Face-Off: Round 21 v the Bombres

[TheBrightSide]

Do you think they knew they were taking illegal substances though? I just find it so stupid how Jobe & most of the players wittingly took illegal substances..like are they really that dumb?
Met Jobe a few times at RCH before all this blew up and he's a very good honest likeable bloke, I do too find it quite sad.

I saw an interview with Josh Jenkins last year where he said that if was still at Essendon in 2012, he would have definitely taken part in the supplements program and also found himself banned for a year.
To me it showed how players trust in their clubs programs.

 

[Footypie32]

I'm expecting the Dons will come out fired up in the 1st quarter. Will probably lead at quarter time. But we will adjust and storm home.

40+

 

[2000HP]

I saw an interview with Josh Jenkins last year where he said that if was still at Essendon in 2012, he would have definitely taken part in the supplements program and also found himself banned for a year.
To me it showed how players trust in their clubs programs.

I can understand the situation Jobe and his fellow EFC players faced, probably better than most.

I spent the best part of 25 years in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and throughout that time received all manner of inoculation injections to maintain deployment currency – if you weren’t ‘ready’ to deploy it was a seen as a black mark against your name, more or less.

Some years into my ADF career the unit I was with deployed to the Middle East. Part of the additional requirements for this particular deployment were extra injections to cover a range of potentially lethal biologically agents that were known to be in the region. Most of us received six separate injections of two different compounds over a period of months. Each injection resulted in pain and swelling at the injection site and what I can best describe as extreme flu like symptoms – aching and considerable pain in the joints!

A week after my return to Australia I ended up in the Darwin hospital with fever and flu like symptoms. I was sweating profusely, despite lying in bed in an air-conditioned room and with a pedestal fan blowing across my body. My core body temp’ hit 41’c! Yes, 41’c, and no that is not an exaggeration. I mentioned to the doctors about the ‘specialised’ inoculations and their responses suggested that they were a contributing factor, possibly “the” contributing factor. The fever eventually subsided and a few days later I was back to normal, but there was never any real explanation as to what had happened and why. It was about two weeks later when we were all ordered to complete the remaining course of injections (another 6 in total) just in case we had to deploy again. I refused. The level of indoctrination within the military is probably akin to what occurs within a professional football club, so to refuse the injections went against everything I knew and everything I’d been taught.

Nothing ever came out of my refusal; I was able to continue my career without issue and was promoted in due course.

So as I stated above, I can certainly understand the situation that Jobe faced. But at the end of the day he had to have known it was questionable conduct at best. I do feel some sympathy for him, probably because he comes across as a genuinely decent person that made a poor choice after being put in a really shitty situation.

 

[Schulzycrow]

Just about to head to the airport to go over for the game. Should be a cracker!

 

[lamby]

I can understand the situation Jobe and his fellow EFC players faced, probably better than most.

I spent the best part of 25 years in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and throughout that time received all manner of inoculation injections to maintain deployment currency – if you weren’t ‘ready’ to deploy it was a seen as a black mark against your name, more or less.

So as I stated above, I can certainly understand the situation that Jobe faced. But at the end of the day he had to have known it was questionable conduct at best. I do feel some sympathy for him, probably because he comes across as a genuinely decent person that made a poor choice after being put in a really shitty situation.

I agree that in a football club players have a lot of peer pressure. But in this situation it was done by doctors who will have full records. The Bombers went off-site to conceal what was going on from club doctors and then not declaring injection on doping forms. Jobe was one of the few players actually in a position of power to put his hand up, show leadership and speak up.

 

[NikkiNoo]

I agree that in a football club players have a lot of peer pressure. But in this situation it was done by doctors who will have full records. The Bombers went off-site to conceal what was going on from club doctors and then not declaring injection on doping forms. Jobe was one of the few players actually in a position of power to put his hand up, show leadership and speak up.

The players were also told not to discuss it with anyone, and the other medical staff at the club were bypassed (or that was concocted later to ensure that those staff were protected). That sounds suss as all hell.

 

[2000HP]

Jobe was one of the few players actually in a position of power to put his hand up, show leadership and speak up.

Read my comment above again, I stated he made a poor decision. One he will regret for the rest of his life. It's not easy to take a stand against your employer, particularly in that kind of environment.

But the EFC shouldn't have put him in that position.

 

[Moonwatcher]

or that was concocted later to ensure that those staff were protected.

Almost definitely.

 

[NikkiNoo]

Read my comment above again, I stated he made a poor decision. One he will regret for the rest of his life. It's not easy to take a stand against your employer, particularly in that kind of environment.

But the EFC shouldn't have put him in that position.

The difference though is that as Elite sportspeople they get training every year from the AFL and ASADA that they are personally responsible regarding the drug code. Every year they got that training from ASADA and they ignored it because the club told them to. I've told this story before but my sister coaches elite athletes, and the vast majority are under the age of 18. She does training for them and their parents regarding their personal responsibility around the ASADA code in this country. When one of her athletes, who was 10 I think, told a doctor that the perscription that he had just started to write out for her that he needed to check it against the ASADA list before she could take it, why can't 18 year old + adults do the same who get specific training from the actual governing body?

 

[Coopers]

Ha, did you watch last weeks match???


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, he was barely sighted!

 

[Coopers]

I saw an interview with Josh Jenkins last year where he said that if was still at Essendon in 2012, he would have definitely taken part in the supplements program and also found himself banned for a year.
To me it showed how players trust in their clubs programs.

I reckon a lot of people forget that these guys are relatively young AND in a "we're all in it together" environment.
And then you have authority figures (the club) telling you to do it and it's "not illegal".

It's pretty telling that Fletcher was one of the few guys to stay away from it.

 

[pirate bob]

I reckon a lot of people forget that these guys are relatively young AND in a "we're all in it together" environment.
And then you have authority figures (the club) telling you to do it and it's "not illegal".

It's pretty telling that Fletcher was one of the few guys to stay away from it.

No, I am pretty sure that Fletcher went into the supplement program as well. I have some vague recollection that he was banned from watching his son play football for the year as part of the sanctions.

 

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

I reckon a lot of people forget that these guys are relatively young AND in a "we're all in it together" environment.
And then you have authority figures (the club) telling you to do it and it's "not illegal".

It's pretty telling that Fletcher was one of the few guys to stay away from it.

I thought Zaharakis was the only one of their best 22 that refused.

 

[Coopers]

No, I am pretty sure that Fletcher went into the supplement program as well. I have some vague recollection that he was banned from watching his son play football for the year as part of the sanctions.

Is that right? But he didn't get suspended did he?

 

[pirate bob]

Is that right? But he didn't get suspended did he?

Pretty sure he was suspended as well. Quite a few players who were sanctioned were already retired. Or retired as a result (due to there age, ability at the time). About 11-12 from memory.

 

[pirate bob]

Is that right? But he didn't get suspended did he?

He had already retired when he was suspended .. if that makes sense

 

[Thetrader15]

I saw an interview with Josh Jenkins last year where he said that if was still at Essendon in 2012, he would have definitely taken part in the supplements program and also found himself banned for a year.
To me it showed how players trust in their clubs programs.

Hopefully players are taking 'professionalism' seriously now and doing their due diligence

 

[pirate bob]

Hopefully players are taking 'professionalism' seriously now and doing their due diligence

There is enough recent precedent. Over the counter pain killers effectively ended Ryan Crowley's career. An energy drink supplement Ahmet Saad. And the 2 blokes from Collingwood who had there party drugs cut with a banned substance. Its everywhere.

I used to get blokes give positive readings to opiates after eating poppy seed muffins. You always had to send the samples away for verification. It was expensive and took about a week to get the results. They couldn't work until they were cleared.

 

[Thetrader15]

There is enough recent precedent. Over the counter pain killers effectively ended Ryan Crowley's career. An energy drink supplement Ahmet Saad. And the 2 blokes from Collingwood who had there party drugs cut with a banned substance. Its everywhere.

I used to get blokes give positive readings to opiates after eating poppy seed muffins. You always had to send the samples away for verification. It was expensive and took about a week to get the results. They couldn't work until they were cleared.

Excatly. Be professional about what you put into your body.


Know what is and isn't allowed - have an independent consultant (at your own expense...it's an investment). Get a copy of thhe guidelines, sign up to Wada/Asada newsletters and make time to read them without fail

"I'm going to take a new drink supplement" - read the label as a minimum.

Don't take party drugs (er, der!)

Mum, thanks for the pain killer, but I'd best check these are ok to take

Why do you want to inject me? That seems strange....can you write down what it is and I'll have it checked by someone independent. Why can't it be in a shake like we normally do?

 

[Coopers]

Excatly. Be professional about what you put into your body.

Of course the onus is on the player, that is how it should be.
Also, you can see how easy it is to slip up though, or convince yourself (or be convinced) it's ok.

 

[PCORF]

I think losing a game or two is a good warning for what to expect in the finals as it has been a mostly good season, but next month will tell the true story.
Also if we beat Sydney we'll almost certainly knock them out of the top 4 and avoid a QF against them, although Geelong still may grab 4th. Losing to Essendon and beating Sydney might be a good thing. We know Essendon need to win if they want to play in the finals this year so I expect them to come out really firing. Then on the other hand, if we beat Essendon and lose to Sydney and then meet the Swans in a QF, we might learn from the R22 loss. Neverless we have to beat Sydney or Geelong, both which have key ex Crows players if we want to win it all this year.

 

[Thetrader15]

Of course the onus is on the player, that is how it should be.
Also, you can see how easy it is to slip up though, or convince yourself (or be convinced) it's ok.

#unprofessional

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Of course the onus is on the player, that is how it should be.
Also, you can see how easy it is to slip up though, or convince yourself (or be convinced) it's ok.

No dice.

Each time there is a drug test the players get questioned about any supplements they are taking. Across the board the Essendon players failed to answer this question honestly - and there has never been an explanation. That means it was club-wide collusion to conceal what they were doing. The most novice rookie on the list was just as guilty as anyone.

 

[NikkiNoo]

No dice.

Each time there is a drug test the players get questioned about any supplements they are taking. Across the board the Essendon players failed to answer this question honestly - and there has never been an explanation. That means it was club-wide collusion to conceal what they were doing. The most novice rookie on the list was just as guilty as anyone.

The big question was did they include Daniher in the program? He had permission at the time to be training with Essendon but he was still 17 and hadn't been drafted by them yet. Apparently he wasn't included but when you are including rookies etc in the program that seems a little suspect. Also as he was still underage, anything he was going to be taking had to be okayed by his parents or guardian. They were very good at destroying a lot of records.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

The big question was did they include Daniher in the program? He had permission at the time to be training with Essendon but he was still 17 and hadn't been drafted by them yet. Apparently he wasn't included but when you are including rookies etc in the program that seems a little suspect. Also as he was still underage, anything he was going to be taking had to be okayed by his parents or guardian. They were very good at destroying a lot of records.

Wow I hadn't heard that before. Very shady.