Play Nice WADA v Essendon 34: Guilty, 2 Yr Susp. (backdated to Mar 2015). Affects 17 current AFL plyrs.

[sonnywalters]

2003 draft was the worst ever.

Yes it's a great day. Wish the whole thing had never happened but it's been handled so arrogantly by Essendon, the AFL, Hird, even the players... there have been backroom deals and conflicts of interest everywhere, commentators queueing up to defend certain players and paint them as victims and today all these people have been exposed as knobs and the game feels so much cleaner.

Freya. We should be friends. Beer. Shiraz. Bring it on!

 

[dispute]

Have not posted on this forum for many years but the claims from EFC, AFLPA and AFL and sections of the media about how 'unfair and harsh' the penalties handed down today are have made me furious enough to question why I follow this code at all? I can see that I am not alone in my anger at the AFL. Is there some way we can initiate a petition that will give AFL fans the opportunity to state their disgust with the AFL response to the CAS finding?

See you in another 9 years

 

[sonnywalters]

Mark Robinson ‏@Robbo_heraldsun

Bombers' staff and players gathering at club for announcement. The 12 players still at the club from 2012 are at sceret location in the city

Deano– ‏@Deanos_DT

@Robbo_heraldsun not sure if spearmint rhino is a secret location robbo.

11:09 AM - 11 Jan 2016

So the drunkard half-wit is still trying to play the 'secret' inside info game? Who cares!

 

[Pack Specialist]

he feels innocent and feels like he is in a good place with his favourite horse.

I thought he wasn't with Tania anymore?

 

[hairy biker]

See you in another 9 years

When Governor-General Tony Abbott knights Gillon McLachlan for services to polo.

 

[MrChow]

You get what you deserve. Say no to drugs.

Should St Kilda, Port, Melbourne, Bulldogs get compensated by Essendon (or the AFL) for being traded dodgy goods? Should these clubs have to pay their salary if they are not playing? And shouldn't these clubs get to start the season with a full list and pick up extra players before Essendon?

From the perspective of the other club fans, would you prefer to play against St.K, Port, Melb, WB, on a level playing field, or with reduced squads, and effectively a lesser 2016 salary cap?

As a port supporter, I can't make an objective decision. However if Port wasn't involved, and other clubs had players, I think I'd prefer to play Hawks/Freo or WCE say on a level playing field. what do you all think?

 

[Bombermania]

I wonder how James Hird feels right at this moment.
Imagine knowing that you are responsible for permanently tarnishing the reputation of one of the oldest clubs around... Not to mention knowing you're probably the most hated person in the country right now... I don't think I could handle that sort of guilt! When the Brownlow is taken off Watson, Hird will have nothing... Wow, I'm actually a bit concerned about how he's going to cope?
I mean, until he admits what he's done, accepts full responsibility for his actions, apologises to everyone he's lied to and hurt and repaired some of the damaged relationships, he'll never recover..

This needs to be tested

Someone should do a poll with a simple question, for PM would you vote for James Hird or Tony Abbott?

 

[Freya]

You get what you deserve. Say no to drugs.

Should St Kilda, Port, Melbourne, Bulldogs get compensated by Essendon (or the AFL) for being traded dodgy goods? Should these clubs have to pay their salary if they are not playing? And shouldn't these clubs get to start the season with a full list and pick up extra players before Essendon?

From the perspective of the other club fans, would you prefer to play against St.K, Port, Melb, WB, on a level playing field, or with reduced squads, and effectively a lesser 2016 salary cap?

As a port supporter, I can't make an objective decision. However if Port wasn't involved, and other clubs had players, I think I'd prefer to play Hawks/Freo or WCE say on a level playing field. what do you all think?

Port might get some compo for Monfries who was traded in 2012, but the clubs knew there were risks with the other four players and don't deserve any special treatment.

 

[Beutbrute]

You get what you deserve. Say no to drugs.

Should St Kilda, Port, Melbourne, Bulldogs get compensated by Essendon (or the AFL) for being traded dodgy goods? Should these clubs have to pay their salary if they are not playing? And shouldn't these clubs get to start the season with a full list and pick up extra players before Essendon?

From the perspective of the other club fans, would you prefer to play against St.K, Port, Melb, WB, on a level playing field, or with reduced squads, and effectively a lesser 2016 salary cap?

As a port supporter, I can't make an objective decision. However if Port wasn't involved, and other clubs had players, I think I'd prefer to play Hawks/Freo or WCE say on a level playing field. what do you all think?

Any club that traded in a player with the threat of these suspensions knew the risk IMO. Due diligence still applies

 

[sonnywalters]

I wonder how James Hird feels right at this moment.
Imagine knowing that you are responsible for permanently tarnishing the reputation of one of the oldest clubs around... Not to mention knowing you're probably the most hated person in the country right now... I don't think I could handle that sort of guilt! When the Brownlow is taken off Watson, Hird will have nothing... Wow, I'm actually a bit concerned about how he's going to cope?
I mean, until he admits what he's done, accepts full responsibility for his actions, apologises to everyone he's lied to and hurt and repaired some of the damaged relationships, he'll never recover..

Bogan try hard toff probably thinks it is all a Commie/Euro/Fairfax conspiracy.

 

[Komrade_Tiger]

Essendon after the verdict

 

[Freya]

A

This needs to be tested

Someone should do a poll with a simple question, for PM would you vote for James Hird or Tony Abbott?

Probably the only scenario where I could vote for Abbott.

 

[Severe]

The worst part about this is that the cheating didn't even give them a "in the moment" glory. I don't recall where they finished during the scandal but I'm sure it wasn't great.

 

[Bombermania]

The worst part about this is that the cheating didn't even give them "in the moment" glory. I don't recall where they finished during the scandal but I'm sure it wasn't great.

Essendon had a great start to 2012, by about round 6, the media started talking about Essendon being right in contention, then by about round 12 we started to lose momentum and lost a run of games, missing the finals, (might have started fading sooner)

 

[greennick]

You get what you deserve. Say no to drugs.

Should St Kilda, Port, Melbourne, Bulldogs get compensated by Essendon (or the AFL) for being traded dodgy goods? Should these clubs have to pay their salary if they are not playing? And shouldn't these clubs get to start the season with a full list and pick up extra players before Essendon?

From the perspective of the other club fans, would you prefer to play against St.K, Port, Melb, WB, on a level playing field, or with reduced squads, and effectively a lesser 2016 salary cap?

As a port supporter, I can't make an objective decision. However if Port wasn't involved, and other clubs had players, I think I'd prefer to play Hawks/Freo or WCE say on a level playing field. what do you all think?

All those clubs knew what they were getting into and (at least should have) got discounts for the players they picked up with this hanging over their heads. Almost everyone knew what was the likely result from this, despite the protestations of Essendon supporters. If Melbourne, St Kilda, Bulldogs, Port, and co rolled the dice and lost, that's unlucky on them. They should get the same deal as Essendon, replace the players from lower leagues or rookie list and get a little bit higher salary cap (ie, less than the replacement player).

 

[JackOutback]

I find it amazing that the media really didn't expect players found guilty of doping to be suspended.

The only people expecting a different result today were the Bombers, Bombers fans and people inside the AFL bubble with an inflated sense of their importance. Everyone else knew what was coming.

 

[pugsville]

Matter of opinion that one, kinda like Nathan Buckley.

The Pies at least contended with Buckley, got darn close. How many finals did judd play for the Blues? they simply were not contending with Judd, were not even pretending. Blues sold out their future for a relatively short term of Judd which was a bad fit for the list profile at the time. Blues are still looking for that key forward they traded away in the deal. All clubs have mistakes and poor periods. The Blues have just looked for short cuts and made bad decisions for a while now, Malthouse and Thomas. (Daisy was a fav of mine but the money/years on offer at the blues were way over Daisy considering his body problems) Malthouse was a cracky bastard just complete wrong coach to rebuild, either the board mis read the blues situation or Malty sold them a pipe dream. Bolton early days but could be the start but of the wilderness. (mind you the blues are 3-4 years of good recruiting and hard work from being a mediocre side)

 

[bontshow]

It's just very messy - so many things can blight a brownlow, a random injury, suspension. I can understand your point but I personally would prefer to see no award - amongst the reasons, not the least of which is ten years from now, kids will look and say 'dad, why was there no brownlow for 2012'. And then will find out that Essendon cheated.

It was actually Cotchin and Mitchell tied for second from memory, do they jointly award it? Or is there a count back to see who got more '3' votes and that person gets it?

You could re-do the voting with all the Essendon games excluded, where do you draw the line? No award IMO

 

[Freya]

The worst part about this is that the cheating didn't even give them a "in the moment" glory. I don't recall where they finished during the scandal but I'm sure it wasn't great.

They had the glory of setting an AFL record for soft tissue injuries.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/so...n-hard-to-ignore/story-fnelctok-1226442541667

 

[pugsville]

Perhaps we need a specialist independent court to hear doping matters for all sports in Australia (that are signatories to the code). I think the ALF Tribunal were ill-equipped to deal with it.

Part of the problem of the structure of football in this country is that the expanded VFL that just runs the top professional league, development, rules, marketing etc, too many hats to really be independent. The tendency is for one role to dominate when actors were too many hats/roles. In England the FA run football but the premier league run the EPL. There is an over centralisation with out a clear separation of roles. In some ways WADA/CAS is independent because they really don't carte about Australian Rules. Can the AFL be trusted to make decisions that are good for the game overall? country football? suburban football? the AFL is too commercially focused and owned by commercial interests.

 

[Tiger71]

You get what you deserve. Say no to drugs.

Should St Kilda, Port, Melbourne, Bulldogs get compensated by Essendon (or the AFL) for being traded dodgy goods? Should these clubs have to pay their salary if they are not playing? And shouldn't these clubs get to start the season with a full list and pick up extra players before Essendon?

From the perspective of the other club fans, would you prefer to play against St.K, Port, Melb, WB, on a level playing field, or with reduced squads, and effectively a lesser 2016 salary cap?

As a port supporter, I can't make an objective decision. However if Port wasn't involved, and other clubs had players, I think I'd prefer to play Hawks/Freo or WCE say on a level playing field. what do you all think?

On Monfries you should be compensated as you guys traded for him in good faith not knowing the EFC were cheating. On Ryder though and others traded when all new what they were involved in, no. You knew what you were buying.

 

[SBYM]

For anyone who missed it/lives abroad/won't pay the bullshit Foxtel price/etcetc

 

[MarkCatsFan]

On Monfries you should be compensated as you guys traded for him in good faith not knowing the EFC were cheating. On Ryder though and others traded when all new what they were involved in, no. You knew what you were buying.

Maybe my memory is fuzzy but hadn't the story already broken when Monfries was traded? I know it was a lot earlier than the others but still the risk would have been foreseeable at that point.

 

[MrChow]

On Monfries you should be compensated as you guys traded for him in good faith not knowing the EFC were cheating. On Ryder though and others traded when all new what they were involved in, no. You knew what you were buying.

Why didn't the AFL stop Essendon from trading at all, they stopped Sydney for far dumber reasons... now look at the mess...

 

[medusala]

The worst part about this is that the cheating didn't even give them a "in the moment" glory. I don't recall where they finished during the scandal but I'm sure it wasn't great.

Good point. Lance Armstrong won seven consecutive TDF's.

Essendon were barely mediocre.

Great risk vs reward there.