So I am sure many people not from Australia have heard about this. The Essendon Football Club that takes part in the biggest league of the greatest sport in the world has finally been handed a verdict for a Drug Scandal that dated to February 2013. On the 31st of March the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal announced that the same 34 players that have now been suspended were not guilty. ASADA (Australian Sports Anti- Doping Authority) were given the chance to appeal the decision but they didn't want to. This gave WADA (World Anti-Doping Authority) a chance to appeal the decision by the AFL. ASADA chose not to appeal it while WADA did an announced they would on the 11th of May. After not compiling any new evidence they were successfully able to argue their case and get players, coaches and a sports doctor suspended. To be more clear on this drug is injected into you.
The argument for the players was that they didn't know what was being injected into them (which is 100% true for I would say almost every guy their) but only trusted what their sports doctor and coaches. So for them to be suspended is unfair is what they are saying. My argument to that is (and everyone else argument as well) that you don't get stuff injected into without knowing what it is, so they should of taken ownership of themselves and get the details of what was being injected. The head coach of the Essendon Football Club, who is one of the greatest to ever play our game, argument was that he believed they weren't taking it but then when it was found out they were he said that the ASADA got evidence in an unfair way by using the AFL's powers in getting joint interviews or whatever. I think that is what it was. It was really hard to keep up with it over the 3 years. Plus the fact that is was dragged out the original first 2 years made it seem like there is no way that Essendon could be found guilty because AFL were taking to long to get evidence. The whole thing could of been dealt with in a year but all the Anti-Doping authorities dragged it on to find that one spot of light and ruined players lives during the proccess.
Now this isn't just any club. This is one of the most prestigious and longest clubs in AFL history. The players aren't no slouch as well. The captain was the Brownlow medalist in 2012 (which is equivalent to an MVP of the league in any sport) which is the year before they got investigated so his Medal can be stripped from him and probably will be. Another player is one of the genuine stars of the game in Dyson Heppel. Like a lot of good players are getting suspended and the some of Essendons best that are now suspended have gone to another team in the last year or two. Meaning they are still suspended and those teams that traded for them have now lost a player. One of the players, Jake Carlisle who is a very strong defender had been traded to St Kilda for their #5 draft pick. St kilda argued the whole off season that they can't afford to give up the pick because the player could get suspended but Essendon, who have a reputation of being hard to make a deal with, said that wont make the deal unless #5 is thrown in. The last day of the deadline the draft pick was finally thrown in and the trade happened. Now St Kilda are without a player who was going to be regarded as one of their top 10 players and #5 pick. Really it's St. Kilda's own fault but for a team that has struggled mightly for the last few years in terms of on the field and fan membership it's sad. Port Adelaide who are Grand Final contenders have now lost two key cogs to their team. Big after effects everywher.
Just a few things that I have got to get off my chest. 1) How unfair is it that the players had to go through 2 years of turmoil to be found not guilty and to finally continue their careers only to be appealed by not even anyone from Australia but a world authority that only got apart of this because Australia made a kick about it. I know their guilty but feel sorry for the players. 2) WADA can fuck themselves. They really had nothing to do with it to start off but they came in to finish the job. I agree that Essendon should be punished and the players (2 years is hectic though) but just the fact that 2 Australian Anti Doping Sport Authorities couldn't get a guilty sentence and then the World one comes in to our sport, that has nothing to do with the rest of the world, and ruins one of the biggest clubs reputation. 3) Essendon will now have the shittest team to ever play the game.
So what do you guys think? Should the players have been banned? Was the situation handled correctly?
