Hey George, perhaps there could be bulk sackings in the AFL and the G7 take over the reins 
Does it matter? Drug use is drug use!
Exactly right shark.
The interview I saw was with Damain Barrett.He is a Melbourne journo. Or a supposed journo.
Lets be honest. No way will they ban Essendon from the comp like Gerard Heally said. Thereâs no way they will ban bulk amounts of players, no way will James Hird get the sack. It will be a tough one for the AFL but it will inevitably be a wrist slap job for the club and players. It will be the doctors to go down. Mark my words.
And the fact they struggled to win a game is a good excuse for them to say it wasnât performance enhancing
If guilty they at the VERY least should play the season for no points like the Melbourne Storm had to. Explains why they had so many soft tissues injuries last year tooâŚ
Dingo, if you know anything about Peptides you will know that they dont increase the chances of soft tissue injury. This was just a by product of their training load.
Heads need to roll, 4 amateur rugby league players were banned from 2-4 years in Queensland last year that took the stuff.
Bigger issue now is that the AFL have admitted to suspending players last year when they took illegal drugs and passed them off as âgeneral sorenessâ. Anyone remember any high profile names missing weeks with general soreness last year?
My understanding is now that ASADA have become involved in the case it will be this agency that determines the fate of the Club / Officials / Players /Doctors & staff. If the Club or individuals within the structure of the Club are found guilty the punishment will be determined & set by ASADAâŚnot the AFL.
Spot on 58Shark
Yeah understood mate, I was thinking that the possible drug use increased their workload capacity, hence the soft tissue injuries perhaps?
Quite ironic, just had a quick look at the Bombers website, their catchcry is âWhatever it takes!!â
wonder if it is similar to what the Lions used to injesct before during and after games a few years back.
Or similar to what a certain side used one pre season where they went from midgets to giants.Canât remember their name,but it will come to me I am sure.
Personally I think they wonât âbanâ Essendon from the AFL - the ramifications this would have for the tv deal would hurt everyone. However I donât see why they canât hand out mass suspensions to players - they are setting a very bad precedent if they donât.
Like Cadwallader et al they should get a 2 year ban from footy. Anything less is a disgrace.
Thatâs all well and good Dave,but what if each and every player was involved!!!
Doesnât that leave nobody to play?Isnât that like suspending the club?
There is no way that the AFL will allow the club and team to be suspended.There is far too much at stake.The share holders wouldnât allow it to happen.
They may have to play but not receive points,as per the Storm.But they will play regardless.
My understanding of it all is that Gerard Healy has been all over this since late last year and passed what info he knew onto the AFL back then.
of course they wont ban the club for the simple reason it will hit AFL revenue big time and that is sacrosanct to the fat controller et al. the club will cop a huge fine and possibly loss of draft choices over the next couple of years, off field organisers will be banned for a period, excuses will be made for Hird and life will go on. can you imagine Essendon not being part of the comp and all the money spinners that goes with it including tv revenues, 90,000 at the ANZAC day game, AFL endorsed club merchandise etc?
ASADA have 1st call on the issue and individual penalties so the AFL cant do anything until they conduct their investigation anyway..
if they ban 20 blokes then good luck playing the year with 22 players
Even if every player is tainted they have to do it - it would be a completely unfair to everyone else whose done the time / done the crime in the past and sets a precedent that would have huge ramifications down the track.
Essendon would just have to go out and recruit from the state leagues etc - thatâs part of the punishment!
So realistically you are saying the club itself gets no punishment!!!
The powers to be from the media would never allow it to happen.The Tv rights is for an 18 team competition.
It wonât happen.There will be scape goats to take the hit.
As an aside:ouch,take from the state leagues!!!Wow I canât wait to see the responses from some here.Look out Dave they will behead you.
Looks like the karma train is coming for James Turd who spent a year white anting his predecessor Matthew Knights from the safety of the media before jumping into his job.
There could be no better justice than to see that unscrupulous a**wipe get his just desserts.
But like others I seriously doubt the AFL will have the balls to go in hard IF what appears to be the case is proven TRUE. Itâll be the âtoo big to failâ bullsh*t. When you owe the bank 100K then its your problem. When you owe the bank 100m, its the banks problem and thatâll be the situation the AFL will find itself in - Essendon is âtoo big to failâ. Wrist slaps and hand wringing âheart feltâ apologies should suffice.
Where are you Grassy? You havenât jumped off the Narrows Bridge yet have you??
The club should be punished - but not banned. The punishment would obviously depend on how far reaching this is and how many players are affected.
The state league comment is generic - there are plenty of players who missed out on the draft or who recently got delisted who Iâm sure would love a kick at Essendon.