Cliffs for those at work?
Case could collapse by Christmas
Posted by: Jake Bourke | 12 December, 2014 - 12:56 PM
A former Essendon legal advisor says ASADA’s case against the Bombers could collapse by Christmas.
The anti-doping authority suffered a major setback in its case against 34 past and present Essendon players today when it failed in its bid to have two key witnesses – Shane Charter and Nima Alavi – subpoenaed by the Supreme Court to appear at Monday’s tribunal hearing.
Martin Hardie told Nick McCallum that ASADA barely had a leg to stand on entering the hearing.
“I think ASADA have gone too far to withdraw at this point but I can quite possibly see the whole case collapsing,” the former Essendon advisor said.
“It may even be possible the whole case collapses before Christmas.
“Then we’ll have the situation where we’ve had two years of huffing and puffing and chest beating about Essendon doing something wrong and when it comes to the crunch ASADA not being able to put up any evidence.
“ASADA have been conducting what is their normal modus operandi for two years, which is to try and bully people into taking a deal rather than going to a tribunal and putting their case.”
Mr Hardie demanded a new anti-doping authority in Australia.
“I said to David Howman, the director general of WADA, in June last year that the way ASADA was running this case would set the anti-doping cause back 10 years in Australia and what’s happened in the last 18 months has only confirmed that,” he said on 3AW.
“ASADA has destroyed any credibility it had with the Australian community and we really need a new system – one that works, one that respects athletes and respects sport.”
Mr Hardie was asked whether he thought Charter and Alavi could appear at the hearing by choice.
“From what I understand, I think that’s very doubtful,” he said.
LISTEN: Former Essendon legal advisor speaks with 3AW