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

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Robbo has to have been silenced.
I don't think it's just Robbo either.

There has been very little commentary and little or no 'opinion' pieces in relation to this.

The other week I broke a radio over the string of vitriol spewed out of Mark Fine's mouth over James Hird. Did not near him say a thing about it last night
 

mike14

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So the worst part of the day was ducking into the toilet at work to catch up on this thread and then some bloke coming in and taking a crap in the stall next to me. Will have to use the stairwell tomorrow.
I dunno, it's pretty awkward when someone starts crapping in the stairwell...
 

pepsi

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Andruska appeared drained and defeated. Hope I am not.
After being questioned for an intense 5 or so hours, it isn't surprising she looked so deflated.
I don't think it's just Robbo either.

There has been very little commentary and little or no 'opinion' pieces in relation to this.
Ever since last Friday when the the documents were released from both ASADA and EFC, it seems as if journos are taking extreme caution and are treading carefully. Nobody wants to come out and call out the AFL.

We can't be surprised. The AFL will pull media accreditation of anyone who criticises it too harshly.

The last 2 days have confirmed the huge lies AD and GM have spewed out through this investigation. Yet nobody is critical of them in the media.

Robbo sick and unable to work at one of the most critical junctures of this whole saga, something smells. And the stench is coming from AFL HQ.
 

Zach Package

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This is massive - Can only suggest that the AFL was monitoring other clubs - No other way to read this.
Likelyhood of us being a patsy growing.

No recent success, Financially incredibly stable, loyal supporter base, High profile potential fall guys and a man on the inside to make it all happen, and a dodgy character you could easily point the finger at. The perfect target
 

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Yoda_

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This is massive - Can only suggest that the AFL was monitoring other clubs - No other way to read this.
It's been reported up to 12 clubs are implicated in this saga. Swept under the carpet sadly because we were the only club to come forward
 

yaco55

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1. Feb 9 2013, current outcome was determined...... (except players cleared)
2. AFL leaks confidential information periodically over the next 6 months to support their position and dupe the 17 club presidents into forcing us to accept penalties in Aug last year.
3. ASADA threaten to take legal action against AFL in Aug/Sep last year.
4. ASADA left with pants down and continue to push very weak case against all players that received any injection in 2012 to save face and appear relevant.
Point 4 - Change of Government may influence this decision.
 

yaco55

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I don't think they did paint us into a corner, because based on today's proceedings, we would have completely smashed them. Talk of club and staff sanctions on Feb 9? That would have been an easier case to make than this one.
I suggest that the AFL thought EFC was more likely to appeal our sanctions, rather than the legality of the joint investigation. Why would the club unduly worry about the joint investigation,when they were guaranteed that players would avoid sanction.
 
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Well I'm a bit baffled by 360. Gerard really said stuff all except ASADA were clearly ill equipped to lead an investigation of this magnitude (no shit - we knew that last year) and strangely continued to push the separation between Hird and the club angle from last night. Also had another useless Hawthorn flog next to him tonight in Dunstall. All seemed a bit confusing for him so he just muttered something about how it's getting harder and harder to see how Hird can come back to the club. I mean.. wtf?

I also wouldn't be calling Richard Ings as a witness. Guy has been all over the place throughout this and clearly has an axe to grind. The final two witnesses will be the lead investigator and the Chief Operating Officer of SALADA.. forget their names. Burgess and some other flog.
 

Alfred E Neuman

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It's been reported up to 12 clubs are implicated in this saga. Swept under the carpet sadly because we were the only club to come forward

AD: "Dave, do you think you guys could self report? We need to be seen to be doing something. I'm sure you guys will be fine! Dinner this Friday? Gret, see you then!

David Evans: Sure thing Andy!
 

60sbomber

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.................
ASADA were looking into multiple clubs but stopped after AFL agreed to offer support if the scope was limited to JUST Essendon............
Biggest one for me.
Won't help us win the current case, but it might explain what was really going on, and why the AFL acted the way they did.
Clearly, from the evidence presented in the last 2 days, the politicians and the AFL were calling the shots, and ASADA was just being told what to do, firstly by the AFL, and if they didn't toe the line, the politicians were called in to tell them what to do.
ASADA had been investigating "much wider than just EFC" and had sent blood samples to France in 2011 (before Essendon's program began).
The minister organised the "blackest day" press conference and was expecting some scalps with associated political mileage.
But the AFL negotiated a compromise with their mates in the government that if they agreed to offer up a sacrificial lamb (Essendon, the club and officials, but not players), it would be restricted to just EFC and no other clubs (especially their own baby, GC?)
 

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strangely continued to push the separation between Hird and the club angle
This angle is being reported on SEN as well, Fairfax, HS mostly quiet without Robbo.

I'm convinced this is an AFL directive. Focus attention on Hird being the bad guy still. If we keep up that charade, the public wont ask questions of us.
 

Seagrave_Holmes

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Wow. What a day. Whilst you have a choice of laughing or crying.. it is a positive that some of this is coming to light. We can only hope that ONE of the major newspapers tries to report it accurately. Unfortunately I am just left with a sick feeling in my stomach that it will all be for nothing. This is the fight that needed to happen last August.. come hell or high water. Perhaps Andruski wouldn't have had time to 'forget' an entire year of her career back then.

No matter how you look at it, today was a major victory for the EFC. Hird was brilliant on the stand and doesn't deviate one inch. Most likely because he has the truth to refer to at all times. So much wrong has been done and this man just continues to front up and lead this club. If only those in power had listened to him last year. The truth shall set you free.

Andruski was cross-examined today, so she is done for the trial (and for any future senior positions). There weren't many questions for her, and I imagine Star was keen to get her off the stand as quickly as possible. One of the worst performances I have seen on a witness stand for a long, long time. The repeated use of "I can't recall" will save her from perjury charges, however Middleton made it pretty clear that everytime she 'didn't recall', he would take that to mean 'yes'.

I have been pretty vocal against the AFL and ASADA from the beginning but I have been shocked, truly shocked, to see the depths they sunk to in order to 'get' the EFC. Lies, deals, deceptions and more. Actually terrifying to consider what this means for doping investigations in this country.

I'm not sure why ASADA is still trying to claim it wasn't a 'joint' investigation.. it clearly was and Middleton has confirmed that he believes that "isn't in doubt" at least three times... seems stupid by ASADA/Andruski. Even weirder is the ASADA preference for the 'even if' defence.. today we had this gem "it wasn't a joint investigation but EVEN IF it was, then that would be legal".. or the "I never authorised the AFL to be in the room but EVEN IF they were, then that would be legal" or the "I never intended to give the interim report to the AFL but EVEN IF I did, then that is legal too" and so on and so on.

Too much to process right now but the bits I enjoyed the most:
AFL and ASADA DID CLEARLY know that the ACC were referring to Essendon. Vlad has now been CONFIRMED as a lying sack of shit by BOTH Hird and AA.
ASADA were looking into multiple clubs but stopped after AFL agreed to offer support if the scope was limited to JUST Essendon
ASADA were concerned about the AFL involvement, but really needed their powers to get around their own limitations so just went with it
ASADA lawyers didn't think the joint investigation was legal, but the CEO chose to follow the AFL legal advice that it was "ok"
ASADA investigators were concerned with releasing the Interim Report but AA was concerned about the AFL brand, so released it anyway
AA was just releasing the interim report for ASADA purposes, because apparently a memo wouldn't have been enough
AA didn't find it odd that large parts of the interim report were quoted verbatim in the AFL charge sheet
AA doesn't recall most of her life from late 2011 to early 2014
AA can take copious notes, but doesn't recall what her own words mean
AA delegated all responsibility for everything to other people
AA confirms the government and AFL were heavily involved in the process from day 1 which is "HIGHLY UNUSUAL"

ASADA is farked but I'm not sure whether that will win us the case, as the question being asked is a very technical legal one unfortunately. If this was just a 'vibe' issue.. then we have it in the bag. Middleton was VISIBLY and CLEARLY distressed with some of AA's testimony and I believe he is strongly 'leaning' towards the fact that EFC have been screwed over. The question will be whether he feels he has the power to order relief.

FACT: If ASADA is stupid enough to pursue the players, they will get destroyed either at the ADRVP or on appeal.
Quality post, thanks for taking the time to type all that out.

 
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