Bombers set to miss 2013 finals. (The Age, Caroline Wilson, 23/8)

[Bazza37]

What the AFL is doing to Essendon at the moment is nothing compared to what ASADA & WADA are going do to them.

 

[Engimal]

Wow, Caro really hates Essendon.

As much as this is probably true, she's been pretty much spot on for most of this saga.

 

[FrancisX]

I thought it was illegal to administer injections to other people if not legally qualified. Bit surprised that authorities haven't come in on this.

Yep - there were no prescriptions as far as we know - there are kinds of governing bodies that can jump at this.

 

[legend166]

Well if they accept these charges it will be a admission of guilt which would relate back to the charge sheet of TB4 which is a WADA banned substance.

Eh, I think the whole point of the deal is that the AFL are going to issue a new charge sheet without the direct allegations of PED usage. Which is just pathetic to me.

There is an invoice, paid by the Essendon Football Club, for performance enhancing drugs. There are then consent forms, signed by players, saying that they will receive injections of performance enhancing drugs.

What am I missing here?

 

[Barry Zuckercorn]

Would rather they lose their points for 2014.

Why not both?

 

[Beats28772]

Takes the sting out of the R23 clash between Port and Carlton.

It is the last game ever at the current home of Footy in SA. There will be more sting than a Dank Jab.

 

[blue harvest]

Criminal in nature? Seriously?

Yep, if you lie to ASADA then it's a crime.
Probably why Dank refuses to be interviewed.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/players-face-jail-if-they-lie-to-asada-20130420-2i7dp.html

 

[johnthegardener]

Any deal done would have to be subject to future findings by ASADA. If for arguments sake ASADA issued infraction notices to a number of players and AFL slapped them with a reprimand. Just what exactly do you think that WADA are going to do?

WADA are certainly not going to go along with a backroom deal done by AFL and Essendon.

I feel for the Essendon players and the majority of their supporters as to my mind they are now looking at a punishment for non-existent governance and the strong possibility that quite a number of their players will be slapped with infractions. In this scenario there is no possible way that the Bombers will be able to avoid the title of drug cheats.

 

[Smiling Buddha]

Those of you listing what you think Essendon's punishment should be are doing so:

a) Before charges against them have been proven, and

b) Before we know what the ramifications will be for their players (which will in turn affect the club).

And you don't see a problem with this?

 

[Peter Neal]

As much as this is probably true, she's been pretty much spot on for most of this saga.

Yep, wow!

And after all the hate she's received from Dons fans this entire way out.

She must have licked her lips before writing the speech which brings this news. Can't believe it came from her.

Is this really going to happen though?

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Any outcome that sees the Bombers able to compete for premiership points in 2014 & 2015 is a massive win for them - if I was them I'd take the AFL's deal and run. They tried calling their bluff and all they received was atomic level blowback.

 

[archibald23]

ASADA will p0wn them when they are finished with their report. This is only stage 1.

As long as the penalty is more severe then what Adelaide received, its fine by me. By more severe I mean, Trigg < Hird suspension, Adelaide < Bombers fine, Adelaide draft penalties < Bombers draft penalties.

Any less then this will seriously tarnish the already shredded (thanks Bombers) integrity and purity of our game.

 

[Flukey!]

Losing premiership points now is a joke and a token punishment at best.
If they played finals, they would play just one more game (based on current form) so I don't really see the purpose.

 

[Ramify]

Would rather they lose their points for 2014.

Id rather they win their peptide tainted flag this year, then get wacked with no points for 2013 and again with 2014, and Jobe + Hird have their medals rescinded.

 

[West Coast Weasel]

Wow, didn't they come down heavily on Carlton, West Coast were also threatened with some terrible sanctions if we didn't shape up. What Essendon have been accused of doing, has gone beyond all of that in respect to endangering the health of their own players.

As well as the loss of draft picks, I would like to see the coach and board fall on their sword and be forced to walk away for condoning the malpractices and giving the league a big F U on Tuesday.

 

[TerryWallet]

If Hird is innocent, clear his name 100%.

If he is guilty of what has been alleged, he should face a life ban.....or at the very least, something meaningful like 4 years.

On the other hand, if after all of this, Essendon is willing to embrace him back into the fold, after a 12-month suspension, they deserve the disgrace and ignominy that will forever follow their tattered, discredited, self-serving * messiah.

I agree with this.

If Hird is innocent of that charge sheet and he argues it and is found innocent.....then let him off

Otherwise, he should be banned for life from the AFL. Matt Finniss must demand this or resign his own position. Any blabber about care for players while James Hird is not Banned is meaningless.

 

[pinot]

Penalty is for triggering AFL's 1.6 clause - no one knows if Essendon will have players after the ASADA report.

 

[legend166]

Those of you listing what you think Essendon's punishment should be are doing so:

a) Before charges against them have been proven, and

b) Before we know what the ramifications will be for their players (which will in turn affect the club).

And you don't see a problem with this?

We have text messages from Dank, to Charter, asking for him to procure performance enhancing drugs.

We have consent forms, listing performance enhancing drugs.

We have every reason to believe that players were then injected with those same performance enhancing drugs.

That's enough for me thanks.

Everyone seems to think that charge sheet is just a list of "Here's what we think you did" without any evidence. But there's concrete evidence in there in the form of text messages and emails. And when it says 'the consent form has this, this and this listed' I think it's very safe to assume they've actually seen the consent form.

 

[Brasher]

Those of you listing what you think Essendon's punishment should be are doing so:

a) Before charges against them have been proven, and

b) Before we know what the ramifications will be for their players (which will in turn affect the club).

And you don't see a problem with this?

True but innocent parties don't normally sit down to plea bargin, they'll plead to a lesser charge (shoddy governance) to avoid the heavy duty charges (as Little put it, being labelled a drug cheat).

See your point on the player ramifications but most posts here seem to centre on the severity (or lack there of) of the AFL penalties relative to the charges that were disclosed this week.

 

[Coldacre]

It will be a bit hard to win points with only half a team.

that's right, the players are going to receive infractions aren't they

 

[rampar]

looks like paying a few players under the table with slightly oily pizza money is far worse than potentially giving your players cancer. Nice one AFL.

 

[Messenger]

Keep points,lose draft picks.
Keep draft picks,lose points.

AFL cant have it both ways.

Yes they can.

 

[Blue Reaper]

I wonder if the AFL's stance on a negotiated punishment will be tempered by anticipating a possible ASADA penalty later in the year/next year?

 

[Ramify]

Surly the AFL is right in dealing down an "interim" punishment based on an interim report?

 

[AC for PM]

I can picture the sickening build up to the "return of Hird" now once he has served the suspension.... Media and Essendon building him up again as the hero.... Someone pass me a bucket