ASADA issues show-cause notices to Essendon players

[LostDoggy]

Ahmed Saad deserves an OAM or something similar. In this timeframe he has been 'convicted', served his suspension and now come back to the AFL for a second chance.

[bornadog]

Ahmed Saad deserves an OAM or something similar. In this timeframe he has been 'convicted', served his suspension and now come back to the AFL for a second chance.

and that is what should have happened at Essendon. They should have fessed up at the start instead of denying everything. They could have won the PR war as well by saying yes we had a programme in place, we were advised the supplements were legal so we went ahead, now let's discuss a deal.

[LostDoggy]

Look below

[LostDoggy]

Ahmed Saad deserves an OAM or something similar. In this timeframe he has been 'convicted', served his suspension and now come back to the AFL for a second chance.

I bet Tony wishes he gave him Sir Prince Phillip's knighthood!

[Sedat]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-new...09-13a5qi.html

If the AFL had any balls they would simply call Essendon's bluff and replace them with the winner of the Foxtel Cup last year. I'm heartily sick and tired of this wretched club dragging the rest of the competition down in the sewers with them. This is my favourite bit from the article:

"Every listed Essendon player from 2012 would be allowed to withdraw from all 2015 pre-season games under an AFL proposal that would help hide the identities of Bombers players charged with taking performance-enhancing drugs.

But the Bombers have baulked at the suggested compromise, citing health and safety concerns as both parties worked desperately to reach a solution to the NAB Challenge dilemma. The AFL solution would leave Essendon with an estimated 18 senior and rookie-listed players, with one-third of those currently unavailable in rehabilitation or restricted training."

Let's ponder this for a moment - Essendon are all of a sudden concerned about health and safety issues with burdening younger players to play extended minutes in a pissant pre-season practice match, but they had no such issues or concerns about injecting almost the entire list for 2 seasons with a cocktail of performance enhancing drugs (some of which weren't even approved for human consumption) without specifically knowing exactly what junk they injected into their players. It's almost getting to the stage now where they need to be cut adrift from the competition and have their license revoked.

[westdog54]

Seriously getting sick and tired of Essendon's attitude around the follow on issues that have arisen from the drugs saga.

They don't seem to get the fact that under the rules the 34 players are provisionally suspended. That's a rule.

The AFL have offered up a perfectly sensible solution that protects the identity of the players involved as well as protects the integrity of the competition, but it doesn't seem to suit Essendon's needs.

It has been Essendon's call to have the player's names kept secret throughout this process. No-one elses. Even our two affected players have been prepared to break ranks.

They can't have it both ways. Either stand the players down so that they're effectively already serving any possible suspension or run the gauntlet. Anything else is continuing to insult the rest of the competition.

[bulldogtragic]

The AFL seem willing to be made to look weak and inept. Just make a decision and let Essendon deal with it. When courts jail a convicted person they don't spend weeks pondering if the prisoner will partake in work or exercise programs, or whether because they don't like white bread there should be a special order of multigrain or whether to order an extra TV because some inmates prefer to watch one show over another.

Just make the decision, stand by it and let them understand the circumstance is of their making and they can deal with it...

[Dancin' Douggy]

Essendon disgust me.

[Twodogs]

Even more so than usual for me.


Dis-gust.

[bornadog]

Essendon 34 won't play in NAB Challenge

[GVGjr]

Does any one else think Essendon are going to get off this?

They are guilty in the eyes of many but the evidence just can't be conclusive enough.

[LostDoggy]

Does any one else think Essendon are going to get off this?

They are guilty in the eyes of many but the evidence just can't be conclusive enough.

Yep, and their fans will bleat like stubborn pigs for the next three decades.

[Sedat]

Does any one else think Essendon are going to get off this?

They are guilty in the eyes of many but the evidence just can't be conclusive enough.

I'm thinking the contrary, that they know they're completely stuffed. It is a folorn hope that there is not definitive evidence linking the club and players to banned PED's.

[GVGjr]

I'm thinking the contrary, that they know they're completely stuffed. It is a folorn hope that there is not definitive evidence linking the club and players to banned PED's.

So what is the likely penalty? Losing games in the NAB cup isn't going to cover it.

Since the Melbourne tanking compromise I'm not sure how hard the AFL wants to push this

[westdog54]

Does any one else think Essendon are going to get off this?

They are guilty in the eyes of many but the evidence just can't be conclusive enough.

Not for a second. This isn't a Criminal Court. A decision will be made on Balance of Probability.