ASADA issues show-cause notices to Essendon players

[1eyedog]

I see your point.........but coaches get sacked all the time. Just sack him because he's "lost the support of the board", or you don't like the way the team are playing. Not only that, but there is such a trail of wreckage, and so many other people have lost their jobs over this issue already. I don't understand how he's the only one left standing.

No, you're absolutely right, it's amazing. Thing is he hasn't lost the support of the board because they're all Hird lovers who also, up until yesterday, thought he was their savior. Weird cult down there as someone mentioned on here a few weeks ago.

[Greystache]

No, you're absolutely right, it's amazing. Thing is he hasn't lost the support of the board because they're all Hird lovers who also, up until yesterday, thought he was their savior. Weird cult down there as someone mentioned on here a few weeks ago.

Even scarier is a couple of their new board members got elected onto the board on the strength of their social media campaigns to support Hird no matter what. This despite having virtually no experience and being up against some very capable sports administrators.

[Maddog37]

I see the club being sued by players and also the players suing the AFL as they issue the licence to Essendon.

[LostDoggy]

Hopefully now Turd and the whole of the EFC will get exactly what is all coming there way!

[jeemak]

I look at WADA and Worksafe intervening as the two most devastating things that could have happened to the EFC out of this whole process, even though it was always going to go down this path I don't think a lot of folk understand how pervasive the intervention of the latter can be. You can bet neither WADA nor Worksafe couldn't care less about the AFL, the EFC, James Hird and the players, and that's precisely how dry the process needed to be from the word go.

Worksafe has a lot to gain out of this. Sport is a grey area and its powers only reach so far where it's concerned. Make no mistake, Worksafe is a deeply political organisation and greater intervention from Worksafe into the AFL is a new world that the competition isn't ready for.

I don't really understand how any reasonable person could be surprised that Demetriou might quietly mention to one of the AFL's licensees that it had a problem with a regulatory body, nor do I understand how anyone could endeavour to make it an issue to worry about in the broader scheme, other than to actually and unfairly benefit the EFC rather than hinder the prospects of its senior coach.

It's been such a bizarre episode that has shown the true insular nature of our little country and its little but most popularly attended sport.

[Twodogs]

Yep. It was always WorkSafe who were going to wield the big stuck over Essendon. No process to go through with them. They walk in, tell you what you've done wrong and impose the penalty before you can say Bob's your aunty's live in lover. Bingo Bango bongo.

[Twodogs]

He clearly looked concerned that there may be a genuine process now rather than the standard contrived public event the AFL masquerades as legitimate, but I'm sure Essendon will continue to pay James Hird's lawyers to leak information to him so he can write his propaganda pieces.

Whately spoke over Robbo a couple of times. Virtually shooshed him when Robbo was a couple of sentences into a Dorothy dixer for Hird and asking his own question. The worm turns.

[Twodogs]

What does a De Novo hearing entail?

[Twodogs]

The James Hird interview on AFL360 was quite interesting - much more than the puff piece I was expecting. He made an assertion that a spreadsheet containing Thymomodulin was sent by Ian Robson to ASADA, who must have destroyed it - spare me. The AFL tribunal found that the substance in question was either TB4 or nothing. Thymomodulin was completely rejected as a viable alternative. Strike 1

Hird was also smacked down by Whateley, who had to correct Hird that the players were never cleared of taking TB4 - this question wasn't even considered by the AFL Tribunal. Strike 2

The facade really started to crack during that exchange. Especially the guilty bit. Hird either didn't uderstand the difference in the judgement to a not guilty verdict-unlikely given his wife is a lawyer-or he's gilding the lily.

They are a bit rattled and all over the place at the moment. It's nice.

[AndrewP6]

What does a De Novo hearing entail?

Hearing a case without referring to details of previous findings. Basically, starting afresh.

[jeemak]

Yep. It was always WorkSafe who were going to wield the big stuck over Essendon. No process to go through with them. They walk in, tell you what you've done wrong and impose the penalty before you can say Bob's your aunty's live in lover. Bingo Bango bongo.

Post liked and quoted for finishing skills employed. Bingo Bango Bongo indeed.

[1eyedog]

This is why Essendon supporters and the general AFL community struggle to form an unbiased opinion on the doping scandal.
Who the hell is this guy anyway? An Essendon paid cronie? Sort of.... Turns out he's an Essendon tragic who also happens to be a lawyer.
Graham Smith works for firm Clayton Utz, they do alot of work for Toll Holdings, of which Paul Little is managing director. He regularly approaches the media (Fairfax last August) to voice his disgust at how the Essendon Football Club has been treated throughout this entire 'fiasco'.
Looking forward to seeing him uncovered on Media Watch Should have dug a bit deeper Jon didn't know the Age was now openly writing propaganda pieces on behalf of EFC.
Sheez.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-new...13-gh0k64.html

[Greystache]

This is why Essendon supporters and the general AFL community struggle to form an unbiased opinion on the doping scandal.
Who the hell is this guy anyway? An Essendon paid cronie? Sort of.... Turns out he's an Essendon tragic who also happens to be a lawyer.
Graeme Smith works for firm Clayton Utz, they do alot of work for Toll Holdings, of which Paul Little is managing director. He regularly approaches the media (Fairfax last August) to voice his disgust at how the Essendon Football Club has been treated throughout this entire 'fiasco'.
Looking forward to seeing him uncovered on Media Watch Should have dug a bit deeper Jon didn't know the Age was now openly writing propaganda pieces on behalf of EFC.
Sheez.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-new...13-gh0k64.html

Were those quotes lifted from Bomber Blitz?

It should all go away because it's interrupting the AFL season? What a ridiculous statement. We should turn a blind eye to any potential cheating because we don't want it getting in the way of "competition"? And if the authorities won't look the other way we should form our own authority that will. That's pretty embarrassing stuff.

[1eyedog]

Were those quotes lifted from Bomber Blitz?

It should all go away because it's interrupting the AFL season? What a ridiculous statement. We should turn a blind eye to any potential cheating because we don't want it getting in the way of "competition"? And if the authorities won't look the other way we should form our own authority that will. That's pretty embarrassing stuff.

Nah I read the article and surmised it was way too pro-EFC. I did some work on Graham Smith and found another article where he lambasted ASADA's take on the scandal from August last year. Seemed like a trend was developing. I did a further search on Smith and Essendon and found references to his support of the Bombers on the ASADA /AFL forum page on Big Footy. Not content on taking Big Footy's word for it I searched Smith and Clayton Utz and then searched their 'A' client list which includes Toll Holdings, Paul Little's company. I then put two and two together which essentially confirmed what one poster stated on BF.

I woke before the kids this morning so had a bit of time to dig a little. Just trying to source the correct info and report here Stache

[1eyedog]

Were those quotes lifted from Bomber Blitz?

It should all go away because it's interrupting the AFL season? What a ridiculous statement. We should turn a blind eye to any potential cheating because we don't want it getting in the way of "competition"? And if the authorities won't look the other way we should form our own authority that will. That's pretty embarrassing stuff.

Yeah that's two Graham Smith's I know who are dickheads, different spelling but same result.