Wait until ASADA and WADA finish with them.
There is no way in hell that ASADA and WADA will sit back and allow systemic doping of an entire sporting team to be swept under the carpet. Literally no way.
From my reading of the AFL charge sheet (and bear in mind this contains only a fraction of the evidence gathered so far) ASADAs case is already proven. They're simply waiting for the AFL and NRL finals to conclude before forwarding names to the ADRV panel for infractions.
The reason they're waiting? Its likely a negotiated settlement in response to AFL assistance in the investigation just like the 'timely' release of the Interim report a few weeks before the finals and right in time for a commission meeting. They also want to use their new powers to have a little chat to old Danky boy, and don't want to scare Cronulla into silence by smashing the Dons too early.
Conclude the investigation, chase up every loose end, and then 'bang'.
I'm fully expecting 38 infraction notices to be handed out, each one triggering penalties of 6 months to 2 years out of the game. The club will then face a class action from the AFLPA seeking compensation to the value of around ten million dollars. Add in loss of revenue, sponsorship, members and players leaving in droves and the inability to field a side for up to two years.
I'd go so far as to stake my legal reputation infraction notices will be handed out.
Once those infractions are handed out, the *cheats wont exist as a club anymore.
This 100%
All parties involved in this so far have played their parts well. The Essendon machine continuing to plead the innocent victim until enough pressure from the weight of evidence was brought to bear by the AFL, albeit behind closed doors. The AFL progressively releasing information sufficient to knock down any propoganda thrown out by Essendon (with the help of Foxtel).
Little had a mandate to manage the situation to obtain the best possible outcome for his club. They were clearly threatened with deregistration of both club and players should they not have agreed to terms. They still managed to water down all public statements to reflect governance rather than cheating issues.
However this is a smokescreen. The AFL have obviously committed to bring as much pressure to bear on ASADA and WADA to avoid infraction notices to the players. Unfortunately this will be to no avail.
These issues are global, only a fool would believe they can be managed in house and swept under the carpet.
Sure no player has tested positive, either did Lance Armstrong. The weight of evidence, the written acceptance of the program by players, the misguided admission by Watson based on their unsubstantiated assertion that AOD 9604 is not performance enhancing and therefore not banned.
Essendon and indeed the AFL live in the hope they will escape the wrath of the world watchdog. This cannot happen without totally undermining the integrity of all sport world wide.
I feel sorry for the young players at Essendon who succumbed to pressure to involve themselves in the process. Those starting out on their careers will be unlikely to survive a year or more out of the game. There will be no coming back for most. To any disgruntled player wishing to leave on the back of this debacle, good luck. GWS and others may wish to involve themselves, but due diligence will not give them an undertaking from ASADA or WADA that the players will be cleared.
The sanctions against the club and it's officials have been portrayed as astronomical. They are a piss in the ocean. When factoring in inflation, the value of the dollar, their penalty is clearly less than ours for salary cap issues.
In varying degrees, the players are the biggest victims in this. They have a duty of care, and undoubtedly have more than enough warning re obligations and consequences. In a strong club "culture", if the leaders commit, all but the strongest free thinker will be compelled to follow.
The only question that remains in the wash up is "will Essendon survive as a club when this is done and dusted?"