EFC players: Comfortable satisfaction not reached.

[Chief]

You would have been a nightmare as a kid when you got out playing backyard cricket

The analogy is apt, but should be applied to Essendon regarding, say, a nearby broken window.

The ball was bought to the house by one of the kids, they were all playing cricket, a bat and stumps are present, everyone is standing in fielding positions, and yet nobody can prove that the ball was ever hit because everyone involved is not saying a word about it. The best they have is an undated photo of a different coloured ball to the one found by the broken window. Adults can see through that one right away.

 

[Madblue]

So now its all over can someone from Essendon tell me exactly what was injected into the players ????

 

[Art Corvelay]

No essendon players took any drugs where as collingwood players all most certainly have

LOL

okay mete

 

[andrewb]

WOW. Mark Robinson has just put the accusation of Clothier fabricating evidence in writing:

At one time, Hird was said to be warned by the AFL about the use of peptides. On the day the story broke, the AFL just happened to make an amendment to the original notes taken two years earlier.

How did he get THAT past the editors?

 

[smasha]

go ahead, see how it works out for you

Definately agree there.

 

[mxett]

Ex judges working for whom?
You said the AFL didn't decide I just pointed out they were retained by the AFL were they not?

you seriously think 3 ex judges manipulated the result?

Come on, youre being very silly

 

[larson]

Actually all that was proven today is the players did not take TB4, Jobe actually took a banned substance but unknown reasons caused him not to be charged for that and the supplements regime was judged to have had governance issues which the club and coach were found guilty of.

Oh man another muppet that believes whatever the media tells him.

Should've just trusted Hirdy day 1 when he said he didn't believe anything illegal was taken, 2 years later and he has been PROVEN right.

 

[Dave]

I dont think WADA or ASADA care too much about costs.

It does look like the tribunal failed to take into account attempted use, and only covered actual use. Based on the summary released today.

Will need to see the exact reasons for the decision in detail.

Surely they didn't fail to consider something so blatant.

Were they charged with attempted use?

 

[60sbomber]

Hah! What?

I've been saying for 2 years that I think Essendon doped but that I'm not confident that they'd get found guilty.

Nothing has changed, and "insufficient evidence" is not exactly an open and shut case of innocence to me.

"Insufficient evidence" is NOT GUILTY.
Full stop.
17 other clubs' players are also not guilty due to insufficient evidence. Many have circumstantial issues which might lead to suspicion or imply the possible use of PEDs (think Melbourne, Geelong, Gold Coast, West Coast, Sydney, Collingwood and Hawthorn).
None have been charged and none are guilty.
All are suspect.
All have insufficient evidence to convict.
The main difference at Essendon is that ASADA and the AFL investigated for 2 yrs, using every dirty trick, PR stunt, and distortion of evidence they could think of, to try to cobble together a case, and at the end there was not enough evidence.
If we are talking about the years leading up to the "darkest day", I doubt whether any club could survive the process EFC has been through and emerge without a conviction.

 

[Riccardo11]

Yep AFL is truly in charge. I'm really liking NRL at the moment....

If you're looking for a corruption free, clean and fair across the board competition, that's the last place you should go!

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Mark Allen sounds mad

 

[Tiger2709]

*Now a banned substance

No it was banned then as well, Jobe got off for other reasons that we haven't been told about.

 

[Malifice]

By happily letting these 2 lose their right to privacy, and also they were positive tests so clearly they took something illegal.

It was up to the players to agree to release the information. Not the club.

Collingwood has acted with transparency. As soon as they knew. They didnt hire a PR spin doctor or leak to media officials. They didnt lie about 'self reporting' and havent engaged in a 2 year program of obfuscation, threats, wrangling and changing positions. Collingwood didnt instigate the program that lead to these two blokes testing positive in the first place, and (this is speculation) but if their coch turned out to be the one who was 'behind it', his CEO McGuire would sack him on the spot. And I have no love for Eddie, the Pies or drug cheats when I say that.

But for your clubs legal threats, requiring no fewer than two Federal court challenges, a retired judge being brought in to review the process half way, the other 17 clubs meeting to smash you, the AFL being forced to hit you for governance, your media leaks and counter leaks, PR and spin campaign this would have been over years ago.

 

[Chasing 17]

One thing I'm certain of after today, James Hird won't be commenting on the Andrew Demetriou tip off phone call ever again.

Well played, Andrew.

 

[Goosecat]

You realise you're saying that you were only going to accept the tribunals outcome if it was the one you wanted? There's a process in place and it was followed. Anyone who doesn't like it just has to suck it up as the Essendon supporters would have if it had gone the other way

Well I'm not so sure EFC supporters would have just accepted a guilty verdict as you suggest. For my part I'm not a believer in a not guilty verdict being unsupportable or inherently incorrect if the panel says so. I imagine the verdict would need to be strong enough in supporting evidence to be handed down.
As of right now there is not enough evidence for a guilty verdict.That's the judgement. What that means for the future and others who may wish to tread a similar path is that a precedent has now been set.

 

[Spitta09]

Poor governance.

We took the fines and penalties for that.

See you in Round 2.

lol governance is just a cover up word for a disgraceful program that put the health of all players at the club at enormous risk.

 

[Chief]

*Now a banned substance

It was banned at the time.

How many press releases from WADA do you need?

The best you have is that ASADA said they would have too hard a time proving that the ban was obvious enough. Fair enough, too.

But it was banned, and is banned. Disputing that is just obtuse.

 

[Andronicus]

"The players were put in a position were there health and careers were put at risk in pursuit of in field success" - afl players association

If you are going to quote someone can you please at least have the decency to use proper spelling. It gives your "quote" far less credibility when you don't.

 

[LanceRomance]

http://www.aflplayers.com.au/article/statement-from-ceo-paul-marsh-4/

This decision does not absolve the Essendon Football Club of blame. Players were placed in an unacceptable position that put their health and careers at risk.

 

[byronstjames]

 

[Chief]

prepared for it, and couldn't give a rats tossbag. Not even a fraction of a **** is given.

Why would it be?

You can call us cheats and we can call you cheats. And the best bit? Despite all this gnashing of teeth, in 3 weeks this will be virtually forgotten about, save in a few disillusioned opposition supporters heads

You're being very optimistic.

 

[Boxhead_31]

you seriously think 3 ex judges manipulated the result?

Come on, youre being very silly

You're twisting what I saying Mxett, I saying that it was the AFL that made the decision via the tribunal they connived to hear the case in response to your claim that the AFL didn't make the call.

 

[larson]

Not in the least, but it's a fact, when he walks out onto a footy field, is in a press conference, at a meeting of the coached, they will all be thinking, the guys a cheat, I realise you don't want to hear this but it really is a fact.

Wow I'm sure he cares what people that have no idea think.

All that has happened now is that his legend at Essendon has grown greater, any other man would't have faught so long to clear his name like he did.

 

[mxett]

http://www.aflplayers.com.au/article/statement-from-ceo-paul-marsh-4/

which I agree should not be forgotten

 

[Big Wilbur]

Embarrassing article by Robinson.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...-doping-tribunal/story-fnp04d70-1227286254704

I'm pleased for the Essendon players but the not guilty verdict in no way diminishes the culpability of the club who to this day admit they don't know what the players were injected with. Their neglect of their players' welfare is a disgrace and shouldn't be forgotten amongst the euphoria around the players being cleared.