ELEVEN Essendon players are alleged to have taken the banned peptide Thymosin Beta 4 .
Fairfax Media are today reporting that the interim ASADA report of the Essendon supplement program of 2012 provides strong circumstantial evidence that eleven players were administered Thymosin Beta 4.
The circumstantial evidence outlined by Fairfax Media is as follows.
■ Witness testimony and documentary evidence, included that provided by fitness adviser and convicted drug offender Shane Charter, regarding his provision of Thymosin Beta 4 to Dank and advice on how to administer it.
■ Player consent forms reflecting Charter’s advice to Dank regarding dosages of Thymosin Beta 4.
■ Documents and communications, including invoices, text messages and emails, referring to the use of a Thymosin peptide at Essendon.
Thymosin Beta 4 is banned specifically under section 2 of WADA’s doping code as a performance enhancing substance.
The standard penalty for an athlete found guilty of taking a s2 substance is a two-year ban.
However, the lack of documented evidence is making it difficult to build a prima facie case against the athletes, as all documentation kept by Essendon refers only to Thymosin, rather than any specific variant.
Also included in the report was was strong circumstantial evidence that AOD9604 was administered to the players.
AOD9604 was confirmed to be a banned substance by WADA under section 0 of the doping code in April.
It comes as News Limited report that ASADA’s lead investigators told the Essendon players and staff that he would need to have “rocks in my head” to build a case against players for the use of AOD9604.
At this point in time, no infraction notices have been issued to any player in regards to the ongoing investigation.
Meanwhile, Essendon coach James Hird will read the document that could decide his future for the first time today.
News Limited suggests that Hird’s legal team were forwarded the report yesterday, while Hird will see it first-hand today.
No player, player manager or other staff in the football department have read the report.
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LANCE Franklin has confirmed that he wants to stay at Hawthorn.
Speaking at the launch of the ‘Buddy’ Leisure Boot, Franklin confirmed he was in discussions with the Hawks.
“I don’t know where I’m at at the moment to be honest,” Franklin said.
“As I said at the start of the season, I’ll make my decision at the end of the season. My management is in talks with the football club at the moment and that’s where it stays.
“But I want to stay at Hawthorn, I love the footy club, they’ve been a great football club for me for nearly nine years. That’s where at stands at the moment.”
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WEST COAST captain Darren Glass has re-signed for the 2014 season.
At 32-years old and having played 258 games, Glass is now within reach of the club’s all-time games played record holder Glen Jakovich, who sits on 276 games played.
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COLLINGWOOD star Dale Thomas has today made a vital step in his bid to be fit for finals, completing his first full training session since his ankle injury.
Nathan Buckley was thrilled for Thomas that he could get back to doing what he loves.
“We’re encouraged by where he’s at. He’s still got a few more boxes to tick,” Buckley said.
“It’s a bit of a stretch to expect Daisy’s going to come back and give us a great deal.
“But from what I’ve seen, it’s becoming more of a possibility, and I’m happy for him to keep proving us wrong.”
Buckley confirmed that Thomas would need time in the VFL before returning, though that won’t be this weekend.
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HAWTHORN super-boot Matthew Suckling has signed on to the Hawks for a further two years.
The defender has not played a game this year after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in a pre-season game against Richmond.
Hawthorn’s acting manager of football, Chris Fagan, told News Limited that he was excited that Suckling had elected to stay with the Hawks.
“We were terribly disappointed when he hurt his knee at the start of this year,” Fagan said.
“He’s become an important player at our club so it’s good for him in a year where he’s been injured that the club has shown faith in him to continue on.
“We are very hopeful he’ll come back better than ever from his injury. These knee injuries also make you grow up as a person as well I think.
“He’ll be pretty hungry to do well when he comes back and we’re really happy to have him at the club for another two years.”
Meanwhile, Hawthorn are optimistic that Grant Birchall will be available for next week’s Friday night blockbuster with Collingwood after suffering a knee injury against West Coast in Round 13.
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SYDNEY are unlikely to have key trio Adam Goodes, Lewis Jetta and Sam Reid until the first week of finals.
Coach John Longmire was pragmatic when discussing when his star players would return.
”You’d have to say at this point they’re three to four weeks away from pushing themselves up for senior selection, all three, and Roberts-Thomson may be a fraction behind that,” Longmire said.
The return of the trio presents a selection dilemma for Longmire, who will have to choose between the young players who have done the job to that point or proven star players who are lacking match fitness.
In good news for Sydney, Ben McGlynn will make his return to football this weekend.
McGlynn has served a three-match suspension while also recovering from a hamstring injury.
