes on in a football club.
Peake challenged this bloke on making assumptions so it was actually a good listen.
Btw turned the radio off as I kept laughing at the tool from Sydney and his bizarre comments and the husband was getting shitty.
On an aside after listening to Fine I am of the opinion one should never make a drinking game out of how many times he mentions Hird in any diatribe.

 

[Nifft]

Interesting who re tweeted this


Brendon Goddard retweeted
Grant Thomas @Thomo_Grant · 32m32 minutes ago
Hasn't James Hird got the right 2 defend himself & demand complete disclosure from all parties - irrespective of what others think happened?

I thought the players were all against Hird appealing?

 

[DonsRule]

I thought the players were all against Hird appealing?

Impression is they would maybe prefer the didn't, but support him too if he chooses to go th rough with it.

Case of the media slanting something to suit to meed an agenda.

 

[mike14]

I thought the players were all against Hird appealing?

I think it was that there was a 'group'. Also remember that Goddard isn't affected (directly) by SCNs so he may have a different outlook on how it all should proceed

 

[Nifft]

Impression is they would maybe prefer the didn't, but support him too if he chooses to go th rough with it.

Case of the media slanting something to suit to meed an agenda.

We don't even really know the player's preference if all we have is media reports to go on. This is the only opinion I've seen from any player, and it backs Hird in his right to appeal. How do we know the other players don't feel the same way?

 

[Doss]

Goddard is as likely as any of the players to have a pro-appeal stance, given that he wasn't at Essendon in 2012 and doesn't have a SCN hanging over his head.

 

[caboose]

Goddard is as likely as any of the players to have a pro-appeal stance, given that he wasn't at Essendon in 2012 and doesn't have a SCN hanging over his head.

... which, even if true, is largely irrelevant to the current discussion.

Carowhine specifically identified Goddard as one of two players who supposedly led the players' demands for Hird to not embark on the appeal, did she not?

Goddard's (re)tweet today would suggest that's yet another piece of false reporting from Fairfax.

 

[DonsRule]

Goddard is as likely as any of the players to have a pro-appeal stance, given that he wasn't at Essendon in 2012 and doesn't have a SCN hanging over his head.

True. though Goddard was one of the plays the media said asked Hird not to appeal, too.

 

[mike14]

... which, even if true, is largely irrelevant to the current discussion.

Carowhine specifically identified Goddard as one of two players who supposedly led the players' demands for Hird to not embark on the appeal, did she not?

Goddard's (re)tweet today would suggest that's yet another piece of false reporting from Fairfax.

Moral of the story: stop reading articles from Caro/Fairfax

 

[Jager bombers]

This was in my YouTube recommended. Forgot that he made this speech.
It was only a month into the investigation when it was made and now, almost 2 years on, our club still stays true to his words.
Go dons! still resilient!

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Hirds fight is not going end after this appeal, even if he wins, which he won't.

He's going to war with all those who lined him up last year.

He cannot do this as Essendon coach - how can he seriously not have learned this from last August?

 

[caboose]

Moral of the story: stop reading articles from Caro/Fairfax

Not sure if that's meant to be a personal shot at me?! In which case, please address your complaints to those who have fallen for the media-driven 'Hird is evil' b/s rather than me.

I couldn't give a toss what most of the media thinks, and can assure you I largely don't read her anti-Essendon trash and haven't for most of the last 30 years.

All I did was type her name and BJ's into Google ... and voila. Says it all, really.

But the point remains - the idea that BJ (let alone other players) is demanding that Hird abandon his appeal seems, yet again, to be complete and utter b/s.