News Jnr Rioli - He’s back.

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Surely something like this bodes well for Willie. Only a 2 year suspension for skipping 3 doping tests.
 

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New article in the West where Nizzy talks abit about Willie. Here is an excerpt:

West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett is optimistic Willie Rioli will play for the club again and has vowed to support the 2018 premiership forward until the end of his drug ban saga.

And the Eagles will ask the AFL to consider stepping away from the World Anti-Doping code because of the treatment of Rioli, pictured left, in the 14 months since he was provisionally suspended for two doping infractions.

One infraction was for tampering with a urine sample in August last year and the other weeks later for testing positive to marijuana.

The AFL wants a hearing for Rioli before the end of the year but Mr Nisbett, below, said the club and Rioli still had no date. “There is no update on him other than to say the AFL are pushing very hard to get a hearing before Christmas and hopefully that will happen,” he said.

“If that happens, we will be grateful. But then we have to move on and say what is the penalty and how can we look after Willie.”

Mr Nisbett said Rioli was “not great but OK”. “Like all of us, he is extremely frustrated,” he said. The sample tampering infraction carries a maximum penalty of a four-year ban.

Rioli has maintained that he spat an electrolyte drink into his sample because he was dehydrated and frustrated at not being able to urinate.

Mr Nisbett said he hoped the tribunal would consider strongly Rioli’s version of events. “We have got fingers crossed that it will be looked at in its entirety and not just on the basis that he smoked marijuana and he meddled with the sample,” he said,

Mr Nisbett is optimistic Rioli would play again. “We would like to think we can support Willie right through this,” he said. “If we can, we hope to get him back playing for us.”


 
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New article in the West where Nizzy talks abit about Willie. Here is an excerpt:

West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett is optimistic Willie Rioli will play for the club again and has vowed to support the 2018 premiership forward until the end of his drug ban saga.

And the Eagles will ask the AFL to consider stepping away from the World Anti-Doping code because of the treatment of Rioli, pictured left, in the 14 months since he was provisionally suspended for two doping infractions.

One infraction was for tampering with a urine sample in August last year and the other weeks later for testing positive to marijuana.

The AFL wants a hearing for Rioli before the end of the year but Mr Nisbett, below, said the club and Rioli still had no date. “There is no update on him other than to say the AFL are pushing very hard to get a hearing before Christmas and hopefully that will happen,” he said.

“If that happens, we will be grateful. But then we have to move on and say what is the penalty and how can we look after Willie.”

Mr Nisbett said Rioli was “not great but OK”. “Like all of us, he is extremely frustrated,” he said. The sample tampering infraction carries a maximum penalty of a four-year ban.

Rioli has maintained that he spat an electrolyte drink into his sample because he was dehydrated and frustrated at not being able to urinate.

Mr Nisbett said he hoped the tribunal would consider strongly Rioli’s version of events. “We have got fingers crossed that it will be looked at in its entirety and not just on the basis that he smoked marijuana and he meddled with the sample,” he said,

Mr Nisbett is optimistic Rioli would play again. “We would like to think we can support Willie right through this,” he said. “If we can, we hope to get him back playing for us.”


Good to see he is being publicly supported by the club. Would really help Willie amongst all the uncertainty.
 
New article in the West where Nizzy talks abit about Willie. Here is an excerpt:

West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett is optimistic Willie Rioli will play for the club again and has vowed to support the 2018 premiership forward until the end of his drug ban saga.

And the Eagles will ask the AFL to consider stepping away from the World Anti-Doping code because of the treatment of Rioli, pictured left, in the 14 months since he was provisionally suspended for two doping infractions.

One infraction was for tampering with a urine sample in August last year and the other weeks later for testing positive to marijuana.

The AFL wants a hearing for Rioli before the end of the year but Mr Nisbett, below, said the club and Rioli still had no date. “There is no update on him other than to say the AFL are pushing very hard to get a hearing before Christmas and hopefully that will happen,” he said.

“If that happens, we will be grateful. But then we have to move on and say what is the penalty and how can we look after Willie.”

Mr Nisbett said Rioli was “not great but OK”. “Like all of us, he is extremely frustrated,” he said. The sample tampering infraction carries a maximum penalty of a four-year ban.

Rioli has maintained that he spat an electrolyte drink into his sample because he was dehydrated and frustrated at not being able to urinate.

Mr Nisbett said he hoped the tribunal would consider strongly Rioli’s version of events. “We have got fingers crossed that it will be looked at in its entirety and not just on the basis that he smoked marijuana and he meddled with the sample,” he said,

Mr Nisbett is optimistic Rioli would play again. “We would like to think we can support Willie right through this,” he said. “If we can, we hope to get him back playing for us.”



On more than one occasion after Will Schofield announced his retirement he mentioned that Nisbett was a player first CEO and how that made West Coast such a good club to play for.

The above is Exhibit A in support of that claim. Would be easy for the club to say Rioli ****ed up (which he did) and turn their back on him but they’ve supported him all the way so far

Makes an interesting comparison to the Treloar situation at Collingwood
 
On more than one occasion after Will Schofield announced his retirement he mentioned that Nisbett was a player first CEO and how that made West Coast such a good club to play for.

The above is Exhibit A in support of that claim. Would be easy for the club to say Rioli f’ed up (which he did) and turn their back on him but they’ve supported him all the way so far

Makes an interesting comparison to the Treloar situation at Collingwood

Nizzy has copped a lot over the years and was tarnished somewhat over the drug culture from way back. But if he had stepped down there is no way we are the way we are now. He is rated massively by the coaches and players and is charge of a club with the best culture on and off field. Countless times over the years he has been talked up by players.

Can’t remember what video it was but there is footage of Simmo after the st Kilda win this year and how he let all the boys have a well deserved beer post game. Gov told Nizzy to join in and have a few beers in the changeroom ( there is a pic floating around). You look at every other team with the drama that surrounds running a club and none have what WCE do. You only have to look at the rabble the Pies have become on and off the field since the 2018 GF. There is no wonders players never leave.
 
New article in the West where Nizzy talks abit about Willie. Here is an excerpt:

West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett is optimistic Willie Rioli will play for the club again and has vowed to support the 2018 premiership forward until the end of his drug ban saga.

And the Eagles will ask the AFL to consider stepping away from the World Anti-Doping code because of the treatment of Rioli, pictured left, in the 14 months since he was provisionally suspended for two doping infractions.

One infraction was for tampering with a urine sample in August last year and the other weeks later for testing positive to marijuana.

The AFL wants a hearing for Rioli before the end of the year but Mr Nisbett, below, said the club and Rioli still had no date. “There is no update on him other than to say the AFL are pushing very hard to get a hearing before Christmas and hopefully that will happen,” he said.

“If that happens, we will be grateful. But then we have to move on and say what is the penalty and how can we look after Willie.”

Mr Nisbett said Rioli was “not great but OK”. “Like all of us, he is extremely frustrated,” he said. The sample tampering infraction carries a maximum penalty of a four-year ban.

Rioli has maintained that he spat an electrolyte drink into his sample because he was dehydrated and frustrated at not being able to urinate.

Mr Nisbett said he hoped the tribunal would consider strongly Rioli’s version of events. “We have got fingers crossed that it will be looked at in its entirety and not just on the basis that he smoked marijuana and he meddled with the sample,” he said,

Mr Nisbett is optimistic Rioli would play again. “We would like to think we can support Willie right through this,” he said. “If we can, we hope to get him back playing for us.”



Good update interesting stuff, and helped confirm a few unknowns.

- confirmed willie spat drink into his sample due to frustration
- confirmed that he smoked marijuana (was obvious before, but clear now there no contesting that)
- We'll be arguing that the act of frustration and pot infringement are two separate and distinct matters
 

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Good update interesting stuff, and helped confirm a few unknowns.

- confirmed willie spat drink into his sample due to frustration
- confirmed that he smoked marijuana (was obvious before, but clear now there no contesting that)
- We'll be arguing that the act of frustration and pot infringement are two separate and distinct matters

I think it does rule out the idea that Willie didn’t know what he was being tested for and acted the way he did to obfuscate his weed use.

Also more or less confirms that we won’t be contesting facts of the case but putting forward mitigating circumstances and trying to reduce his penalty based on compelling circumstances.

Also interesting when Nizzy touches on his wellbeing and state of mind.

I think we need to temper our expectations in terms of the condition Willie will comeback in. Any penalty he is given he will be able to return to the club to train one Month prior to the end of his ban.

My sense is he will need more than 1 month to get fit enough to get back in to the team.

I’ve said it from the start and will say it again.

18 months, maximum two years.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Nizzy has copped a lot over the years and was tarnished somewhat over the drug culture from way back. But if he had stepped down there is no way we are the way we are now. He is rated massively by the coaches and players and is charge of a club with the best culture on and off field. Countless times over the years he has been talked up by players.

Can’t remember what video it was but there is footage of Simmo after the st Kilda win this year and how he let all the boys have a well deserved beer post game. Gov told Nizzy to join in and have a few beers in the changeroom ( there is a pic floating around). You look at every other team with the drama that surrounds running a club and none have what WCE do. You only have to look at the rabble the Pies have become on and off the field since the 2018 GF. There is no wonders players never leave.

He is also rated very highly by those in the AFL.

West Coast was at odds with the AFL commission for a short period of time back in 2007, and Nizzy has stated that he was very naive about the goings on at the time and offered his resignation.

Once the penny finally dropped I think he did a great job turning around the culture of the club.





On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
I think it does rule out the idea that Willie didn’t know what he was being tested for and acted the way he did to obfuscate his weed use.

Also more or less confirms that we won’t be contesting facts of the case but putting forward mitigating circumstances and trying to reduce his penalty based on compelling circumstances.

Also interesting when Nizzy touches on his wellbeing and state of mind.

I think we need to temper our expectations in terms of the condition Willie will comeback in. Any penalty he is given he will be able to return to the club to train one Month prior to the end of his ban.

My sense is he will need more than 1 month to get fit enough to get back in to the team.

I’ve said it from the start and will say it again.

18 months, maximum two years.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

if he gets two years and can come back next September - one would imagine his actual return date would be thefollowing season

the reality is - he has no hope as he has no outcome

if he gets 2 yearsby the end of the year - then he had 15 months to get himself fit
 
Good update interesting stuff, and helped confirm a few unknowns.

- confirmed willie spat drink into his sample due to frustration
- confirmed that he smoked marijuana (was obvious before, but clear now there no contesting that)
- We'll be arguing that the act of frustration and pot infringement are two separate and distinct matters

If true, I'm not actually sure how he can be charged with tampering rather than 'failure to provide a sample'

The person testing has to sign off on the fact that they saw the urine leave the body. Now unless Willie was into the sort of stuff that NRL guy a couple of years back was into - they failed in their duty.

It doesn't mean he is innocent, but at the very least if you are going to charge a player with a procedural infringement then the procedure would want to have been followed to the letter.
 
If true, I'm not actually sure how he can be charged with tampering rather than 'failure to provide a sample'

The person testing has to sign off on the fact that they saw the urine leave the body. Now unless Willie was into the sort of stuff that NRL guy a couple of years back was into - they failed in their duty.

It doesn't mean he is innocent, but at the very least if you are going to charge a player with a procedural infringement then the procedure would want to have been followed to the letter.
He provided a sample, only it wasn't urine.

Think you're clutching at straws trying to lay any blame on the tester TBH.
Pretty sure the tester only has to provide a statement of what he observed.
 
If true, I'm not actually sure how he can be charged with tampering rather than 'failure to provide a sample'

The person testing has to sign off on the fact that they saw the urine leave the body. Now unless Willie was into the sort of stuff that NRL guy a couple of years back was into - they failed in their duty.

It doesn't mean he is innocent, but at the very least if you are going to charge a player with a procedural infringement then the procedure would want to have been followed to the letter.

What happens is you do your provide the sample in to a vial and then the doping control agent gets you to split the sample in to two different vials for A and B sample. You then have to seal it yourself with a special seal that can only be removed at the laboratory. Once you seal it and label it, it becomes a sample. If you provide a sample, you can't then be charged with failing to provide a sample.

Willie hasn't been charged with tampering, he has been charged with an Anti doping infraction for a prohibited method (urine substitution).

"A sample returned an adverse analytical finding for urine substitution, which is a prohibited method under the code," AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon told a media conference in Melbourne.

 
What happens is you do your provide the sample in to a vial and then the doping control agent gets you to split the sample in to two different vials for A and B sample. You then have to seal it yourself with a special seal that can only be removed at the laboratory. Once you seal it and label it, it becomes a sample. If you provide a sample, you can't then be charged with failing to provide a sample.

Willie hasn't been charged with tampering, he has been charged with an Anti doping infraction for a prohibited method (urine substitution).

"A sample returned an adverse analytical finding for urine substitution, which is a prohibited method under the code," AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon told a media conference in Melbourne.


It'll be interesting to hear Willie's explanation to how this transpired.

Did he just spit some gatorade in and seal it and sign it off like it was a legitimate sample? Madness if he did.
 
It'll be interesting to hear Willie's explanation to how this transpired.

Did he just spit some gatorade in and seal it and sign it off like it was a legitimate sample? Madness if he did.
If it really as simple as that then hand down the punishment so Willie can move on. This could have been done a year ago.
 
He provided a sample, only it wasn't urine.

Think you're clutching at straws trying to lay any blame on the tester TBH.
Pretty sure the tester only has to provide a statement of what he observed.

Then why have a testing policy, and why not just allow athletes to complete tests on their own in their own time?

They are there because they are charged with ensuring the procedure is followed, and in the ASADA procedure it says 'watch the urine leave the athletes body'

As much as Willie can't deny his guilt, there are some issues with what has happened here and I wouldn't be surprised if part of the delay is ASADA trying to work out how to spin it.



On SM-G973F using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Then why have a testing policy, and why not just allow athletes to complete tests on their own in their own time?

They are there because they are charged with ensuring the procedure is followed, and in the ASADA procedure it says 'watch the urine leave the athletes body'

As much as Willie can't deny his guilt, there are some issues with what has happened here and I wouldn't be surprised if part of the delay is ASADA trying to work out how to spin it.



On SM-G973F using BigFooty.com mobile app
This comment makes no sense at all.

Pretty sure the tester is there to observe that the correct procedure is followed and then
document what he has seen.

There's nothing to spin.
 

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News Jnr Rioli - He’s back.

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