Is Jason Akermanis the thinking mans Warrick Capper?

[CaptainDangerfield]

He's a bit more intelligent than Warrick (only abit), but like Capper, this guy would sell his grandmother for a dollar or for 5 more minutes of publicity. If turning on his club and coach last year wasn't bad enough, this latest episode has totally destroyed the minimal reputation he has left. I only hope Braun sues him for everything he's got.

Has he brought footy to an all-time low where now we must question every time a player has a game from out of the box.

The sooner this Judas is run out of football the better.

 

[Crowked]

The guy is morally bankrupt IMO.

With absolutely no evidence at all, he has tarnished another players career, and openly states he doesnt regret it. Thats about as low as a bloke can go. To acuse the bloke purely because he beat him in a contest and nothing else is an indicator of just how full of himself the prick is.

I wonder how many players wondered back in 2001 how a player who could only claim to be an average performer until then, could produce a Brownlow winning season? I wonder if Michael Braun ever wondered? I wonder if McLeod wonders if he was beaten to the Brownlow by a drug cheat?

FWIW, I and I'm sure 99% of the football following world dont believe Braun has done anything wrong. I have infinite times more respect for him than Akermanis.

I'll go one step further Springy, I hope Braun takes everything he's got, I hope the Bullies give him the flick, he loses his contract with the paper and I hope the Footy Show never have him back on either. Your a w***er Aker!!

 

[Vader]

OK.. now let's look at the other side of the argument.

Aker's comments in the paper did not come totally out of the blue. They came at a time when the world was looking at the issue of drugs in sport as a result of all the drama surrounding the Tour de Farce.

Aker never accused the player of taking drugs and he never named the player (at least not publicly - he did give the name to ASADA). He only claimed that he SUSPECTED the player was on drugs due to a remarkably dramatic increase in his endurance.

The AFL's drugs policy is an absolute joke. Everyone knows it. Given the extremely low number of tests, you'd have to be dead unlucky to get caught. Also, given the increased focus on the ability to play at full pace all the time (with fewer rest breaks on the field), it is not unlikely that some players ARE resorting to drugs in order to keep up with the Joneses. I would be extremely surprised if there were NOT a certain percentage of AFL players using EPO or other performance enhancing drugs (and I'm NOT just talking about recreational drug use).

Aker has made a call as he sees it, without naming the player supposedly involved. He has done so in a timely manner. And now everyone wants to shoot the messenger?

Remember a few years back when Dale Lewis made his claims about the number of players using recreational drugs? He was shouted down and roundly abused for suggesting it at the time. Doesn't look so silly now does he?

I'm not for one nano-second suggesting that Braun is guilty. He may be, or he may not be, I wouldn't have a clue.

What I think the AFL should be doing is as follows:

• Investigate how Ch7 got the name of the player involved. Aker didn't publish it in the paper, so the leak must have come from ASADA. This is not even close to the first time such a leak has occurred (the three 2x positive testers, Port's warning that the testers were coming to training).
• Fix their drug code so it actually works. Increase the number of tests by a factor of AT LEAST 5 and end the incredibly dumb "3 strikes" policy.

They should NOT be shooting the messenger.

 

[NikkiNoo]

What I think the AFL should be doing is as follows:

• Investigate how Ch7 got the name of the player involved. Aker didn't publish it in the paper, so the leak must have come from ASADA. This is not even close to the first time such a leak has occurred (the three 2x positive testers, Port's warning that the testers were coming to training).
• Fix their drug code so it actually works. Increase the number of tests by a factor of AT LEAST 5 and end the incredibly dumb "3 strikes" policy.

As always Vader some very good thinking points in there. On your first point I have concerns as I raised on the main board yesterday.
I understand that Akermanis told ASDA but the AFL Medical Officer was also informed I thought I had read somewhere. Can't find the damn link though now . In light of the AFP investigation last year that they did into ASDA at the request of the AFL they found no evidence that the leak came from ASDA. Funnily enough Vlad never seemed to ask them to look at AFL house who also were aware of the three players..... I have no faith in Vlad and his policies, that are not in the best interest of the game. He is only concerned with protecting his brand and it's ability to make millions.

 

[KUNG FU]

Akermanis is a bag of ****.

 

[CarnCrows]

I think Jason Akermanis the AFLs version of Anthony Mundine - won't shut the **** up!

 

[Mad Dog]

Jason Akermanis - a poor man's Raymond Babbitt

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

This was how all the match-fixing in cricket was exposed. Players started talking about games that just didn't feel... right. No evidence, no proof, just a gut feeling that something was wrong. A one day game in Adelaide where Pakistan collapsed chasing about 150 against the West Indies was one of the games mentioned. Australian players also mentioned a one dayer in Tasmania where a similar thing happened. A chat between the spin twins and Salim Malik and the whole house of cards came tumbling down.

I remember hearing Sean Carlin (former hammer thrower) talk about his experiences and he said that he came up against guys he had regularly beaten all the way though world junior competitions and 12 months later they were throwing 10-20 metres further than he was. Nothing ever proven but it drove him from the sport.

It's a shame that Braun's name has been dragged through the mud but I would be stunned if there are no AFL players using EPO. We've got a couple of cycling coaches on our coaching staff too

 

[asdfasd]

I think Jason Akermanis the AFLs version of Anthony Mundine - won't shut the **** up!

I agree.

In addition, if Akermanis truly had a concern about possible drug-cheats in the AFL then he should have approached the relevant authorities with his concerns. Rather, he chose to write it in a newspaper column to stir up controversy and make a name for himself. It's clear his interests were more in mouthing off than doing something for the good of the game...

 

[portentous]

Has he released a porno too?

 

[bus24]

Has he released a porno too?

I wouldn't imagine the carpet would match the curtains either.

 

[portentous]

I wouldn't imagine the carpet would match the curtains either.

I wouldn't want to get close enough to find out, truth be told.

 

[turbo182]

Ha good old Aker.

I love the way He says goodbye "the pleasure was all yours'

I think hes jsut like the monsters in the Simpsons Halloween episode.

If you stop paying attention to them, they'll just go away.

Just don't look! Just don't Look!

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

I wouldn't imagine the carpet would match the curtains either.

He could dye down stairs too.

 

[Crow-mo]

He's a bit more intelligent than Warrick (only abit), but like Capper, this guy would sell his grandmother for a dollar or for 5 more minutes of publicity. If turning on his club and coach last year wasn't bad enough, this latest episode has totally destroyed the minimal reputation he has left. I only hope Braun sues him for everything he's got.

Has he brought footy to an all-time low where now we must question every time a player has a game from out of the box.

The sooner this Judas is run out of football the better.

one of your less thought out rants.

1. Braun will bankrupt himself suing Akermanis. no basis, at all. costs, malicious litigation the lot.
2. it's an opinion piece, and in it, he asserted his opinion that he was suspicious of a player in a situation. so what?
3. It can't be proven either way, but lets not forget that Aker was a bloody decent player, and they train in plenty hot conditions up in brisbane. under the circumstances as he described (and no one, other than him can offer an alternative because of the specificity of the outline) then you can see why he would be surprised. now this does not mean Braun did anything wrong, who the hell knows. But if i'm incredibly ****ing fit, won a brownlow, and I know I am an elite athlete and shit hot player, and I know my opponent very, very well... well anytime I saw something so out of the bag that I couldn't explain it... well I'd try and explain it. might be one of those things, might not be - but I thought it was a valid piece.

hell, if these issues are ever to be sorted it will not involve people sweeping suspicions under the carpet. Going public, makes a lot more of an impression that quietly creating paperwork.

 

[Crow-mo]

The guy is morally bankrupt IMO.

With absolutely no evidence at all, he has tarnished another players career, and openly states he doesnt regret it. Thats about as low as a bloke can go. To acuse the bloke purely because he beat him in a contest and nothing else is an indicator of just how full of himself the prick is.

I wonder how many players wondered back in 2001 how a player who could only claim to be an average performer until then, could produce a Brownlow winning season? I wonder if Michael Braun ever wondered? I wonder if McLeod wonders if he was beaten to the Brownlow by a drug cheat?

FWIW, I and I'm sure 99% of the football following world dont believe Braun has done anything wrong. I have infinite times more respect for him than Akermanis.

I'll go one step further Springy, I hope Braun takes everything he's got, I hope the Bullies give him the flick, he loses his contract with the paper and I hope the Footy Show never have him back on either. Your a w***er Aker!!

hope you had a few...

 

[Crow-mo]

OK.. now let's look at the other side of the argument.

Aker's comments in the paper did not come totally out of the blue. They came at a time when the world was looking at the issue of drugs in sport as a result of all the drama surrounding the Tour de Farce.

Aker never accused the player of taking drugs and he never named the player (at least not publicly - he did give the name to ASADA). He only claimed that he SUSPECTED the player was on drugs due to a remarkably dramatic increase in his endurance.

The AFL's drugs policy is an absolute joke. Everyone knows it. Given the extremely low number of tests, you'd have to be dead unlucky to get caught. Also, given the increased focus on the ability to play at full pace all the time (with fewer rest breaks on the field), it is not unlikely that some players ARE resorting to drugs in order to keep up with the Joneses. I would be extremely surprised if there were NOT a certain percentage of AFL players using EPO or other performance enhancing drugs (and I'm NOT just talking about recreational drug use).

Aker has made a call as he sees it, without naming the player supposedly involved. He has done so in a timely manner. And now everyone wants to shoot the messenger?

Remember a few years back when Dale Lewis made his claims about the number of players using recreational drugs? He was shouted down and roundly abused for suggesting it at the time. Doesn't look so silly now does he?

I'm not for one nano-second suggesting that Braun is guilty. He may be, or he may not be, I wouldn't have a clue.

What I think the AFL should be doing is as follows:

• Investigate how Ch7 got the name of the player involved. Aker didn't publish it in the paper, so the leak must have come from ASADA. This is not even close to the first time such a leak has occurred (the three 2x positive testers, Port's warning that the testers were coming to training).
• Fix their drug code so it actually works. Increase the number of tests by a factor of AT LEAST 5 and end the incredibly dumb "3 strikes" policy.

They should NOT be shooting the messenger.

quality post. good stuff

particularly appreciate the dale lewis segue.

 

[Crow-mo]

This was how all the match-fixing in cricket was exposed. Players started talking about games that just didn't feel... right. No evidence, no proof, just a gut feeling that something was wrong. A one day game in Adelaide where Pakistan collapsed chasing about 150 against the West Indies was one of the games mentioned. Australian players also mentioned a one dayer in Tasmania where a similar thing happened. A chat between the spin twins and Salim Malik and the whole house of cards came tumbling down.

I remember hearing Sean Carlin (former hammer thrower) talk about his experiences and he said that he came up against guys he had regularly beaten all the way though world junior competitions and 12 months later they were throwing 10-20 metres further than he was. Nothing ever proven but it drove him from the sport.

It's a shame that Braun's name has been dragged through the mud but I would be stunned if there are no AFL players using EPO. We've got a couple of cycling coaches on our coaching staff too

an even better post.

 

[- PC -]

Sat back and looked at all this and I have no issue with what Aker did or is alleged to have done.

Disappointing Brauns name was revealed but even more disappointing is the reaction by Demetriou. If it wasnt Akers columm but say Buckleys would there be this reaction?

 

[Crow-mo]

If it wasnt Akers columm but say Buckleys would there be this reaction?

without a doubt. no.

 

[NikkiNoo]

Sat back and looked at all this and I have no issue with what Aker did or is alleged to have done.

Disappointing Brauns name was revealed but even more disappointing is the reaction by Demetriou. If it wasnt Akers columm but say Buckleys would there be this reaction?

PC - I agree with you - the reactions from AFL show me that once again the AFl higher ups are not interested in what is best for the game, but what is best to bring more money into the game. I know it is a business now, but it is still a sporting organisation.

From reading the main board (and I have missed a lot of the stupid crap over the last couple of days) it seems that Aker informed ASDA of the name LAST year when he first wrote an article on it that wasn't released. If that is the case, then it is amazing that name only got 'released' this year at the same time.

I still think the leaks are coming more from AFL House than they are from ASDA.