Player sanctions for Essendon and Cronulla players imminent

[ANNODAM]

Cry me a river!!!

They deserve everything they get!!!

I shudder to think what the reaction out there would be if it was us!

[neil]

The bigger questions for me are as follows

1- Hirds slap over the wrist with a limp lettuce leaf must place the AFL clearly in the sights of ASADA as well as it has the power to revisit Hirds penalty and issue a penalty they feel appropriate. If this happens then the AFL and AFL commission have not acted in the best interests of the game.
2- With the above being factual then the CEO and commission positions are completely untenable. They must resign there posts immediately and apologize to the game for there inept attempts to cover this scandal up trying to protect the Essendon "messiah"
3- Surely now the axe must fall on bomber Thompson as well as he was clearly involved in all aspects of this as Hirds right hand man. He can't be allowed to coach this year under any circumstances until it is proven he had no knowledge at all about the doping regime. I doubt he would have had no knowledge he is a control freak type personality and would have a full understanding of this program.
4- If Essendon have 10 players issued with infraction notices the AFL must suspend the players immediately. So can Essendon field a team at let alone a competitive team (which I really don't care if they get flogged by 30 goals every game) but the AFL has contractual obligations with TV networks and other media outlets worth hundreds of millions of dollars to play a certain amount of games each week. Will the AFL make a special circumstances decision and allow Essendon to use players not currently on there list ? Will they allow Essendon to replace suspended players on there list with players from the VFL or other leagues ? What happens to the salaries of these players ? Do the suspended players still receive there payments (like Hird) whilst they are suspended ? If so how would Essendon be able to pay other players and still be under the salary cap ?

This mess created by Essendon could have ramifications on every team in the competition. If the AFL breaches it's contractual arrangements with the various broadcasters not only could they lose hundreds of millions of dollars but also be taken to court by the broadcasters for breach of contract and sued for damages.
This financial disaster could end the existence of Melbourne, Lions, GWS, Suns, Bulldogs, St Kilda, Port Adelaide, Essendon, Swans
Every club to a degree relies on the income from there share of the broadcast deal to fund many aspects of there operations.
If Essendon can't field a side the we could have a situation which has every chance of bringing this game to its knees.
The AFL have a very very hard road in front of them and I doubt they have the capacity to be able to administer this situation effectively using past events as a guide.
Fingers crossed some how some where the AFL find a group of administrators who can navigate this mine field without ruining the game for all the fans.


Finally all records pertaining to the Essendon FC must be deleted from the history of the game. They can't be acknowledged in any way shape or form to have ever existed.

Time will tell but I think the day of reckoning is fast approaching.

1 Hird has not been punished by/ or found guilty by ASADA yet. The AFL have only punished Hird for "governance issues" not for systemic doping.

2. What you have stated is not entirely factual and Vlad does not need to resign. If the punishment is appropriate then even less chance.
Adopt a wait and see approach.

3. Agree Thompson should go. He has stated he will go if infraction notices are given to players. Good bye dont let the door hit you on the way out.

4. If players get suspended then they cannot be paid. Upon a finding against a player ASADA informs the AFL who enforce the decision. ASADA usually give two year bans. They would be immediate.
Essendon would have to promote players off the rookie list first and probably would get special dispensation to recruit non AFL players. Similar to what happens if a player gets killed think Boxing Day Tsunami.

The problem for the EFC would be getting above the salary cap minimum.

The AFL would have provisions in the $billion TV contract that would protect them against things outside their control. Unlikely to get sued or lose money.

Rewriting history so eliminate the existence of the EFC is absurd. Will not happen.

[John Wren]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/essendon-in-crisis-as-players-set-to-be-named-in-banned-drugs-inquiry-20140301-33szw.html

Interesting article again. The emergency meeting will be interesting as well. I would love to be a fly on the wall when Little asks how did it come to this.
10 players facing show cause notices which equals in real terms "why shouldn't you be rubbed out for 2yrs"
The peptide in question Thymosin is a dangerous drug and the ASADA website states "it is not fit for the use on humans"
This warning dates back to 2010 so Essendon medical staff, coaching staff, players and sports medicine people would have known it was a substance that wasn't to be used.
Now it looks a open and shut case of they are guilty and can't escape severe sanctions.

...

This solves a number of problems
1- It meets the commitments with the broadcasters
2- It's easy to adjust the draw
3- It rids the game of the Vernon called Essendon which has brought more disgrace on the game in the past 12 months than all other clubs combined in the history of the game.
4- It makes life easier for other Melbourne based clubs and gives the AFL fans in Tasmania there own team.

Finally all records pertaining to the Essendon FC must be deleted from the history of the game. They can't be acknowledged in any way shape or form to have ever existed.

Time will tell but I think the day of reckoning is fast approaching.

really?! you're getting a bit excited there.

if this was collingwood what would your reaction be? would you want us to shut up shop in the manner you have described? what about the favourite son, buckley? would you want to see a tassie team in our stead?

this is unchartered territory for not only the league but also australian sport. unlike the many infractions previously dished out to athletes we're talking about a team, a collective rather an individual pursuit.

it is all well and good to go belting the afl around the ears but asada must share some of the blame here for what appears to be ineptitude on their part.

the next few months are going to be very interesting indeed. this saga's narrative will run as a backdrop to the season and my only hope is that it does not overshadow the season like last year.

we shouldn't harbour thoughts to remove essendon from the afl. we need the essendon football club to remain in the competition. forget the broadcasting rights, this is more than that. ostensibly, eradicating essendon would be eradicating part of the fabric of afl society and (melbourne) society in general.

All due respect John but if the shoe was on the other foot the other clubs would be kicking the door down at AFL house demanding we get booted out and Essendon would be first in the queue.
The broadcast rights is very central to this issue because if the AFL doesn't meet it's contractual obligations then the broadcasters will take the necessary action to protect there rights and recoup any prepaid monies.
With no money in th coffers to prop up several clubs then there is no competition.
So should the whole competition and it's history be sacrificed to protect a club who knowingly injected there players with at best questionable substances to gain an unfair advantage over the rest of the competition ?
If you advocate this line of thinking to protect Essendon at all costs then maybe you would be better off posting in a forum more suitable like bombers blitz where there one eyed comments still have them believing they did nothing wrong.
Essendon have risked the whole competition with there choices. No one made them take this path they chose too. If you one second you think that the broadcasters won't be calling the AFL demanding action to get the focus on football matches (we're they invested there billion + dollars) then you live in a dream world.
If you really believe that Essendon should remain in the competition then your entitled to that opinion. But if you support AFL no matter what club then you must know Essendon can't be allowed to go on past this point. They are a club who has no moral fibre as proven by there chosen path of doping there players.
But thanks for your opinion as I always say everyone is entitled to an opinion.

that does not answer the question. if it were collingwood what sanctions would you want to see applied?

the entity that is the football club must remain. the afl must protect this. the current incumbents (custodians of the club) should be sanctioned appropriately if the players are not able to "show cause" and are found guilty.

[think positive]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/essendon-in-crisis-as-players-set-to-be-named-in-banned-drugs-inquiry-20140301-33szw.html

Interesting article again. The emergency meeting will be interesting as well. I would love to be a fly on the wall when Little asks how did it come to this.
10 players facing show cause notices which equals in real terms "why shouldn't you be rubbed out for 2yrs"
The peptide in question Thymosin is a dangerous drug and the ASADA website states "it is not fit for the use on humans"
This warning dates back to 2010 so Essendon medical staff, coaching staff, players and sports medicine people would have known it was a substance that wasn't to be used.
Now it looks a open and shut case of they are guilty and can't escape severe sanctions.

...

This solves a number of problems
1- It meets the commitments with the broadcasters
2- It's easy to adjust the draw
3- It rids the game of the Vernon called Essendon which has brought more disgrace on the game in the past 12 months than all other clubs combined in the history of the game.
4- It makes life easier for other Melbourne based clubs and gives the AFL fans in Tasmania there own team.

Finally all records pertaining to the Essendon FC must be deleted from the history of the game. They can't be acknowledged in any way shape or form to have ever existed.

Time will tell but I think the day of reckoning is fast approaching.

really?! you're getting a bit excited there.

if this was collingwood what would your reaction be? would you want us to shut up shop in the manner you have described? what about the favourite son, buckley? would you want to see a tassie team in our stead?

this is unchartered territory for not only the league but also australian sport. unlike the many infractions previously dished out to athletes we're talking about a team, a collective rather an individual pursuit.

it is all well and good to go belting the afl around the ears but asada must share some of the blame here for what appears to be ineptitude on their part.

the next few months are going to be very interesting indeed. this saga's narrative will run as a backdrop to the season and my only hope is that it does not overshadow the season like last year.

we shouldn't harbour thoughts to remove essendon from the afl. we need the essendon football club to remain in the competition. forget the broadcasting rights, this is more than that. ostensibly, eradicating essendon would be eradicating part of the fabric of afl society and (melbourne) society in general.

If this was Collingwood, I'd be heartbroken angry and screaming for blood, the whole board to go. If this was bucks, well let's face it the guy is just too straight up, he just would not do it, but that's the big thing about this I just don't get, how the hell can the bummers fans still support him? I'd want him hung drawn and quartered. In the middle of the mcg. Why do they still want him back when he is the number 1 tool that did this?

I don't want Essendon gone, I feel for their fans, but they need to hurt big time, far more than Carlscum did for the paperbags. Far more than any team for anything. They need to hurt long and hard.

And Jobe needs to give back that fricken medal

[eddiesmith]

Imminent? Been imminent for 13 months, they have nothing!

[David]

Cry me a river!!!

They deserve everything they get!!!

I shudder to think what the reaction out there would be if it was us!

Unreasonable people would be calling for everybody at the club to be hung, drawn and quartered and reasonable people would be calling for a more measured response. What group would you rather be part of?

[1061]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF1SbZ9cjNs#t=10