Players in the clear but Essendon saga goes on
Essendon’s footballers are in the clear, for now at least, after an AFL tribunal found it could not be satisfied that the 34 players were administered any prohibited drugs.
That is good news for a group who have had a season of their game trashed and have played under a dark cloud for two years. The verdict on Tuesday provided relief for young men who have had to carry the tag of “drug cheats”. They still face the possibility of an appeal against the finding but it is questionable what that would achieve.
Essendon and ASADA: Important questions unanswered
The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority’s two-year investigation was hampered by a lack of records at the club about what substances players were given. This was negligence by the club and also limited the chances of pinning a conviction on any player. In addition, there were no willing witnesses and ASADA could not compel anyone to co-operate. No player tested positive to a banned substance.
In any case, this issue should never have been about the Essendon players, either individually or as a group. They, as much as anyone, are victims in this unsavoury affair.
ASADA chief executive Ben McDevitt said the players were used as human pincushions. “Hundreds, maybe thousands, of injections, unsupervised and undocumented, were given … during the 2012 season,” he said. AFL chief Gillon McLachlan called it a “reckless program” of supplements. AFL Players Association chief Paul Marsh said players were placed in an “unacceptable position that put their health and careers at risk”. Bombers captain Jobe Watson said it was a “concern” that players could not even now be told what they had been administered.
This sorry saga began in 2011 when Essendon employed sports scientist Stephen Dank to run its supplements regime. Players were injected with various substances, possibly including a banned supplement known as thymosin beta-4 under a shady regime without the knowledge of key medical staff. Players signed consent forms which stated that all the substances were compliant with World Anti-Doping Authority rules.
But the club and key figures within it knew their actions were bending, if not breaking, the rules. They have not been exonerated by the tribunal decision. Coach James Hird knew about the program and served a year of suspension last year for conduct likely to bring the game into disrepute. Club chairman Dave Evans and chief executive Ian Robson quit over this issue.
Essendon has a proud history in the great Australian game. Its officials, particularly Hird, like to draw on this when they defend their actions. But the game is much bigger than one club and there should be no compromise in ensuring football is played with utmost integrity at its highest level.
The actions of some people at Essendon have put this integrity at risk. Its players have every right to be angry with the club. But they have had a weight lifted from them and can look forward to the new season.
However, this saga still has a way to go. The tribunal’s finding on charges against Dank is still to come. Restoration of Essendon’s damaged reputation can only begin when this matter is fully laid to rest.
