AFL disgraced in Essendon saga

[qldmagpie67]

AFL Chair Mike Fitzpatrick hands down sanctions to the Essendon Football Club.

EXCLUSIVE: SECRET documents and a bombshell email have lifted the lid on behind-the-scenes inducements offered to Essendon and James Hird as the AFL worked frantically to pressure him to accept drugs scandal penalties.

The Herald Sun can reveal that days before the August 26-27 AFL Commission hearing was due to consider penalties, deals were being proposed by Australia's top government-appointed sports official, John Wylie.

>>Get your Herald Sun today for more on the AFL's secret meetings and Mark Robinson's in-depth analysis, as well as more tomorrow <<

A document emailed by Wylie to Essendon chairman Paul Little on the night of August 23 outlined potential settlement terms as the crisis threatened to spill into the Supreme Court.

Wylie, the Australian Sports Commission chairman, suggests: "Hird as senior coach takes responsibility for the inadequate governance and oversight within the club's football department that gave rise to this situation.


Essendon coach James Hird.

"It is however acknowledged �. to the best of the AFL's knowledge and belief, Hird did not promote or encourage an unethical environment within the club; Hird has not brought the game into disrepute.

"In the totality of the circumstances, the AFL will impose, and Hird will accept, a 12-month suspension from all coaching duties."

In a separate document presented to Hird on August 23, amid negotiations between Wylie and Little, the Essendon coach is offered "an outstanding career development opportunity" in return for dropping his legal action against the AFL.

Offers of "no player sanctions'' and "no double jeopardy'' despite an ASADA investigation are discussed.


How the Herald Sun covered the story.

Wylie said last night: "I was requested by both Paul Little and (AFL Commission chairman) Mike Fitzpatrick, in the first instance by Paul, to assist in communications between the AFL and Essendon at a time when �direct communication between them was difficult."

League spokesman James Tonkin said last night: "Numerous discussions took place at different levels in a bid to resolve the matter as quickly and appropriately as possible."

An offer to allow Hird to receive a full salary while serving a 12-month ban was also discussed.

The document presented to the Essendon coach reads: "Charge of bringing game into disrepute dropped. 12 months suspension starting now.''


Paul Little leaves the Essendon AFL club rooms.

It states Hird could also keep his place in the AFL Hall of Fame and be "acknowledged by the AFL as a legend of the game".

In exchange for the offers, the document says Hird therefore "withdraws all legal action immediately".

A string of revelations to be published in the Herald Sun and The Australian over the coming days raises major perception issues surrounding the integrity and the outcome of both the drugs probe and the AFL Commission hearing.

AFL chief Andrew Demetriou said on August 7: "To suggest the AFL Commission and the people on the commission would somehow predetermine an outcome is offensive and just plain wrong."

Little says Hird did it for the club 0:47


Essendon chairman Paul Little says outgoing coach James Hird accepted the penalties for the good of the club.

It is not known if all AFL commissioners were aware of Wylie's involvement or of proposed inducements at the time they were asked to sign off on the final resolution against Essendon and its four officials on August 27.

Little last night confirmed the talks with Wylie. He said: ``John Wylie is a longstanding personal friend and we discussed possible strategies for settling the dispute.''

Hird is understood to have rebuffed the inducements put on the table on August 23, only to accept a 12-month suspension four days later under fierce pressure and fearing that he would be banished from the game and his club.

There were also discussions about sending Hird to Oxford University in England, where both Wylie and Fitzpatrick are Rhodes scholars.


Coach James Hird during Essendon training at Windy Hill.

Hird later independently applied to attend the exclusive Fontainebleau business school in France, passing an entrance exam in Singapore. He has just returned from his $120,000 MBA studies.

Sources have questioned why Wylie as chairman of the Sports Commission - which works with the Australian Sports and Anti-Doping Authority to fight drug cheating and which promotes integrity in sport - was drafted into pre-hearing bartering with the approval of AFL Commission chairman Fitzpatrick.

[didick]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/afl/revealed-the-secret-offer-to-james-hird-to-end-the-afls-drugs-shame/story-fnca0u4y-1226774576844#

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afls-behindthescenes-tactics-in-essendon-punishment-talks-exposed/story-fni5f6kv-1226774538768

[think positive]

Whoa shit

Heads have to roll, what a joke. Hird could be back by first game of the season. OMG how dumb are they? They sent an email? Obviously more arrogant than Hird.

But more importantly, what a laughing stock the afl now is thanks to these idiots. So much for a stand against drugs. They just might make it a free for all with this.

This is not the way the off season entertainment was meant to. Go.

[collie dog]

Still no WADA sanctions. They and the AFL are more useless than a bull with tits.

[London Dave]

The boys club will look after it's own.

[qldmagpie67]

I didn't want to go off half cocked before I read everything I could about this saga before forming an opinion.
After reading articles in the sun and Australian the correct course of action is now very clear.
Dimi must resign immediately today
Fitzpatrick must resign immediately today
Hird must be punished correctly starting with a life time ban from being involved with AFL at any level in any way including media work. He also should have all his records, premiership involvements, brownlow and any honour (including hall of fame) giving to him removed. He can never be seen to be involved with the game in the past or future recognized. He knew completely what was going on and must be punished accordingly
All Essendon players must be sanctioned I'm not saying banned but hit with huge financial penalties equivalent of minimum 1yrs salary which should be donated to worthy charities
Paul Little must resign immediately today
All Essendon coaches and back room staff must be banned for periods of 2yrs to life for there involvement
Essendons fine should be reviewed and increased dramatically to $10 million and there draft privileges removed for 5yrs
All employees of the AFL who had any knowledge or involvement in this scandalous cover up must be terminated immediately
The AFL must call for a true independent enquiry headed by non AFL people to get to the real bottom of the Essendon doping regime (I believe we have heard only the tip of the iceberg here)

This is a total disgrace and all those involved must be booted from the code completely.
These penalties may seem harsh but consider the damage this has done to the codes image.
Nothing more than a complete removal of all parties involved and severe sanctions against the players must be enforced so other clubs don't go down this path again.

[London Dave]

[Member 7167]

Yeh - but they got Ahmed Saad. What a f'n joke.

Dimi proves once again that he has not got what it takes. Another great pretender.

[1061]

Ahmed Saad I'd say doesn't have the private school mates Hird and co have.

Nothing will happen the AFL is a closed shop or boys club as London Dave said.

[Brenny]

[Albert Parker]

Saad has also come out and said he was a repeat offender. He still got a lower penalty than the Frankston player who got busted.

[Lazza]

[watt price tully]

[watt price tully]

[3rd degree]

Dimi & Fitzpatrick need an honesty detector ! hird and thompson are both gutter rats!