Moved Thread Five years on: are Essendon in a good place?

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MaddAdam

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MaddAdam

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SherbertLemon

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No, we're debt free unlike Essendon.
I'd rather have a leveraged position making a s**t ton of profit than being debt free and barely breaking even without assistance from the league. I say that not looking at a North Melben P&L tho
 

MaddAdam

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Who moved the thread!?

Surely this isn’t a troll thread??

Moved to the ASADA thread which is fair enough.

Scene of some of the forums greatest posts.

Ooga booga.
 

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PetterdHoisted

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Apr 27, 2014
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Handed a Rising Star winner and future superstar as a reward for cheating. Back to being a financial powerhouse. Record membership. Opposition players falling over themselves to try and get to the club. Exciting times ahead.

We aren't in a good place... we're in a GREAT place. And when we win our 17th flag this year and officially become the most successful club in VFL/AFL history, we will be in an even better place.

It feels good to support the Bombers.
But isn't it an empty feeling?

I guess what I mean is, it's not like the club came through some harrowing experience where they were unfairly targeted, coming out the other side United, vindicated and stronger for it.

No, it was a constant exercise in dodging and weaving from the authorities, being loose with the truth via tricky language, internal back stabbing etc. until finally being collared for a fraction of what they were getting up to.

Too many skeletons, too much white-washing. I don't see the position of strength from this point if view.
 
Jun 11, 2007
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But you cheated in that too, It's pretty clear Burton is the better player.
except to those who adjudge it :p
But isn't it an empty feeling?

I guess what I mean is, it's not like the club came through some harrowing experience where they were unfairly targeted, coming out the other side United, vindicated and stronger for it.

No, it was a constant exercise in dodging and weaving from the authorities, being loose with the truth via tricky language, internal back stabbing etc. until finally being collared for a fraction of what they were getting up to.

Too many skeletons, too much white-washing. I don't see the position of strength from this point if view.
Divorce why we went through it (and who's to blame) from where we are now.
That's pretty much the premise in the OP
Whether Essendon and it's players sought to cheat and gain unfair advantage over the comp is besides the point now. That bridge has been crossed and it was found we did wrong.

The question is - now that the dust has largely settled on it all, are we in a strong position? or, a stronger position than we otherwise would have been had this never happened.

My best case scenario:
We may have finished top 4 along the way.
Players on the list: Hibberd, Carlisle, Simpkin (adjusted 2016 pick), Lever (2014 1st rd pick), Burton (adjusted 2015 pick), Lobb (2013 1st rd pick), Blakely (2013 2nd rd pick)
Players not on the list: Parish (Turns into Burton), McGrath (Turns into Simpkin), Francis (Carlisle still on the list), Laverde (2014 adjusted pick)
Hird would likely still be the coach.
A shot at the 2016 or 2017 flag may have been feasible. Hard to say.

The spine of Carlisle - Hurley - Heppell - Daniher - Hooker is impressive enough.
Hibberd is a A grade rebounding defender. Certainly a loss.
Burton/McGrath, McGrath/Burton. I'd be happy either way.
Lobb is a big improvement as it gives us a mobile ruck who can be handy forward.
Blakely a big bodied mid. That helps.

Losing Hibberd and access to Lobb were the major impacts.
Our ruck stocks aren't crash hot, and its hard to replace a player of Hibberd's calibre.
 
Jun 11, 2007
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You still cheated, and somehow got rewarded for it.
Bizzare!
i don't think that's in question
Zero doubt we wouldn't have finished last and drafted McGrath if not for the players being suspended.

Unintended consequence in my mind.
CAS didn't care about the draft implications of suspending 10 of our senior players

That said, the AFL had no interest in taking further draft picks off us. Governance & Doping were not mutually exclusive. No club is copping what we copped because the AFL is unhappy with the way they are running things. Governance = Doping, but we won't prejudice the ASADA/WADA/CAS process by calling it that.
 

gavaniacono

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You still cheated, and somehow got rewarded for it.
Bizzare!
Basically, AFL went early with that half time half baked report they pushed for, and kicking dons out of finals BEFORE a drug infraction had been proven. It was euphemistically labelled governance issues, we all knew though it was the AFL in panic mode making up rules on the run. It was clearly and ironically a lack of good governance from the AFL to do such a thing, accusing someone else of poor governance. A comedy. The AFL's premature ejaculant needed cleaning up later, and was done so via the first round pick being granted.
 

Fozdog

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Basically, AFL went early with that half time half baked report they pushed for, and kicking dons out of finals BEFORE a drug infraction had been proven. It was euphemistically labelled governance issues, we all knew though it was the AFL in panic mode making up rules on the run. It was clearly and ironically a lack of good governance from the AFL to do such a thing, accusing someone else of poor governance. A comedy. The AFL's premature ejaculant needed cleaning up later, and was done so via the first round pick being granted.
The AFL knew in advance Essendon were involved in a cutting edge, pushing the edge program. They even sent the players samples off overseas for testing. This all came back negative, but the alarm bells were there and they did nothing.
 

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