GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

[Greystache]

Re: GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

Any tribunal gets a directive to adhere to the 'AFEL comfortable satisfaction threshold'. This test exonerated doped players which WADA then had suspended. Whitfield is fine provided they make up a bullshit story that allows the AFEL to not be 'comfortably satisfied' with the vague and baseless rumours...

I am confident the AFL will investigate this matter thoroughly before clearing Whitfield of any charges.

[Bornadog]

Re: GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

I am confident the AFL will investigate this matter thoroughly before clearing Whitfield of any charges.

Well GWS are in the finals, we can't stuff up there chances now can we.

[Greystache]

Re: GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

WADA haven't exactly covered themselves in glory with their unseemly haste to railroad the Essendon players. Let's wait until the appeal is finished before we celebrate anything.

Anyway Whitfield has 'fessed up, hasn't he? I don't think there will be a hearing to assess guilt, just to sort the penalty out.

But again WADA didn't find anyone guilty, an independent court (CAS) did.

The AFEL tribunal was supposed to be a panel hand selected by the AFEL to be independent. Instead they so forcefully found the players not guilty, conveniently by deciding the supply chain was broken before the need to determine whether the players had done anything wrong themselves, they forced WADA to challenge the case in a impartial court.

Following the AFEL's standard procedure of hanging an arms length a scapegoat, they managed to find Dank guilty of all charges and banned him for life using the same evidence they found wasn't satisfactory to use against the players.

I suspect in this case they'll probably ban a PA for 2-4 years for an administration screw up which led to Whitfield missing the test, meanwhile the players and officials will be cleared of any wrongdoing.

[ledge]

Re: GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

It was recreational drugs though not PEDs wasn't it ? Big difference

[Twodogs]

Re: GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

But again WADA didn't find anyone guilty, an independent court (CAS) did.

The AFEL tribunal was supposed to be a panel hand selected by the AFEL to be independent. Instead they so forcefully found the players not guilty, conveniently by deciding the supply chain was broken before the need to determine whether the players had done anything wrong themselves, they forced WADA to challenge the case in a impartial court.

Following the AFEL's standard procedure of hanging an arms length a scapegoat, they managed to find Dank guilty of all charges and banned him for life using the same evidence they found wasn't satisfactory to use against the players.

I suspect in this case they'll probably ban a PA for 2-4 years for an administration screw up which led to Whitfield missing the test, meanwhile the players and officials will be cleared of any wrongdoing.

Absolutely correct on the last point. They are probably interviewing candidates for the scapegoat's job as we speak. "Well,what we are thinking is you come on board, we backdate some records for your commencement date and we can have your mea culpa Press Conference about lunchtime on your second day"

[Greystache]

Re: GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

Absolutely correct on the last point. They are probably interviewing candidates for the scapegoat's job as we speak. "Well,what we are thinking is you come on board, we backdate some records for your commencement date and we can have your mea culpa Press Conference about lunchtime on your second day"

I understand Kyle Cheney is one of the candidates. He has experience in the field of AFEL anointed scapegoat of course. Not sure what his typing or diary management skills are like but I'm sure that would be well down the list of requirements for this particular PA role.

[Twodogs]

Re: GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

I understand Kyle Cheney is one of the candidates. He has experience in the field of AFEL anointed scapegoat of course. Not sure what his typing or diary management skills are like but I'm sure that would be well down the list of requirements for this particular PA role.

Heh! He has exactly the kind of on the job experience of Being Thrown Under the Bus by the AFEL and not Complaining that the AFEL is looking for. The 2-4 year ban from sporting activities may be harder to square away for poor old Kyle but somebody has to pay a price. As long as it's not any of the guilty parties then life goes on.

I'm sure one of the nice people from the AFEL will explain it all to him. If they were allowed to talk to him that is...

[Axe Man]

Re: GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

How the hell has this taken over a year to investigate? It stinks of the AFL hoping that nobody would find out.

[Twodogs]

Re: GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

Was this started by an angry ex girlfriend ? Did I hear that correctly?

If so then this should be fun. I'll just make some popcorn.

[Axe Man]

Re: GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

It was recreational drugs though not PEDs wasn't it ? Big difference

Irrelevant, as per the article in the OP:

A failed illicit drug test might only have drawn one strike under the illicit drug policy but in seeking to avoid a test, an athlete is also deemed to have sought to evade a performance enhancing drug test and consequently is open to a heavy penalty.

[Twodogs]

Re: GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

Irrelevant, as per the article in the OP:

If he'd copped his whack in the first place it would be over now and no one would even be aware of it.

[azabob]

Re: GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

If he'd copped his whack in the first place it would be over now and no one would even be aware of it.

But the irony is he or any other GWS player was not going to be tested during that period.

[LostDoggy]

Re: GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

If he'd copped his whack in the first place it would be over now and no one would even be aware of it.

Presuming he doesn't already have a strike or two against him....

[Twodogs]

Re: GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

But the irony is he or any other GWS player was not going to be tested during that period.

Oh for gods sake. What an idiot. What a pack of idiots. I would fair dinkum be over the moon if my son had to move interstate and effectively be under the charge of these brain surgeons running football clubs.

[jeemak]

Re: GWS and Lachie Whitfield - Drugs Investigation

The story of a previous lover scorned is already permeating all types of media. We have our first scapegoat.

The fact the AFL has had this under investigation for over 12 months and hasn't been in any sense transparent over the matter (implications to the Collingwood and Brisbane football clubs and their hiring of two senior people with heavy influenc involved) points to the current administration being incompetent and unwilling to change after the EFC debacle. As it's now in the public domain it has been referred to ASADA, ain't it funny how these things are timed..........

Seriously, the AFL is FIFA on a smaller scale. It is taking the piss out of impassioned fans on a daily basis, knowing they are captive and not willing to turn off because of their emotional connections to the tribal origins of their clubs. It is a non-transparent and corrupt corporate fat cat that operates with football as a means to its administrative and controlling end. It is basically a professional services firm that uses Australian Rules Football to justify its own existence, or in lay terms, a leech.