Essendon doping bombshell (What Bombshell)

[Clarke Markx Goalz]

At the risk of conflating two very different issues which I honestly don’t want to do, just look at the hesitancy within some AFL players to take a mandatory COVID-19 jab in an open and transparent manner versus the complicity and willingness of the Essendon 34 to take secret “supplement” jabs offsite without the knowledge of the club doctor.

It says a lot about the mindset and complicity of the Essendon 34.

Well it made think of is it Zararakis, who didn't like needles. I wonder how much is anti cax and how much is phobia of needles or medical procedures. Or are you saying they should tell the players its performance enhancing. Not being hospitalised by a virus is definitely performance enhancing

[HH]

Not being hospitalised by a virus is definitely performance enhancing

Haha! Gold. Paid.

[HH]

I think it is everyone’s right to ask questions and inform themselves about what they are putting into their body.

In the case of getting rushed offsite to take unknown supplements knowing that the club doctor doesn’t know and being asked to sign a waiver, I think the players should have asked more questions and leaders should have stood up and said not on my watch. Zaharakis didn’t take it ostensibly because he was scared of needles but AFL players get injected often with painkillers and the like. He probably asked the right questions, was rightly uncomfortable with the answers and used scared of needles as the excuse. In this situation, my view is the correct informed decision would be to decline the “supplement” injection.

With COVID-19 and a world pandemic going on and lots of scientific evidence and journals publishing publicly available evidence on the pros and cons of vaccination, I think there is a lot of objective information out there for individuals to make an informed decision having regard to the risks. I think in this circumstance, the correct informed decision is to get vaccinated. If a player declines, then that is a player’s free choice to make and is also a principled decision to retire from the game.

[DALBY]

On the bottom, I feel they are better team than this under Rutten. They may win this week. Lions are horrible away from Home in the past.

[Favonius Aquila]

Every single one of those players also failed to declare, when participating in in-season drug testing, that they were taking these 'suppements'. It's an absolute disgrace that the AFL and media failed to probe this issue more deeply. It would have been a very different story if it had involved a SA or WA club.

I think it is everyone’s right to ask questions and inform themselves about what they are putting into their body.

In the case of getting rushed offsite to take unknown supplements knowing that the club doctor doesn’t know and being asked to sign a waiver, I think the players should have asked more questions and leaders should have stood up and said not on my watch. Zaharakis didn’t take it ostensibly because he was scared of needles but AFL players get injected often with painkillers and the like. He probably asked the right questions, was rightly uncomfortable with the answers and used scared of needles as the excuse. In this situation, my view is the correct informed decision would be to decline the “supplement” injection.

With COVID-19 and a world pandemic going on and lots of scientific evidence and journals publishing publicly available evidence on the pros and cons of vaccination, I think there is a lot of objective information out there for individuals to make an informed decision having regard to the risks. I think in this circumstance, the correct informed decision is to get vaccinated. If a player declines, then that is a player’s free choice to make and is also a principled decision to retire from the game.

[HH]

Essendon deserve everything they will get if they re-appoint James Hird under the guise of a redemption story for a favoured son. I honestly hope they do so.

[Favonius Aquila]

Essendon deserve everything they will get if they re-appoint James Hird under the guise of a redemption story for a favoured son. I honestly hope they do so.

There's still a core group who believe that the 2012 Brownlow Medal should be reinstated to Watson. They haven't learned a thing from the supplements scandal.


ASADA CEO Ben McDevitt said:

“This unfortunate episode has chronicled the most devastating self-inflicted injury by a sporting club in Australian history.”

On the sanctions, he said:

“There were very little grounds for the players to claim they were at no significant fault.”

“The players had received anti-doping education through the AFL and ASADA, and were well aware that they are personally responsible for all substances that entered their body.”

“Unfortunately, despite their education, they agreed to be injected with a number of substances they had little knowledge of, made no enquiries about the substance and kept the injections from their team doctor and ASADA.”

“Of 30 ASADA testing missions during the period in question, none of the 18 players tested declared the injections, despite being asked each time whether they had taken any supplements.”

“At best, the players did not ask the questions, or the people, they should have. At worst, they were complicit in a culture of secrecy and concealment.”

“The CAS result brings this matter to a close and ASADA looks forward to continuing to work with all sporting codes to promote a clean and fair sporting environment.”

[HH]

I love how the VFL and Essendon apologists still refer to it as the supplements scandal.

The proper characterisation is the deliberate and wilful systemic off-site secretive performance enhancing drug cheating scandal that Hird orchestrated, then tried to turn a wilful blind eye towards and avoid accountability, for the very drug cheating scandal he himself caused.

But by all means Essendon, go ahead and re-appoint him! Gil would approve, the VFL would love to welcome Hird back into the industry.

[jourgo]

Not that I don't get some degree of schadenfreude out of any misfortune that falls the scum's way, but it seems the woke fuckwits have claimed another victim:

https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/essendon-news-ceo-andrew-thorburn-appointment-controversy-daniel-andrews-criticism/80a00112-c57c-4f32-af9f-c6bbd81ad557

Daniel Andrews can go fuck himself in my humble opinion. You've got enough problems to deal with you arsewipe. How about getting your own shit together first!

[Fair Bump Play On]

Not that I don't get some degree of schadenfreude out of any misfortune that falls the scum's way, but it seems the woke fuckwits have claimed another victim:

https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/essendon-news-ceo-andrew-thorburn-appointment-controversy-daniel-andrews-criticism/80a00112-c57c-4f32-af9f-c6bbd81ad557

Daniel Andrews can go fuck himself in my humble opinion. You've got enough problems to deal with you arsewipe. How about getting your own shit together first!

Such self destruction couldn't happen to a more deserving club. Just enjoy the schadenfreude; in this instance. Peace and love at all other times.