Stick with code, says WADA

[jeemak]

It is becoming an embarrassment to the AFL that the Balco Bombers are now going to be playing for top spot next Friday night. The sooner the ASADA findings are released and the infraction notices and loss points are handed out to all and sundry at Windy Hill the better it will be for the credibility of the competition and the game. Right now we are a laughing stock.

This whole episode is going to be a defining moment in how the league is governed and how that governance washes out amongst the clubs.

Any soft stance on this issue, irrespective of the WADA or ASADA findings will paint the league as soft, and those leading it not fit for running the highest profile competition in the country.

The game has been brought into disrepute, and has most definitely suffered poor consequences resulting from the terrible management practices of the Essendon hierarchy.

It's completely unthinkable for the league not to insist on Essendon's current coaching and management structure not to be disbanded. They've had their chances to run the club professionally, and have failed dismally.

If this game is ever going to be something other than a backwater kick around amongst a boys club and a lucky few exploiting the good will of the masses that still have a romantic link to how things used to be, now's he time for it to prove it can be.

[FrediKanoute]

Have to take a tough stand, regardless. At a minimum the AFL needs to implement a clear policy of what is and what isn't allowed in terms of supplements. It should be

Game's reputation has been tarnished by this. Heck it gets airplay on the radio in the UK.

Won't happen, but the club's licence should be revoked. This is systematic cheating. Worse its clinical trials of unproven drugs on human subjects. This goes beyond premiership points.

[LostDoggy]

Leaked file reveals the afl and the Federal Government struck a deal with ASADA to "explore all avenues" to spare the Essendon players from any punishment.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1226682793566

Interesting revelation

[Hotdog60]

Leaked file reveals the afl and the Federal Government struck a deal with ASADA to "explore all avenues" to spare the Essendon players from any punishment.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1226682793566

Interesting revelation

The AFL is going to sweep this under the carpet you can see it coming from a mile away.

I wonder if the club involved wasn't a high grossing club that things would have already been put in place. Eg: disbanded and a licence given to Tasmania for next season.

[LostDoggy]

The AFL is going to sweep this under the carpet you can see it coming from a mile away.

I wonder if the club involved wasn't a high grossing club that things would have already been put in place. Eg: disbanded and a licence given to Tasmania for next season.

Cannot believe Vlad can reach into a body as theoretically impartial as ASADA are supposed to be and corrupt an inquiry such as this. I'll wait until the findings come out but I have a good mind to write to WADA and the ACC with a formal complaint if it looks tainted. AFL house are just obsessed with deal making and have no intent of ever allowing natural justice to play through. Disgusting unethical toffy nosed lawyers.

[Sedat]

The AFL is going to sweep this under the carpet you can see it coming from a mile away.

I wonder if the club involved wasn't a high grossing club that things would have already been put in place. Eg: disbanded and a licence given to Tasmania for next season.

They can't. WADA will see to that.

Forget the Balco Bombers for a minute, there could well be collateral damage at AFL House over this. The extraordinary lengths the AFL are going to try and get Essendon a reduced penalty and sentence is a slap in the face for 17 other clubs and their players. The cicumstantial evidence of S2 PED's being linked to the Bombers is making the world sit up and take notice. I think the AFL realise just how much if a minnow they are in the world sport scheme of things and will now gladly sacrifice Essendon to save their own asses.

[LostDoggy]

They can't. WADA will see to that.

Forget the Balco Bombers for a minute, there could well be collateral damage at AFL House over this. The extraordinary lengths the AFL are going to try and get Essendon a reduced penalty and sentence is a slap in the face for 17 other clubs and their players. The cicumstantial evidence of S2 PED's being linked to the Bombers is making the world sit up and take notice. I think the AFL realise just how much if a minnow they are in the world sport scheme of things and will now gladly sacrifice Essendon to save their own asses.

I think you're assuming that Essendon are the only team doing it. What if there are more? How many before the league falls apart? 2? 4? 10?

If they are willing to go to these lengths to save/assist Essendon, they'll go to bat just as quickly for Collingwood, Carlton, Geelong, West Coast, etc.

I'm not claiming these teams are using PEDs, I'm just pointing out that if the problem does indeed run deeper than we realise — let's face it, in January of this year most of us had no idea it was even a problem — then suddenly it becomes obvious why the AFL would go the lengths it has so far.

[SonofScray]

The whole saga is a real mess and reflects poorly on the leadership of our game and what they value. Essentially everything that occurs in this League has been rendered meaningless by it. I do't place any value in the AFL anymore, other than it being the competition the Club I follow plays in.

[Sedat]

I think you're assuming that Essendon are the only team doing it. What if there are more? How many before the league falls apart? 2? 4? 10?

If they are willing to go to these lengths to save/assist Essendon, they'll go to bat just as quickly for Collingwood, Carlton, Geelong, West Coast, etc.

I'm not claiming these teams are using PEDs, I'm just pointing out that if the problem does indeed run deeper than we realise — let's face it, in January of this year most of us had no idea it was even a problem — then suddenly it becomes obvious why the AFL would go the lengths it has so far.

Let's not get hung up on hypotheticals. Essendon are the only AFL club that has been caught with their hand in the metaphorical cookie jar, and other clubs have already raised eyebrows over the brazenness and extent of the injecting regime that was undertaken at the apparent behest of Golden Boy last season. There's a communication trail of S2 PED's directly linked to Essendon. They were the only AFL club mentioned in detail in the ACC report. They are running out games powerfully and more strongly than any other club in the last 18 months (save for their absurd rate of soft tissue injuries last year). So as far as can reasonably be concluded, no other club has gone anywhere near pushing (and most likely exceeding) the strict boundaries of illegal performance enhancing, nor have they done so under such a systematic way as Essendon has.

The NRL wasted no time in stripping the Storm of two premierships as soon as the extent of their salary cap cheating was exposed. Similarly, Carlton were rightly punished significantly when their cheating of the salary cap was exposed (even though a number of clubs had cheated the cap previously - Essendon won a flag in 1993 when cheating the cap, interestingly when David's father Ron Evans was president, the same Ron Evans who gouged millions off the paying public by colluding to ensure his company Spotless Catering won all catering rights at AFL venues).

Unlike other woof posters, I've never had a hatred of Essendon. Quite the opposite, I've always preferred seeing them succeed over the likes of Collingwood and Carlton. But this issue has riled me moreso than any other issue in the AFL for many years. They seem to think that they are above the law of every other sporting organisation on the planet, and it appears that the AFL has been complicit in fostering this arrogant attitude. I would like to see the Bombers stripped of all points this season (a highly likely scenario IMO), all coaching and medical dept personnel at the club proven to be complicit in the development and execution of this program banned from the game at any level for life, Jobe Watson stripped of his Brownlow, the club banned from participating in any national or rookie draft for the next 3 years, and any player found to have taken banned substances (irrespective of whether they are S0 or S2 classification) to be banned for the mandatory 2 years. I want to see them on their knees and unable to recover for 10+ years for the (alleged) systematic cheating they appear to have undertaken. The game is far, far more important that the self-interest of one rogue club (no matter how big or successful they are), and I suspect the penny has finally dropped for Andy D and the AFL Commission on that score.

[Maddog37]

Great post Sedat. I also feel Vlad should fall on his sword too. No wonder Adrian Anderson has cut and run.

[LostDoggy]

Great post Sedat. I also feel Vlad should fall on his sword too. No wonder Adrian Anderson has cut and run.

Love the post. Wish I had the confidence that crony house gets it. We'll see very shortly!

[Hotdog60]

Let's not get hung up on hypotheticals. Essendon are the only AFL club that has been caught with their hand in the metaphorical cookie jar, and other clubs have already raised eyebrows over the brazenness and extent of the injecting regime that was undertaken at the apparent behest of Golden Boy last season. There's a communication trail of S2 PED's directly linked to Essendon. They were the only AFL club mentioned in detail in the ACC report. They are running out games powerfully and more strongly than any other club in the last 18 months (save for their absurd rate of soft tissue injuries last year). So as far as can reasonably be concluded, no other club has gone anywhere near pushing (and most likely exceeding) the strict boundaries of illegal performance enhancing, nor have they done so under such a systematic way as Essendon has.

The NRL wasted no time in stripping the Storm of two premierships as soon as the extent of their salary cap cheating was exposed. Similarly, Carlton were rightly punished significantly when their cheating of the salary cap was exposed (even though a number of clubs had cheated the cap previously - Essendon won a flag in 1993 when cheating the cap, interestingly when David's father Ron Evans was president, the same Ron Evans who gouged millions off the paying public by colluding to ensure his company Spotless Catering won all catering rights at AFL venues).

Unlike other woof posters, I've never had a hatred of Essendon. Quite the opposite, I've always preferred seeing them succeed over the likes of Collingwood and Carlton. But this issue has riled me moreso than any other issue in the AFL for many years. They seem to think that they are above the law of every other sporting organisation on the planet, and it appears that the AFL has been complicit in fostering this arrogant attitude. I would like to see the Bombers stripped of all points this season (a highly likely scenario IMO), all coaching and medical dept personnel at the club proven to be complicit in the development and execution of this program banned from the game at any level for life, Jobe Watson stripped of his Brownlow, the club banned from participating in any national or rookie draft for the next 3 years, and any player found to have taken banned substances (irrespective of whether they are S0 or S2 classification) to be banned for the mandatory 2 years. I want to see them on their knees and unable to recover for 10+ years for the (alleged) systematic cheating they appear to have undertaken. The game is far, far more important that the self-interest of one rogue club (no matter how big or successful they are), and I suspect the penny has finally dropped for Andy D and the AFL Commission on that score.

Whilst I hope everything you have posted comes true Sedat, I have become very sceptical about the AFL and believe the no more than a slap on the wrist will ever occur.
If the AFL was fair dinkum about drug use it should have suspended the club and it's players from this years completion pending the investigation. They could have just played VFL to keep their fitness levels up. If the VFL wanted them.

[Topdog]

Couldnt have said it any better Sedat

[Remi Moses]

Well put Sedat.
The pathetic defence of they won't go tough on them because they're a big club shouldn't wash.
Heard Mark Fine on SEN using the defense of look what happened to Carlton. Really

[LostDoggy]

Let's not get hung up on hypotheticals. Essendon are the only AFL club that has been caught with their hand in the metaphorical cookie jar, and other clubs have already raised eyebrows over the brazenness and extent of the injecting regime that was undertaken at the apparent behest of Golden Boy last season. There's a communication trail of S2 PED's directly linked to Essendon. They were the only AFL club mentioned in detail in the ACC report. They are running out games powerfully and more strongly than any other club in the last 18 months (save for their absurd rate of soft tissue injuries last year). So as far as can reasonably be concluded, no other club has gone anywhere near pushing (and most likely exceeding) the strict boundaries of illegal performance enhancing, nor have they done so under such a systematic way as Essendon has.

The NRL wasted no time in stripping the Storm of two premierships as soon as the extent of their salary cap cheating was exposed. Similarly, Carlton were rightly punished significantly when their cheating of the salary cap was exposed (even though a number of clubs had cheated the cap previously - Essendon won a flag in 1993 when cheating the cap, interestingly when David's father Ron Evans was president, the same Ron Evans who gouged millions off the paying public by colluding to ensure his company Spotless Catering won all catering rights at AFL venues).

Unlike other woof posters, I've never had a hatred of Essendon. Quite the opposite, I've always preferred seeing them succeed over the likes of Collingwood and Carlton. But this issue has riled me moreso than any other issue in the AFL for many years. They seem to think that they are above the law of every other sporting organisation on the planet, and it appears that the AFL has been complicit in fostering this arrogant attitude. I would like to see the Bombers stripped of all points this season (a highly likely scenario IMO), all coaching and medical dept personnel at the club proven to be complicit in the development and execution of this program banned from the game at any level for life, Jobe Watson stripped of his Brownlow, the club banned from participating in any national or rookie draft for the next 3 years, and any player found to have taken banned substances (irrespective of whether they are S0 or S2 classification) to be banned for the mandatory 2 years. I want to see them on their knees and unable to recover for 10+ years for the (alleged) systematic cheating they appear to have undertaken. The game is far, far more important that the self-interest of one rogue club (no matter how big or successful they are), and I suspect the penny has finally dropped for Andy D and the AFL Commission on that score.

I guess I gave the impression of defending their actions, I'm just cynical, that's all. I hope for all you hope for and more — but I'm not betting the house on it.