The Bombers ASADA/WADA Saga

[Hollow Knight]

WADA has the power to suspend a team from competing if 2 or more of it's players have been convicted of doping.
.

...assuming that the relevant sporting competition's governening body is completely in step with WADA's recommendations. Far from a feit accompli with the AFL.

 

[POBT]

They should sue their club imo.....

If they get suspended, I reckon there is a pretty good chance that will occur.

 

[Judge]

If they get suspended, I reckon there is a pretty good chance that will occur.

The players' claims against the club would be of the "lay down misere" variety, on the assumption that they were not told, or were misled about, what they were taking.

Bombers are also vicariously liable for any nefarious conduct by Dank which might have caused or contributed to the players' loss.

 

[Hollow Knight]

If they get suspended, I reckon there is a pretty good chance that will occur.

Yeah, as much as us pundits want it all sorted quickly and would like to see the players point their anger squarely at the biggest culprit i.e. Essendon, there is a predictable and logical progression to how it all plays out.

They would be nuts to do anything other than support Essendon's legal action at this stage, and then if that fails, plead their innocence as a united group under the show cause processes. Only once all that has failed does it make sense for the players to go after the Bombers themselves.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Bombers are also vicariously liable for any nefarious conduct by Dank which might have caused or contributed to the players' loss.

Yeah, the Bombers can say the word "rogue" as much as they want, but the fact remains that Dank was employed by the club at the time... he didn't break in in the middle of the night and inject players. For all intents and purposes, in 2012 Dank = Essendon.

 

[ZoBlitz]

Are there any precedents for WADA or a national anti-doping body suspending the bulk of an elite sports team?

I assume cycling...any others?

As far I'm aware this hasn't happened in cycling. Teams have withdrawn themselves from individual races after cyclists within the team have tested positive or generally "found out" as in the Festina team in the 1998 tour de France but teams as a whole usually avoid punishment. Festina continued on, for instance, after that tour.

Punishment is usually focused on individuals as the teams will generally deny systematic doping and individual riders are usually unwilling to speak out due to the code of silence inherent in doping culture in cycling.

 

[josephs_79]

My understanding was that the players signed a form for ASADA basically saying they are responsible for what goes in their body\mouth\whatever irrespective of what they are told\said\explained\etc as a basic catch all and the players don't have a leg to stand on in this regards?

IE there is no out clause for them and they are ultimately responsible for taking these injections irrespective of whether club driven or not and is part of why Essendon are saying on behalf of the players. Also why ASADA are saying we will give you leniency on the penalties because of this signed form.

 

[Mavlions1961]

WADA has the power to suspend a team from competing if 2 or more of it's players have been convicted of doping.

From memory, this happened to a National Women's soccer team in recent years; resulting in them being suspended from a World Cup.

Astana cycling team a couple of years back suspended themselves from competition, cannot remember for how long though.

 

[POBT]

They would be nuts to do anything other than support Essendon's legal action at this stage, and then if that fails, plead their innocence as a united group under the show cause processes.

I think this could be the first stage where the club and players' interests diverge. This is when they could legitimately point the finger at the club and say "they told us it was A but then administered B". If they wish to get a reduced penalty, pointing the finger at the club and its employees would be the obvious tactic.

 

[3KZ is Football]

Essendon is going from dumb, to very dumb to impossibly stupid with their handling of a crisis that was entirely of their own making. This is the latest from The Age online:

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...stop-asada-with-injuction-20140618-zsdi4.html

 

[MacMum]

I can't "like" your post enough 3KZ.......ENTIRELY their own fault.

 

[Football Pope]

Insider word is Little's call that the board was unanimous in federal court action is a long way off the mark....Word is there was a lot of bullying and came down to the casting vote (Little's)..Interesting to see what happens if their actions fail....

 

[Dom PC]

Insider word is Little's call that the board was unanimous in federal court action is a long way off the mark....Word is there was a lot of bullying and came down to the casting vote (Little's)..Interesting to see what happens if their actions fail....

Well at least we know they all haven't lost the plot in that case.

 

[Happy_Neale]

Insider word is Little's call that the board was unanimous in federal court action is a long way off the mark....Word is there was a lot of bullying and came down to the casting vote (Little's)..Interesting to see what happens if their actions fail....

Quite clearly their last chance to have the players cleared. If the 'process' is found to be lawful and show cause/infraction notices go ahead....shiiiiiiit.

 

[josephs_79]

ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNND now the federal court case is going to be televised live to TV:

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/james-hird-essendon-hearing-a-first-for-tv-20140618-zsdr3.html

 

[Hollow Knight]

ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNND now the federal court case is going to be televised live to TV:

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/james-hird-essendon-hearing-a-first-for-tv-20140618-zsdr3.html

Hell yeah, eat your heart out Pistorius!

Seriously though, a directions hearing will be pretty dry I imagine.

 

[Eons]

These lawyers representing Essendon can all retire after this case they'll make that much money.

Listening to Tim Watson on SEN he just doesn't seem to get it. He keeps saying that because the club told the players that what they were being injected with was legal and safe etc. then all the players should be proved innocent. Doesn't matter what the club told you, if it wasn't, YOU are responsible for what you have in your body and as unfair as it is, you will be punished for it.

 

[Happy_Neale]

These lawyers representing Essendon can all retire after this case they'll make that much money.

Listening to Tim Watson on SEN he just doesn't seem to get it. He keeps saying that because the club told the players that what they were being injected with was legal and safe etc. then all the players should be proved innocent. Doesn't matter what the club told you, if it wasn't, YOU are responsible for what you have in your body and as unfair as it is, you will be punished for it.

Yeah had a bit of a laugh when I read part of the Bomber defence was that Jobe could remember the bottle used for injections of 'good thymosin' (thymomodulin), particularly when the next paragraph specified Dean Wallis had taken a photo of it. Surely 'we didn't know' or 'we thought it was something else' is no grounds for not imposing sanctions.

 

[GabbaGirl]

I find it amusing that they've gone from "oh sorry, our governance was so bad that we kept no records and had no idea what we used" to "I saw the vial and it clearly said thymomodulin". Revisionist much?

 

[winged1]

Astana cycling team a couple of years back suspended themselves from competition, cannot remember for how long though.

Astana Pro Team (UCI team code: AST) Astana attained UCI ProTeam status in its inaugural year, 2007. Following a major doping scandal involving Kazakhstani rider Alexander Vinokourov, team management was terminated and new management brought in for the 2008 season. The team was then managed by Johan Bruyneel, former team manager of U.S. Postal/Discovery Channel team. Although Astana under Bruyneel was very successful, with a lineup including Grand Tour winners Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong, as well as runners-up Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Klöden, the team was on the verge of financial collapse in May 2009. A battle for control of the team related to the return of Vinokourov for the 2009 Vuelta a España caused Bruyneel and at least fourteen of its riders to leave at the end of the 2009 season, most for Team RadioShack. Only four Spanish riders, including Contador, and most of the Kazakhs remained with the rebuilt team for 2010. Those four Spaniards all left the team for Saxo Bank-SunGard in 2011.



Nothing suss going on there with those names involved. Basically they wouldn't of had the (rider) points to remain at the top level for a while there.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Show cause deadline extended by ASADA until July 11th. Fair enough.

 

[Football Pope]

Interesting to hear Player manager, Scotty Lucas talk on the matter last night on SEN.....Bombers Injunction fails and the show causes get up Players and their respective managers will be lining up to sue Essendon...

https://soundcloud.com/sen1116/scott-lucas-on-essendon-and-asada#t=0:00

 

[MacMum]

Apparently WADA are in the background watching and can override everyone if they are not happy with the results......according to KB on SEN this morning.

 

[AFLQLD]

Going to be some very rich lawyers after all this is over. Very very rich.

 

[James North]

WADA and ASADA have dropped the ball on the Essendon players' PRADA stashes. Can't believe ACA hasn't run with that story.