Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

[whythelongface]

Re: Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

Macca would be very happy he got the gig with us. Otherwise, he would have been handing out consent forms in 2012 at Essendon.

It is only 2012 that we have been made aware of. Could this have been going on prior to 2012 at Essendon?

[Throughandthrough]

Re: Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

As far as our involvement in this mess. I'm not ruling out specific players but I highly doubt we'd be involved in the sort of systematic cheating that is being alleged. This is not because we are better or more moral than Essendon (although we are) but mostly because as a club we know we couldn't survive if it was found out.

IMHO the fact that we are a smaller/unsuccessful team may be all the more reason why we could be involved. I hope we arent, but sadly we cant be ruled any more in or out than anyone else at this stage.

A prohibiting factor though, apparently the drugs are massively expensive.

[The Underdog]

Re: Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

I should probably care more about this but I seemingly don't.
I guess I'll just turn up at the footy and hope there's 2 teams on the field.

[G-Mo77]

Re: Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

It is only 2012 that we have been made aware of. Could this have been going on prior to 2012 at Essendon?

I think he meant if he didn't get the head coaching role here he probably would have been at Essendon in 2012.

[whythelongface]

Re: Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

I think he meant if he didn't get the head coaching role here he probably would have been at Essendon in 2012.

I know what he meant. All I am alluding to is that it could have been going on well before 2012 and he could have been handing out consent forms in 2011.

[Sedat]

Re: Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

I should probably care more about this but I seemingly don't.
I guess I'll just turn up at the footy and hope there's 2 teams on the field.

I share your indifference Underdog. I used to be all over stories like this but I don't really give much of a toss anymore. Apparently there's a cricket one-day series still on - I remember some summers in my teenage years where I wouldn't miss a ball of every test match and ODI.

Sport the world over has disenfrahcnised their dedicated market to an alarming extent, primarily over niothing more than greed. Now that greed has manifested itself into exposing sport to vulnerability and lack of control against underworld and criminal elements. Reaping what you sow and all that.

[jeemak]

Re: Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

I share your indifference Underdog. I used to be all over stories like this but I don't really give much of a toss anymore. Apparently there's a cricket one-day series still on - I remember some summers in my teenage years where I wouldn't miss a ball of every test match and ODI.

Sport the world over has disenfrahcnised their dedicated market to an alarming extent, primarily over niothing more than greed. Now that greed has manifested itself into exposing sport to vulnerability and lack of control against underworld and criminal elements. Reaping what you sow and all that.

Nailed it.

The veneer has been well and truly removed, hopefully the masses will start to take sport for what its worth.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Re: Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

Hypothetical question.

If a number of AFL clubs are implicated and 5-10 of their best players are banned for 2 years leaving only the Bulldogs, GWS, Gold Coast and Melbourne completely, would you celebrate a premiership?

Bjorn Borg won the first of his five Wimbledons after professional players were banned. The succeeding four he won with the professionals included, IIRC. Of course we would celebrate and so we should. If others break the rules that's bad football just as much as on the field. Luck too is a strong player in every season.

[Bulldog4life]

Re: Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

Lets hope there is something that comes out of this.
Sounded all sausage and no sizzle so far.
Can't work out why Fox footy didn't have a special edition with Gerard and Mark Robinson.

Fox 360 with Robbo and Gerard starts next Friday. On the Fox Sports news channel 513 it was on all day yesterday and this morning. A lot of up to date news.

[G-Mo77]

Re: Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

I know what he meant. All I am alluding to is that it could have been going on well before 2012 and he could have been handing out consent forms in 2011.

Yeah who knows how long it's gone on. It's naive to think this is a one off and it's the first time it's happened.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

Pretty sure banning gambling on sports other than racing will just line the pockets of organised crime further.

Yeah, but would remove the problem with having the AFL so dependant on betting for revenue. It's a conflict of interest so outrageous the fact the government hasn't done something about it is a scandal in itself.

Perhaps the ban just needs to be on betting companies sponsoring or otherwise financially supporting the league, including via advertising on match day. Separate the two as much as possible so that both can continue.

If there was no betting, this issue would be limited to a player cheating for personal gain or a team cheating to try and win a flag. But as soon as you add ridiculous sums of potential money to a league that's already obsessed, driven by, and a slave to the almighty dollar, well, it's a powder keg.

Think about it — betting is at the core of many of the problems the league faces: tanking, match-fixing, performance-enhancing drugs, gambling amongst players/club officials…

[Dry Rot]

Re: Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

Can anyone tell me why the timing of the original Essendon announcement press conference?

These rumours have been around since at least Oct 2012.

[whythelongface]

Re: Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

Can anyone tell me why the timing of the original Essendon announcement press conference?

These rumours have been around since at least Oct 2012.

Good question. Maybe the rumours have become fact in the last few weeks. Maybe it has something to do with the investigation undertaken by the crime commission and the powers at be at Essendon decided it was better to inform the public first. Who knows. Everything is all hearsay at the moment until we are presented with the facts.

[jeemak]

Re: Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

Yeah, but would remove the problem with having the AFL so dependant on betting for revenue. It's a conflict of interest so outrageous the fact the government hasn't done something about it is a scandal in itself.

Perhaps the ban just needs to be on betting companies sponsoring or otherwise financially supporting the league, including via advertising on match day. Separate the two as much as possible so that both can continue.

If there was no betting, this issue would be limited to a player cheating for personal gain or a team cheating to try and win a flag. But as soon as you add ridiculous sums of potential money to a league that's already obsessed, driven by, and a slave to the almighty dollar, well, it's a powder keg.

Think about it — betting is at the core of many of the problems the league faces: tanking, match-fixing, performance-enhancing drugs, gambling amongst players/club officials…

Spot betting makes me uneasy, though I'm not really sure what can be done to stop organised crime figures from accessing players to fix matches bet on overseas and online.

[Topdog]

Re: Essendon under AFL investigation regarding 2012 fitness program

Think about it — betting is at the core of many of the problems the league faces: tanking, match-fixing, performance-enhancing drugs, gambling amongst players/club officials…

I disagree with a lot of your post but this part in particular is just wrong.

Tanking has nothing to do with betting. Teams tank to finish lower on the ladder, it is a disgraceful thing to do.
Performance enhancing drugs - how does this have anything to do with betting? They are taken so that the team can win, they are taken as it is an "easy way to win".
Gambling amongst players/club officials. This is certainly not a good look but at least now it is legal and regulated. If it went underground I would hate to see how bad it got.