News Dons ASADA scandal (Latest: Pg 101 - CAS verdict. Guilty, 12 months.)

[rustyg70]

With Essendon now back playing games, if found guilty, there will be no back dating of the suspensions they receive.
They will be begin their suspensions straight away, not 8 months ago.

 

[DinoSoar]

WADA can't establish that player x took substance y any more than anyone else can. The case against the players has been run and won/lost depending on your point of view. It was always going to be a tough one to win for ASADA. Swapping a few initials around doesn't change anything.

Not necessarily, the objective or point of a WADA appeal if it occurs would most likely be around the burden of proof applied - there is some quite solid conjecture that the incorrect level was applied and that it exceeded the "comfortable satisfaction" threshold and was in the region of beyond reasonable doubt. If so, things may get very interesting if it gets to CAS given the defence strategy was to question whether or not the substance purchased, compounded, delivered to EFC and then injected was even TB4. They basically argued that the chinese manufacturer was dodgy and couldnt be relied upon to have supplied what they certified they had produced.

All well and good in criminal court proceedings but for an anti-doping matter where the burden of proof is lower ...

 

[No SPIN]

For someone who understands the details, can you please explain this.
How can the AFL "not be satisfied that essendon player were given Thymosin B4", but the supplier - Danks is guilty of supplying same?

So AFL wants us to believe that the drug was supplied to Ess by Danks but AFL is "not satisfied" that players were injected with it.

If this is correct this is comedy cappers - hopefully WADA will not fall for this crap.

 

[DinoSoar]

For someone who understands the details, can you please explain this.
How can the AFL "not be satisfied that essendon player were given Thymosin B4", but the supplier - Danks is guilty of supplying same?

So AFL wants us to believe that the drug was supplied to Ess by Danks but AFL is "not satisfied" that players were injected with it.

If this is correct this is comedy cappers - hopefully WADA will not fall for this crap.

Now this is where it all ties together rather conveniently and so neatly : the charges that Dank was found not guilty on just happen to be those that relate to supply of TB4. Go figure, hey ... guilty of everything else but just not TB4

 

[No SPIN]

Now this is where it all ties together rather conveniently and so neatly : the charges that Dank was found not guilty on just happen to be those that relate to supply of TB4. Go figure, hey ... guilty of everything else but just not TB4

Thanks for the clarifcation - yes its all very convenient.
Hopefully WADA will find the truth.

 

[Obese Arachnid]

Agree the senior players should have questioned more but if your coach supported the idea as did other senior staff, what would you do? Further although the club doctor didn't like what was happening maybe he should have taken a stronger stand and advised the players to refuse, things may have ended up differently.

The players should've questioned why it's necessary for fit young men to have 10,000 injections. Why was it done off site, why the had to sign consents after the fact, where are the records, why a doctor was not giving these injections etc etc?

Sorry Maggie but any sympathy I had for the players went out the window when the facts started coming out.

 

[Pedro]

So it seems its not quite over yet. WADA have decided to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Didn't really see that coming.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...essendon-players/story-fni5f22o-1227351211580

 

[MagpieBat]

It's on...

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/wa...essendon-players/story-fnelctok-1227351211580

 

[BoxMatrix]

Good god... The Essendon board will go into meltdown.

 

[vjknight]

Good god... The Essendon board will go into meltdown.

No. They think its all another circus for their amusement.

They still have no idea of the ultimate consequences.

 

[1061]

Can Essendon have their license revoked by this?

 

[ipswichpies]

Hopefully we will see some independent people not of those corrupt bastards at the AFL who are an outrage but real independent people who have some integrity something which is sadly lacking at AFL headquarters and has for some time.I am extremely happy that WADA have taken this decision someone has to show them all up for what they are EFC and the AFL disgusting.

 

[Bloben]

I'm a bit surprised by this to be honest. I thought WADA would not want to touch it after the findings were so one sided from the ASADA case. But the one thing that had been getting at me was in all of this, how could the tribunal find Dank guilty however the players not guilty. Surely they are one and the same.

Look at this from an article when Dank was found guilty:

"The Tribunal has found that the former Essendon support person has been found guilty of 10 breaches of the AFL Anti-Doping Code," an AFL statement read.

"The breaches include trafficking, attempting to traffick and complicity in matters related to a range of prohibited substances."
According to the statement, the prohibited substances in question include thymosin beta-4 and CJC-1295, the peptide former NRL player Sandor Earl admitted to trafficking

The breaches mostly related to Dank's time with Essendon, but also included his spell with the Gold Coast Suns and dealings with a former Carlton coach.

 

[Wayne Arnold]

Nah, this can't be right. Lance Uppercut assured everyone WADA wouldn't appeal. I'd take Lance's word over an official statement from WADA. Best we all move on unless Lance says otherwise.

 

[76woodenspooners]

I'm a bit surprised by this to be honest. I thought WADA would not want to touch it after the findings were so one sided from the ASADA case. But the one thing that had been getting at me was in all of this, how could the tribunal find Dank guilty however the players not guilty. Surely they are one and the same.

Look at this from an article when Dank was found guilty:

The players didn't inhale

 

[DAWESOME!!]

 

[Wooljay]

 

[Laurie Holden]

So it seems its not quite over yet. WADA have decided to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Didn't really see that coming.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...essendon-players/story-fni5f22o-1227351211580

TBH I was waiting for this. I thought the club and its supporters were premature in their celebration and at the time just sat back with my mouth shut waiting. Even with bombers supporters carrying on and jumping up and down saying we are not guilty! Then legitimately wondering whether Caro would get the sack because it was all a smear campaign against the club then getting my arse chewed out by every bombers supporter about Keefe and Thomas and how in fact the Pies have been guilty all along and people like Edie have been using their powers to cast blame elsewhere....deep breath Laurie....deep breath haha.

So back on track. Do any of our learned friends know how CAS decide the verdict? Do they work on balance of probabilities?

 

[Laurie Holden]

And not saying they were premature in celebrations as they will now be guilty, just that they took it as the end when clearly there could be (and now is) another step.

 

[vjknight]

So back on track. Do any of our learned friends know how CAS decide the verdict? Do they work on balance of probabilities?

yep yep yep

 

[Laurie Holden]

yep yep yep

This could get painful then

 

[Ketchup]

 

[Old Spice]

I'm a bit surprised by this to be honest. I thought WADA would not want to touch it after the findings were so one sided from the ASADA case. But the one thing that had been getting at me was in all of this, how could the tribunal find Dank guilty however the players not guilty. Surely they are one and the same.

Look at this from an article when Dank was found guilty:

Might be like being busted with the hooch in the house but not on the street corner. He was probably busted for ordering and receiving but not distributing.

p.s. apologies for this lame drug caricature which in no way represents real life.

 

[Mudeo]

I'm a bit surprised by this to be honest. I thought WADA would not want to touch it after the findings were so one sided from the ASADA case. But the one thing that had been getting at me was in all of this, how could the tribunal find Dank guilty however the players not guilty. Surely they are one and the same.

Look at this from an article when Dank was found guilty:

See it was ASADA presenting the evidence they werent handing out the punishment surely? It was the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal. I cant believe it isnt an independent case to begin with. As if the AFL are going to let Essendon go down the toilet.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

For someone who understands the details, can you please explain this.
How can the AFL "not be satisfied that essendon player were given Thymosin B4", but the supplier - Danks is guilty of supplying same?

So AFL wants us to believe that the drug was supplied to Ess by Danks but AFL is "not satisfied" that players were injected with it.

If this is correct this is comedy cappers - hopefully WADA will not fall for this crap.

This is why ASADA didn't bother appealing. The AFL had too much control while it was under ASADA. With WADA now taking it to CAS, it's truly neutral. THE CAS is based in Switzerland (I think), with an office in Sydney. They don't have the same vested interest in this that the AFL tribunal CLEARLY had. As cycling has shown, no positive test doesn't mean something wasn't taken.

Dank being banned only a day or two after the "Not guilty" verdict would have raised all kinds of red flags.

Would be shocked if Essendon get off now.