f*** off..c***

[mdso]

Did I hear someone say Hirdy had been to the USA to continue his business studies? Don't tell he's going to Havard too just like Alistair (flavour of the month) Clarkson, the Hawthorn great, will blow a gasket.

[auditor]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl ... 7079584643


What the f*** has this got to do with anything?

[Sismis]

"ASADA was asked yesterday if Melanotan II was a WADA banned drug, but it could not give a definitive answer." A. what the f*** are they good for? B the f****** code only applies to athletes!

Hows much bullshit innuendo can they cram in?

Can't name the coach because of "legal reasons". I wonder which recently promoted to senior coach that is? Funny how they are protected yet players whose rights should have been protected through privacy laws are able to be named.

[mdso]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl ... 7079584643


What the f*** has this got to do with anything?

Sorry, but you cannot graft brains onto and into monuments. The Sheeple/people are spoon fed by the media because they are too dumb to read the play. They are under a massive hypnosis experiment and just believe everything they read and they hear without question or any research.

I ask this question, how many players played in both teams, who played in this year's Grand Final and received any kind of injection/s?
Performance enhancing, almost everything is including pain killers.

[BenDoolan]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl ... 7079584643


What the f*** has this got to do with anything?

If you are a subscriber, perhaps ask them the question in the comments section, and while you're at it, ask those journos if it is ok for Goodwin to take Hexarelin (a definite banned substance under the WADA code) and go on to coach at another club...

[Flip]

Whateley is one of few (very) who can truly call themselves balanced Journalists in Footy. The rest of them think THEY are the story.

I am in no-ones camp....not Hird, not Bomba, not Little. I am however in the Essendon Footy Clubs camp.

"Gerard Whateley: Absurd week has Essendon and James Hird at absolute cross-purposes

Gerard Whateley

October 03, 2014 10:00PM

JAMES Hird clings to his coaching position by a matter of legal complexity.

It’s a poor precipice from which to grip onto power. Particularly given the leadership inherent in such a job.

Rage though he might, Hird must understand the consequences of his actions. If he casts an eye to the last day he would surely see that it’s not him in the coach’s box.

Essendon’s request that Hird not pursue a Federal Court appeal wasn’t an act of oppression, a denial of a citizen’s legal rights.

It was finally a decision of responsibility and pragmatism. Actual implementation of a catchphrase that the players’ interests are primary.

As it related to Hird it was a workplace condition previously spelt out when the board gave him a reprieve in March. His defiant actions amount to wilful insubordination. He knows that.

To fully understand Hird’s position you would have to have lived the past 18 months in his shoes.

His conviction is such that he testified under oath on matters few others were prepared to. He has worn the unrelenting character assassinations.

He has every right to fight the injustice he perceives thrust upon him and his family with every last breath.

But no longer can it be on Essendon’s time and it can’t be on Essendon’s dime.

The absurdity of the week has the club and its coach at absolute cross-purposes.

Essendon backed away from a lengthy and costly appeal, declaring its desperation to trigger the judgment phase for 34 players.

It pleaded with ASADA to move swiftly in re-issuing show cause notices complete with the full brief of evidence.

Through the Federal Court discovery process, key figures have seen the 100-page summary document on which ASADA chief executive Ben McDevitt relied to advance the cases previously.

Essendon chairman Paul Little has described the contents as “weak circumstantial” evidence.

It’s time to test that opinion.

The legal team assigned to the players has proposed an expedited strategy. They would not answer the show cause notices, prompting the Anti-Doping Rule Violation Panel to immediately place the names on the Register of Findings.

Infraction notices could be issued for a fast-tracked AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal to convene in November.

Common facts would be established to avoid the cumbersome need for 34 individual cases, streamlining the trial to the pointed question of whether Thymosin beta-4 was administered in the club’s supplements program.

A verdict would be anticipated in December. Players would know their fate by Christmas.

In a process some fear might linger for years, it is an attractive, if high stakes, proposition for footballers with a limited career span.

It might also slow those inclined to seek closure at ASADA’s bargaining door.

On Thursday Hird unveiled the polar opposite strategy.

His petition seeks to injunct ASADA from any further progression. This is done under the banner of acting in the best interests of the club, the players and the game. None of those parties agree.

Hird spoke of the stain that will forever be attached to the players should he not appeal. But nothing that happens in Federal Court can remove that.

It is a flawed premise that the show cause notices might simply go away as if none of this ever happened.

The only remedy to emancipate the players is to directly address the charge of using a prohibited substance, either by beating it at a tribunal or plea-bargaining as duped parties.

The players have been slow to take responsibility for their own fates but, at the moment they are striving to get there, Hird stands obstructively in the way.

On Wednesday night the red and black sect that once waved the “Stand By Hird” placards chanted for Mark “Bomber” Thompson like their saviour.

The curiosity is Hird largely retains the favour of his players, a group he is destined never again to lead.

All that remains is a small but distinct opportunity to do the right thing."


http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/g ... 7079437127

[Jazz_84]

Hate the be in the Board's shoes right now, regardless of what we all think, it's got to be one of the toughest positions to be in right now and that's before we even start to think about the players and their direction

One thing I don't agree with Gerard about is that Hird will never coach this group again... I reckon he will, if not now then in a few years time

[BenDoolan]

I am in no-ones camp....not Hird, not Bomba, not Little. I am however in the Essendon Footy Clubs camp.

What does that even mean?

The curiosity is Hird largely retains the favour of his players, a group he is destined never again to lead.

As I've said elsewhere, this is the most important bit. And as long as this is the case, the second part of the sentence is wrong.

All that remains is a small but distinct opportunity to do the right thing

If it's "the right thing" by the players, then he will coach.

[Windy_Hill]

Am pretty sure Hird has demanded that ASADA proceeds with its course of action regardless of the High Court Appeal (or whatever it is)

[BenDoolan]

Am pretty sure Hird has demanded that ASADA proceeds with its course of action regardless of the High Court Appeal (or whatever it is)

Correct. Whateley is just plain wrong on that one.

[j-mac31]

The curiosity is Hird largely retains the favour of his players, a group he is destined never again to lead.

As I've said elsewhere, this is the most important bit. And as long as this is the case, the second part of the sentence is wrong.

Indeed.

Also some sense:

The legal team assigned to the players has proposed an expedited strategy. They would not answer the show cause notices, prompting the Anti-Doping Rule Violation Panel to immediately place the names on the Register of Findings.

Infraction notices could be issued for a fast-tracked AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal to convene in November.

Common facts would be established to avoid the cumbersome need for 34 individual cases, streamlining the trial to the pointed question of whether Thymosin beta-4 was administered in the club’s supplements program.

A verdict would be anticipated in December. Players would know their fate by Christmas.

Can we just f****** get on with this already?

[Jazz_84]

Can we just f****** get on with this already?

especially now that Little has come out and said the evidence ASADA has given them is "weak and circumstantial".... if that's the case then lets do this shit!! whats the hold up?

[Sismis]

Can we just f****** get on with this already?

especially now that Little has come out and said the evidence ASADA has given them is "weak and circumstantial".... if that's the case then lets do this shit!! whats the hold up?

Yup, get it done! The added bonus we get to tell ASADA to f****** PROVE IT!

[BenDoolan]

Indeed. Just f****** respond to the current heap of shit notices. No need to wait for them to "re-issue" them (whatever that means), because they have already been issued!

Now, why wait for them to set a new deadline? Just answer them NOW, so it takes away ASADA's delaying tactics.

Just f*** em.

[j-mac31]

ASADA's delaying tactics.

Wait, what? I thought horrible Essendon had been the biggest c**** of all time to delay this to where it is now.

[mdso]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl ... 7079584643


What the f*** has this got to do with anything?

If you are a subscriber, perhaps ask them the question in the comments section, and while you're at it, ask those journos if it is ok for Goodwin to take Hexarelin (a definite banned substance under the WADA code) and go on to coach at another club...

Its not illegal for a non- playing coach or staff but it considered to be not a good look for the brand. I think the AFL will change that rule if it hasn't already. It is illegal for players. Ings was talking about yesterday on Twitter. Although, I don't know how up to date he is with current WADA/ASADA code.

[mdso]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl ... 7079584643


What the f*** has this got to do with anything?

If you are a subscriber, perhaps ask them the question in the comments section, and while you're at it, ask those journos if it is ok for Goodwin to take Hexarelin (a definite banned substance under the WADA code) and go on to coach at another club...

Its not illegal for a non- playing coach or staff but it considered to be not a good look for the brand. I think the AFL will change that rule if it hasn't already. It is illegal for players. Ings was talking about yesterday on Twitter. Although, I don't know how up to date he is with current WADA/ASADA code.

[s'dreams]

Seems the show cause notices are on the way next week.

It appears that some player managers have contacted Arseada requesting an expedited process ... I wonder who and why thay are making such a request?

[BERT]

Best Article I've read in a while.

m.thenewdaily.com.au/sport/2014/10/06/times-bombers

James Hird has survived as Essendon’s coach for the “immediate term” – now he and the club’s leaders must band together or make way for a new team.



James Hird remains in the Bombers' hot seat - for now.

In his final post-match press conference following Essendon’s season-ending loss to North Melbourne, the Bombers’ fill-in coach, Mark Thompson, referenced Al Pacino’s famous locker room speech from the movie, Any Given Sunday.

“Either we heal now as a team,” Pacino pleads to a group of players divided by turmoil, “Or we will die as individuals.”

It was a passing reference by Thompson, for the amusement of gathered journalists. But the fill-in coach would do well to watch the film, or at least the clip, again sometime soon.

So should James Hird. And it should certainly be compulsory viewing for the nine members of the Essendon board who on Monday decided Hird would remain the club’s coach for the “immediate term”.

Because it’s abundantly clear to me that those who run the Essendon Football Club now have only two options: stand together as one unit and see the ASADA mess through to its conclusion; or get the hell out of there – not just Hird, but Thompson and every member of a board that has made more fumbles than a footy debutant on grand final day.

One of the most sought after qualities in modern AFL footballers is the ability to make good decisions in high pressure, hotly-contested situations. Those who do it best are often said to be ‘good drivers in heavy traffic’.

Hird was the best on-field driver I’ve ever seen. Not only could he negotiate the heaviest of traffic, at times he seemed to stop it, finding space and time in the most contested situation to give off a handball, deliver a pinpoint pass, perhaps snap a goal. This incredible poise has served him well over the past 20 months as he’s endured the most searching – and, at times, appalling – scrutiny.

This is not to excuse his flawed decision-making in the earliest days of his coaching stint, but his grace under pressure since the Essendon supplement scandal became public has been extraordinary.

Which is more than I can say for some of the Essendon board members who sat in judgement of him. In fact, their responses at key points of this never-ending soap opera have been disappointing at best, inept at worst. If they were footballers, you’d cut them loose because of their poor decision-making.

Of course, being a board member of the Essendon Football Club during this period must be a thankless and demanding task. That has to be acknowledged. I give the eight men and one woman huge points for simply showing up. But, gee, they’ve fumbled the ball a few times.

The latest was last week’s attempted sacking of Hird after he decided to appeal a recent Federal Court decision against the club’s wishes. Various media reports had him gone Thursday afternoon, but they were premature.

It was another example of club management coming on strong, only to fall away at the last. In that respect, at least, they resembled the Essendon team of 2014.



The fumbles started when they allowed the supplements program to go on under their noses. I’m not sure how that could have happened, but let’s assume they were kept in the dark, and didn’t learn of it until just before we all did, back in February 2013.

Many supporters believe the club fumbled again by, first, self-reporting to the AFL and ASADA and then calling in former Telstra boss, Ziggy Switkowski, to inquire into what exactly happened. I could see their rationale at the time, even though I was less convinced by their decision to make Switkowski’s report public. Once the media got hold of it, the phrase “pharmacological experiment” entered the footy lexicon. It’s been used to belt the club ever since.

There’s little doubt about the next fumble though: in August last year new chairman, Paul Little, helped “negotiate” the heaviest penalties in AFL history, including suspension from the 2013 finals, a 12-month ban for Hird, a $2 million fine for the club, draft penalties, and a number of individual fines and bans for club officials too. Once again, and this is a recurring theme here, the only party happy with the outcome would have been the AFL.

In the midst of these “negotiations”, Hird decided he’d call the AFL’s bluff and take them to court. But he was prevailed upon, presumably by Little and others, to cop his whack so the club could move on. As a sweetener, they gave Hird a two-year contract extension and he headed off to France. That was another fumble.



It was at this point Mark “Bomber” Thompson took over the coaching reins. And a reasonable job he did too, although I still think Essendon played better under Hird. It’s been forgotten that they were challenging for top spot on the AFL ladder as late as round 18 in season 2013. At times this season, the Bombers appeared as flaky as their fill-in coach at his post-match press conferences.

In the final weeks of the season, Hird returned from his French exile and, you guessed it, the club fumbled things again. Instead of staring down a hostile media and welcoming a favoured son back to the coach’s box, they shunned him, consigning him to a desk and a bit of ‘list management’. What a disgrace.

But it was nothing compared to what the club did to him last week – banning Hird from attending the best and fairest night and threatening him with the sack if he pursued the next stage of a legal action the club helped initiate. Huh? Doesn’t anyone at Windy Hill or, rather, Tullamarine, see the irony in that?

Worse, that an entire episode dominated by a lack of process took another appalling turn because Hird’s employer didn’t want him to pursue…proper process. You couldn’t make this stuff up.

The club’s best and fairest night might well be the low point in a saga that threatens to destroy not only my club, but my love for it too. To see Thompson, supposedly Hird’s mentor – suffice to say, he did a less than stellar job in the role – unashamedly pitching for the coach’s job while Little beamed up at him from the floor below was, well, gut-churning.

Hird, who’s at least been consistent in his desire to see this whole sorry mess through, deserved better.

I couldn’t help thinking that if Thompson had made a suitably humble and gracious speech from the stage and then invited Hird up to jointly commit to pursuing the next Essendon premiership, it would have re-calibrated the whole mess. Instead he chose to make a job application while Hird sat at home.



Throughout the 20 months this has been running, Hird has been portrayed as a man who has put his own interests ahead of the club and his players. But what if the opposite is true: what if he’s put up with the accusations, insults, breaches of privacy, suspension, indignities and all the rest of it, because he believes that as their leader, he’s got to see this through to the bitter end. That to do less would be seen to bail on people he’s supposed to be leading?

Hird should be allowed to pursue his court action all the way to the High Court, if he thinks that’s what it takes to find the truth. His players should submit themselves to the next stage of the ASADA process too, with his support and cooperation. I can see no reason why the two can’t be conducted in a parallel fashion. Any move to further delay the ASADA probe would be little more than brinkmanship on the part of the drug agency.

I’m not sure where this finishes up, but I know what I’d like to see happen: everyone – Hird, Thompson, Little and his board – bands together and fights as one. Or they all go, handing over to new drivers who might do a better job of negotiating the heavy traffic. The players – and their supporters – deserve nothing less. As Pacino might say, it’s time to begin the healing.

[Sismis]

Best Article I've read in a while.

Agree.