Essendon players guilty! Bans til November 2016!

[London Dave]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEVzmUXH5kE

AFL 360...

[AnthonyC]

I just cannot understand all this "woe is me", "it's not fair", sentiment that seems to be coming from the AFL fraternity. It's actually unbelievable.

By all means give the players support (if we take their word for it that they did not take a PED intentionally), but for goodness sake don't say they did nothing wrong. It should be more like "look you stuffed up, you idiot, you're a good guy, but you're an idiot".

How some people think that's it's ok because "they didn't do it on purpose" is just unreal.

[droversdog65]

I just cannot understand all this "woe is me", "it's not fair", sentiment that seems to be coming from the AFL fraternity. It's actually unbelievable.

By all means give the players support (if we take their word for it that they did not take a PED intentionally), but for goodness sake don't say they did nothing wrong. It should be more like "look you stuffed up, you idiot, you're a good guy, but you're an idiot".

How some people think that's it's ok because "they didn't do it on purpose" is just unreal.

Didn't do it on purpose excuse won't wash - according to the CASA findings they players were all asked if they took anything into their body which they knew nothing about and all point blank lied straight faced.

That is an organized and premeditated attempt to conceal the facts of their culpability.

[think positive]

... my daughter ^&*^*% ex has been training with them for 8 months, when he is a basketballer. 6 foot 4 jerkoff! fit right in!

Hey skip, some of us 6 foot 4 jerkoffs might take resemblance to that remark!
So does that mean if WADA doesn't approve Viagra, then i can't get "any action" for 2016? And any do any of my 2015 conquests become null and void? Who do i sue? I want compensation dammit!
Dyso

sorry honey....
actually its ok, hes shorter now, i took him down a peg or two!!

[69 years a MAGPIE]

Interesting that Port are claiming they were "hoodwinked" by the Dons and it has been suggested Saints feel a little the same way. All the clubs who have take Bombers knew this could happen and therefore I believe should not be entitled to replacement players. I look at the Pies and saints with Keefe, Thomas and Saad, and they handled their situations. Look at Cronulla as well. Ego is a nasty thing and that is, I believe, a major contributing factor to the whole mess.
My other concern is that Essendon will get extra money to pay extra players to make them "competitive" and have a pretty good shot and getting the #1 Pick for next year. Still getting rewarded. They want the top up players let them cut loose the 12 players convicted so they become free agents. That could be interesting.

[MightyMagpie]

Interesting that Port are claiming they were "hoodwinked" by the Dons and it has been suggested Saints feel a little the same way. All the clubs who have take Bombers knew this could happen and therefore I believe should not be entitled to replacement players. I look at the Pies and saints with Keefe, Thomas and Saad, and they handled their situations. Look at Cronulla as well. Ego is a nasty thing and that is, I believe, a major contributing factor to the whole mess.
My other concern is that Essendon will get extra money to pay extra players to make them "competitive" and have a pretty good shot and getting the #1 Pick for next year. Still getting rewarded. They want the top up players let them cut loose the 12 players convicted so they become free agents. That could be interesting.

Info was not out when Monfries was recruited so they may have a reasonable claim to being hoodwinked. Kochie admitted they went in "eyes open" with Ryder. All the others were recruited after the info came out I think.

[AnthonyC]

Didn't do it on purpose excuse won't wash - according to the CASA findings they players were all asked if they took anything into their body which they knew nothing about and all point blank lied straight faced.

That is an organized and premeditated attempt to conceal the facts of their culpability.

Not with WADA.

My point is it is washing, with many of the "let's look after our own club."

[duggieboy]

What I want to know is, how on earth can James Hird say this is a "miscarriage of justice?"

Hello?

[HAL]

Hi there!

[Member 7167]

This link is to a summary of the Essendon decision. In laymans terms it attempts to outline how the final determination was made and highlights some of the factors involved.

http://sociallitigator.com/2016/01/12/e ... gment-day/

[Member 7167]

The players are the innocent victims in this sad and sorry episode. However, banning them is the correct outcome, otherwise future players will always be able to use the out clause of "we were told to take this stuff".

Hird, 'Bomber' Thomson, their club doctor and the board members at that time, should ALL be banned from ever working at a sports club.

If the AFL-Players Association had any guts, they'd be initiating damages claims against the Essendon Football Club, who, as an employer, breached their duty of care to the players, and their actions have ruined the careers of the players. I'd estimate the total damages claim could run to over 100 million dollars.

If you read the review of the decision I think you will change your opinion on how you apportion blame and responsibility. There has been a great deal of misinformation out there and there are some such as Dank and Hird who continuate to attempt to muddy the waters.

[Woods]

[AnthonyC]

[1892_]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-01-12/a ... ed-bombers

- Essendon having the ability to upgrade its five rookie-listed players as replacements for suspended players, as though the suspended players had long-term injuries.

- The Bombers can add 10 'top-up' players to their list, not limited to previous AFL players only.

- Existing contract values for the listed players who have been suspended shall be included in the cap.

- Extra payments to supplementary players will be included in the club's salary cap but Essendon will receive an allowance for payments to supplementary players over the cap limit.

I read elsewhere that the AFL will talk with Essendon if they wish to upgrade McKenna who's a category B rookie. On top of Watson and the Brownlow you really have to wonder who's running the joint. Is it the AFL or Essendon?

While 15 or 16 replacements for 12 players is a bit weird, but the quality won't be the same.

[PyreneesPie]

I just cannot understand all this "woe is me", "it's not fair", sentiment that seems to be coming from the AFL fraternity. It's actually unbelievable.

By all means give the players support (if we take their word for it that they did not take a PED intentionally), but for goodness sake don't say they did nothing wrong. It should be more like "look you stuffed up, you idiot, you're a good guy, but you're an idiot".

How some people think that's it's ok because "they didn't do it on purpose" is just unreal.

Didn't do it on purpose excuse won't wash - according to the CASA findings they players were all asked if they took anything into their body which they knew nothing about and all point blank lied straight faced.

That is an organized and premeditated attempt to conceal the facts of their culpability.

Agree with the above two posts. Plus, signing the consent forms seems to have been a red flag that the players choose to ignore. I mean, shouldn't it have raised some alarm bells for them? Like "You want to inject me with something, offsite, but you want me to provide written consent for you to do it?? Why?" Especially when you've been drilled by the AFL and ASADA to be responsible for what goes into your bodies, why didn't any of them ask what the F(*k was going on? Nope, they just blindly did as they were told.

The answer to the last question seems to lie in the status of James Hird at the club. It seems he was treated like a cult figure/ a demi-god that no-one dare question.