AFL targets Essendon Royalty

[Happy Days]

Re: AFL targets Essendon Royalty

I can't accept that line of argument in any way. On that basis you could justify anything in life so long as the increments were over an extended enough period. The Nazi party didn't just turn up to the town square of Munich as say "hey let's murder 6 million Jews".

Really?

[Greystache]

Re: AFL targets Essendon Royalty

I don't know if mjp is necessarily defending Essendon, just pointing out how a situation like that can develop.

And for the record, yes. You can justify anything in life. Sad but true, that's human nature.

I appreciate that, I'm just saying how the situation came about and what the steps were that lead to it are irrelevant when looking at what the punishment should be. They need to be dealt with based on what has transpired.

What would have happened if this didn't blow up they were free to continue to gradually escalate their program over another couple of years? It might have got to the point where there was a systematic program of anabolic steroids and EPO doping in a secret lab mixed with masking agents- after all "the players have already taken banned substances and if they get caught they'll be suspended, we may as well get the maximum benefit if we're going to risk it".

[Mofra]

Re: AFL targets Essendon Royalty

Rehabilitation over punishment?

I think there is some merit in this - teh Bombers sought unfair advantage and will have some advantage removed.

The issue is Danny Corcoran has previously been found guilty of facilitating salary cap breaches - the focus is on Hird, but Corcoran is the one deserves the biggest punishment.

[Mofra]

Re: AFL targets Essendon Royalty

I can't accept that line of argument in any way. On that basis you could justify anything in life so long as the increments were over an extended enough period. The Nazi party didn't just turn up to the town square of Munich as say "hey let's murder 6 million Jews".

"The banality of evil" - Hannah Arendt

Although, someone will now point out Godwin's Law...

[Doc26]

Re: AFL targets Essendon Royalty

The spin being pushed by the EFC, Hird's cronies and their media friendly pals would have you believe that they are at most guilty of something so minor as wanting in 'corporate governance' . What a load of bollocks. There's a lot more that sits between the low end of lacking in 'corporate governance' to the upper end of 'systematic cheating' that Hird and the EFC should be answerable to.

[Mofra]

Re: AFL targets Essendon Royalty

The spin being pushed by the EFC, Hird's cronies and their media friendly pals would have you believe that they are at most guilty of something so minor as wanting in 'corporate governance' . What a load of bollocks. There's a lot more that sits between the low end of lacking in 'corporate governance' to the upper end of 'systematic cheating' that Hird and the EFC should be answerable to.

Asbestos exposure is the result of "corporate governance".

[Bornadog]

Re: AFL targets Essendon Royalty

Whether Essendon players took banned drugs or not, if EFC imported them there should be a huge punishment dished out. I go back to the VFL player who was banned for two years for importing a banned substance. He hadn't even received them, they were still sitting at customs and the VFL came down hard on him.

I heard Simon Madden this morning saying EFC should cop a punishment for deeds in the past and not deeds in the future, ie loss of draft picks. To me loss of draft picks and points is the only way to hit these blokes. Not dollar fines.

[azabob]

Re: AFL targets Essendon Royalty

Whether Essendon players took banned drugs or not, if EFC imported them there should be a huge punishment dished out. I go back to the VFL player who was banned for two years for importing a banned substance. He hadn't even received them, they were still sitting at customs and the VFL came down hard on him.

I heard Simon Madden this morning saying EFC should cop a punishment for deeds in the past and not deeds in the future, ie loss of draft picks. To me loss of draft picks and points is the only way to hit these blokes. Not dollar fines.

OK then Simon- deeds in the past - take their first and second round draft picks from the last two years and put them into this years draft pool.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: AFL targets Essendon Royalty

Thankfully any ruling on this issue is completely out of the AFL's hands. The players will get smashed, and then the club will be crippled by a mass exodus and multiple law suits against it by angry players and player managers.

Sorry, but wrong. I was at a party at Moonee Ponds on the weekend. One bloke decided to wear his Essendon jumper and tactfully extracted his views on the whole saga. Was so completely one eyed about the course of this whole thing it sadly made me realize they will probably get a massive lift in membership out of this whole thing.

[Sedat]

Re: AFL targets Essendon Royalty

Sorry, but wrong. I was at a party at Moonee Ponds on the weekend. One bloke decided to wear his Essendon jumper and tactfully extracted his views on the whole saga. Was so completely one eyed about the course of this whole thing it sadly made me realize they will probably get a massive lift in membership out of this whole thing.

How so GD? If the final ASADA report confirms that PED's and banned substances were taken by the players, infraction notices will be handed out at a moment's notice to all players that have done so. That means automatic 2 years if proven, and the burden of proof for ASADA is nowhere near as strict is it is for the courts. We already know there are vast quantities of Hexarelin and TB4 imported by Dank (through Charter), and we also know there are invoices for both substances are linked to EFC. We've seen numerous text messages between Hird and Dank discussing the merits and benefits of TB4 and other substances on various players - already the circumstantial evidence is very compelling, and the testimony of Dank will be all that ASADA require to finalise their report and (potentially) start issuing the infractions notices to the playing group.

The AFL's charge sheet from last Wednesday reveals about 10% of the dirt that the AFL has on EFC, according to the non-cheerleading scribes out there. This more than likely will still get very ugly in the off-season when the final report is issued.

The blind acolytes might still buy a membership, but when players have their livelihood taken away for 2 years, I'm not expecting them or their greedy managers to hold out their arms and give the club a big sloppy kiss. And if there are upwards of 38 players possibly involved, doesn't take much mathematical knowledge to suggest that fielding a team will be an impossible task in 2014 and 2015.

Today's decision will be made on governance only. ASADA will be making the final decisions on doping when their report is finished.

[GVGjr]

Re: AFL targets Essendon Royalty

A guy at work said that if the AFL were real keen to punish Hird properly they should make him coach Melbourne for 12 months.

[anfo27]

Re: AFL targets Essendon Royalty

A guy at work said that if the AFL were real keen to punish Hird properly they should make him coach Melbourne for 12 months.

Now that is a fair dinkum punishment. If the golden boy thought this was the toughest year of his life then he's in for big surprise if that were to happen.

[LostDoggy]

Re: AFL targets Essendon Royalty

Now that is a fair dinkum punishment. If the golden boy thought this was the toughest year of his life then he's in for big surprise if that were to happen.

Not even drugs could save Melbourne.

[SonofScray]

Re: AFL targets Essendon Royalty

Clinical governance. Its pretty serious stuff.

[anfo27]

Re: AFL targets Essendon Royalty

Not even drugs could save Melbourne.

They should be allowed to dope. Hird could have Lance Armstrong as his high performance manager at Melbourne next year.