Essendon players cleared

Harrysz · Joined: 15 Oct 2001 Location: Melbourne

Essendon may have had poor governance, and they paid dearly for it, being excluded from the finals; but no one could prove that any one player took any one banned substance.
This is a good outcome for the AFL and for the competition.

Cam · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 2:43 pm

Disagree. Competition and its commission now seen as corrupt as a third-world police force.

Absolute disgrace.

Dave The Man · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 2:47 pm

$$$ is the Reason the Bummers got Off

I HAVE LOST ALL RESPECT FOR THE AFL AND OUR GREAT GAME IS NOW A OFFICAL JOKE

John Wren · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 2:50 pm

"not comfortably satisfied ..."

Dave The Man · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 2:50 pm

John Wren · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 2:53 pm

Jezza · 2023 PREMIERS! Joined: 06 Sep 2010 Location: Ponsford End

It's a terrible outcome and sets a shocking precedent for future scenarios involving other sporting clubs.

Essendon are clearly guilty of poor governance and while there was insufficient evidence to prove them of such guilt in terms of their players using banned substances this doesn't mean they're innocent of any charges, it just means it couldn't be proven sadly.

When records of a players supplementation are not recorded (which demonstrates poor governance) then how on earth was ASADA going to prove absolute guilt towards the 34 past and present Essendon players plus it didn't help that Essendon kept hindering ASADA's investigation at every turn rather than cooperating with them.

Sadly I'm not surprised by the outcome and I think this is a tragedy for football to be honest! A systematic doping regime by a whole football club has resulted in no punishments and yet two of our own players are going to get severely punished and rightly so if there b sample tests are shown to be 'positive' but the mind boggles sometimes.

It's a crap day all round! No one should be satisfied about this.

Dave The Man · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 3:11 pm

Though I just re-read that Statement.

Players are Clear but not the Club itself

melliot · Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Location: Bendigo

It ain't over yet. I believe ASADA can appeal and in addition WADA can come over the top of all of them and go BANG!.

Tannin · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 3:13 pm

What a disgrace. Absolutely disgusting. Anyone who thinks this is "a good outcome for the AFL and the Competition" is a clueless tool.

burnsy17 · Joined: 10 Aug 2003

Whatever masking agent they used..... Lance Armstrong wants in...!!!

at least it's over.... I'm the first one to have wanted them bent over, but without a positive test it was always going to be hard to nail them...

In Keeffe & Thomas' case, it's far more black and white, pardon the pun. The tested positive and regardless of where it came from, intentional or not, they will suffer the consequences and it will be swift.

Jezza · 2023 PREMIERS! Joined: 06 Sep 2010 Location: Ponsford End

Dark Beanie · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Location: A galaxy far, far away.

Makes the AFL look like idiots.

So long as you can hide the evidence (or in Danks case not be compelled to give evidence) you can get away with anything.

Now watch the AFL come down hard on Thomas & Keefe to prove they are actually anti PEDs .

Dave The Man · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 3:20 pm

Piethagoras' Theorem · the hypotenuse, is always a cakewalk Joined: 29 May 2006

I'm not surprised if all they knew was what the public knew. Didn't think they'd be found guilty. I've got no doubt the club (hierarchy) are guilty but sympathised with the players and supporters. I think they were duped