ASADA "stitch-up" over Essendon PED scandal


"The evidence of a stitch-up is compelling ... I have been appalled at the lack of scientific rigour that has been applied in the Essendon saga," scientist Bob O'Dea said.​
The players' defence team did not know the timing of the logging of the ban when they were found guilty in January 2016, the newspaper said.​
Questions have also been raised about the update's timing, with suggestions it was an attempt by some staff to shore up evidence after the fact.​
...​
ASADA responded to the reports, saying it does not matter that the substance was not on that particular website, it was still banned by the world agency.​



Make of that what you will.
 
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Bluez Rule

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Balance that out with the point that AOD9604 was not approved for human use, making it probibited to be taken and the Jobe confirmed that he had been inlected with it - swings and roundabouts.
Easiest way to clear this whole shitstorm up is still the same as it was back in the day - get a list of what Dank and co actually injected into the players and tick/cross it off. Unfortunately the list "doesn't exist"......
 
And on the WADA banned list for ALL to see:

"Any pharmacological substance which is not addressed by any of the subsequent sections of the List and with no current approval by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use (e.g. drugs under pre-clinical or clinical development or discontinued, designer drugs, substances approved only for veterinary use) is prohibited at all times."

The drug doesn't have to be specifically listed, but if it falls under any of the above, it is automatically assumed prohibited. They took Thymosin Beta 4 and AOD9604. BOTH prohibited. There is no stitch-up. There is no twist. They took substances they shouldn't have taken, got banned for it, did their time and now back playing footy. Just let it go.
 
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"The evidence of a stitch-up is compelling ... I have been appalled at the lack of scientific rigour that has been applied in the Essendon saga," scientist Bob O'Dea said.​
The players' defence team did not know the timing of the logging of the ban when they were found guilty in January 2016, the newspaper said.​
Questions have also been raised about the update's timing, with suggestions it was an attempt by some staff to shore up evidence after the fact.​
...​
ASADA responded to the reports, saying it does not matter that the substance was not on that particular website, it was still banned by the world agency.​



Make of that what you will.
Whether it was banned or not was done to death and the time.

There are some Essendon people who just cannot let this go and every now and then some nothing detail like this is put up as the ‘smoking gun’ that will finally exonerate them.

I feel bad for the Essendon players and fans that get dragged through it time after time, but this is evidence of nothing and the latest in a long line of red herrings used to give Essendon supporters hope (not that what’s happened can meaningfully be undone).

What’s worse is that the HS know full well that if they slap this on the front page they will get endless clicks and comments, even though it will go nowhere. You’d think people would wise up but apparently not.
 
Hmm. Interesting. Doesn’t impact the status of TB4 as a banned substance, but could explain why none of the players picked it up.
It appears none of them ever looked anyway.
 

Bluez Rule

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The were following a club program and trusted the officials running it.
Which is all well and good except for the little fact that final responsibility lies with the players. Rightly or wrongly (and I do feel for them to an extent - bit like trusting your GP to give you a headache table that is 'legal' for athletes - if they don't you're in the smelly stuff regardless).
However there were so many other flags that should have warranted more questions from the players and bigger penalties for the 'providers'.
 
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Which is all well and good except for the little fact that final responsibility lies with the players. Rightly or wrongly (and I do feel for them to an extent - bit like trusting your GP to give you a headache table that is 'legal' for athletes - if they don't you're in the smelly stuff regardless).
However there were so many other flags that should have warranted more questions from the players and bigger penalties for the 'providers'.

#givejobesmedalback
 
They don’t/didn’t even know themselves.
Which in itself was a problem they can't have helped but recognise.

Any sportsman worth their salt would have spotted the problem:

* Secretive program
* Unknown chemicals
* Club doctor out of the loop

Red flags from here to Sunday.

Not a single shred of excuse there.
 

Bluez Rule

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hate to say I disagree, his one 'big year' on the back of a summer when they were injected with god knows what, players were noticeably bigger, stronger, faster etc after one summer. sometimes if it walks like, sounds like, smells like and tastes like a duck it could be a duck.
 

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An irony I find here is that Ess supporters are still on the hunt for blood for AFL when it is highly likely that AFL alerted them to need to 'self report' and tried as much as possible to minimise damage to the club (with the price of a few taking a fall).
The players were bloody lucky to have only missed a year when 2 year or even lifetime bans could have been on the table. The players were still paid, the club could replace them for the year with no negative effect on the salary cap and participated in the season (even though finals were no go).
A possible outcome could have been player bans, no replacements, club suspended or dismissed. So while there was certainly mess and pain after it, it was certainly a 'least worst' option where the AFL were up to their necks in trying to negotiate that very thing, not wanting to kill off a valuable asset for the league.
THe club skated on/over the line, then so many hounding AFL etc for 'not stopping us'
 
If an accountant does your tax and stuffs it up, you’re liable for the mistake.

If you unknowingly take a banned substance given to you but don’t realise it was banned, you’re liable for the mistake.

Moral of the day is you employ the services of knowledgeable professionals to perform a task according to law/rules/ regulations but you are still accountable if they stuff it up.

Absolute incompetence. Unfortunately the players especially have suffered.
 

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hate to say I disagree, his one 'big year' on the back of a summer when they were injected with god knows what, players were noticeably bigger, stronger, faster etc after one summer. sometimes if it walks like, sounds like, smells like and tastes like a duck it could be a duck.

Dunno about that, there’s a lot of evidence to suggest he was on that trajectory anyway (see below) and he was 27 y/old that year when is when you’d expect a lot of players peak
2009 - won B&F, 10 Brownlow votes
2010 - won B&F, 16 Brownlow votes
2011 - 2nd in B&F, 15 Brownlow votes in 16 games
after 2012 he was still very good/elite until his quad injury
 

Aeglos

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An irony I find here is that Ess supporters are still on the hunt for blood for AFL when it is highly likely that AFL alerted them to need to 'self report' and tried as much as possible to minimise damage to the club (with the price of a few taking a fall).
The players were bloody lucky to have only missed a year when 2 year or even lifetime bans could have been on the table. The players were still paid, the club could replace them for the year with no negative effect on the salary cap and participated in the season (even though finals were no go).
A possible outcome could have been player bans, no replacements, club suspended or dismissed. So while there was certainly mess and pain after it, it was certainly a 'least worst' option where the AFL were up to their necks in trying to negotiate that very thing, not wanting to kill off a valuable asset for the league.
THe club skated on/over the line, then so many hounding AFL etc for 'not stopping us'

It’s pretty hard to get a life ban, so seriously doubt this was ever on the cards.
 

Bluez Rule

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It’s pretty hard to get a life ban, so seriously doubt this was ever on the cards.
perahps, but if it could be proved that there were enough different prohibited substances, illegal methods / breaches etc who knows. As it turned out for several of the players they were effectively life bans because some did stuff all upon returning, certainly some careers were killed.
 

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And on the WADA banned list for ALL to see:

"Any pharmacological substance which is not addressed by any of the subsequent sections of the List and with no current approval by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use (e.g. drugs under pre-clinical or clinical development or discontinued, designer drugs, substances approved only for veterinary use) is prohibited at all times."

The drug doesn't have to be specifically listed, but if it falls under any of the above, it is automatically assumed prohibited. They took Thymosin Beta 4 and AOD9604. BOTH prohibited. There is no stitch-up. There is no twist. They took substances they shouldn't have taken, got banned for it, did their time and now back playing footy. Just let it go.

The way they’ve phrased that statement is interesting.
Does that mean if any government in the world (let’s say Mexico or Russia) approves its use then it’s ok?
 
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