The International Court of Arbitration (CAS) found the 34 players guilty because it was satisfied they took Thymosin Beta 4.
Essendon and Danks admitted the players took "Thymosin" (which was how the drug was referred to in Essendon documentation). But the club argued that the authorities couldn't actually prove it was the TB4 type. It was beyond dispute and proven that Danks bought the TB4 variety from shadowy characters. A paper trail confirmed that Danks had been dispensed TB4 from a pharmacy.
The drug, together with other cocktails were secretly administered 'over the road" behind the club doctor's back and without his knowledge. When Doc Reid found out he wrote a letter to the board setting out his serious concerns. But the board did nothing (the letter was allegedly lost in the ether) and Doc Reid never followed up with his medical concerns (despite the fact that he was the club doctor responsible for the players and the players were potentially at risk).
The club and Danks admitted that thymosin was being administered to the players "but yah can't prove it was TB4, so there !". It was conceded by Danks and the club that "thymosin" was being administered to the players to help in recovery of soft tissue injuries. But it was also accepted by the CAS and by all medical authorities that TB4 is the only thymosin variety that helps soft issue recovery.
So, aside from other evidence presented to the court, the court just connected the evidentiary dots.
But there were other relevant factors. Some players were found to contain TB4 from urine samples (but at low levels).
Many of so-called 34 innocent players were also found to have withheld information (ie. they were dishonest) during the whole process. None of the 18 players who had been drug tested - on 30 occasions - had declared on their forms, as they were legally obliged to do, they they had been injected on multiple occasions with drug supplements. Also, many players, on instructions from Danks, had withheld information concerning their drug injections from Doc Reid.
So, understandably, the CAS had issues with the players credibility, as well as Dank's credibility, during the whole process. Because of their relative dishonesty and lack of credibility, the players were given 2 year backdated sentences.
I love the way Robbo and others are now endeavouring to rewrite history.
Better not let the facts get in the way of some revisionist hysteria.
Essendon and Danks admitted the players took "Thymosin" (which was how the drug was referred to in Essendon documentation). But the club argued that the authorities couldn't actually prove it was the TB4 type. It was beyond dispute and proven that Danks bought the TB4 variety from shadowy characters. A paper trail confirmed that Danks had been dispensed TB4 from a pharmacy.
The drug, together with other cocktails were secretly administered 'over the road" behind the club doctor's back and without his knowledge. When Doc Reid found out he wrote a letter to the board setting out his serious concerns. But the board did nothing (the letter was allegedly lost in the ether) and Doc Reid never followed up with his medical concerns (despite the fact that he was the club doctor responsible for the players and the players were potentially at risk).
The club and Danks admitted that thymosin was being administered to the players "but yah can't prove it was TB4, so there !". It was conceded by Danks and the club that "thymosin" was being administered to the players to help in recovery of soft tissue injuries. But it was also accepted by the CAS and by all medical authorities that TB4 is the only thymosin variety that helps soft issue recovery.
So, aside from other evidence presented to the court, the court just connected the evidentiary dots.
But there were other relevant factors. Some players were found to contain TB4 from urine samples (but at low levels).
Many of so-called 34 innocent players were also found to have withheld information (ie. they were dishonest) during the whole process. None of the 18 players who had been drug tested - on 30 occasions - had declared on their forms, as they were legally obliged to do, they they had been injected on multiple occasions with drug supplements. Also, many players, on instructions from Danks, had withheld information concerning their drug injections from Doc Reid.
So, understandably, the CAS had issues with the players credibility, as well as Dank's credibility, during the whole process. Because of their relative dishonesty and lack of credibility, the players were given 2 year backdated sentences.
I love the way Robbo and others are now endeavouring to rewrite history.
Better not let the facts get in the way of some revisionist hysteria.
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