Evans tried to do the right thing but he shouldve backed the people at the club who knew what mistakes had been made not his high end business mates.
Evans looked after himself and his Collins Street mates and threw Hird, Bomba, Corcoran and Doc Reid under a bus. Yes, he wanted to get the players off but as President he should’ve taken resposibility and not scapegoated others.
The less said about the behaviour of the AFL, ASADA and WADA the better
10 Likes
I can understand why initially evans followed the lead of demetriou thinking the afl would usher the club and players through this with minimal damage.
What i cant forgive is that at any point in time when it became apparent we were being hung out to dry he could have spoken out about the lies. Instead he chose the afl and his cosy boys club instead of his supposed mate in hird.
As far as I’m concerned when he had to choose hird or demetriou and he chose the latter, that is when he should have been blacklisted from being welcome at the club.
Paul little isn’t much better. Came in talking a big game but screwed over hird as well. Should we be surprised he is cosy with eddie…
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Well of course he did. David was hoping to follow in his father Ron’s footsteps. Maybe(?) landing a job in AFL House or the AFL Commission. The saga put paid to that. Why?
Because someone leaked information to the NRL about the deal that Demetrio, Evans and Company were hatching up with ASADA. No one knows who it was? Really? With all the leaks during the saga, it doesn’t take a genius to come up with a couple of possibilities.
This action put both David and Andrew in a very precarious and embarrassing position neither could afford and the leak had to be plugged and quickly. When Hird overheard a telephone conversation between David and Andrew, he had to be silenced and discredited and he was. A distraction was needed to shift and sway public opinion and the AFL’s HR Department and the media went into overdrive.
Both men saved their own backsides at the expense of the EFC, its staff and players. And; Gill won the day and the Golden Fleece. The boys club stretches far and wide and has connections in all the right places.
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I think that’s why Hird needs to come back in some capacity. Our culture was ruined and it’s the first thing that needs to be addressed.
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I think hird coming back would be an unmitigated disaster.
that said. i loved winning interstate.
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… as opposed to what we have now?
Just how un-mitigated do you think our current disaster is?
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ASADA commended Hird for his honesty in the interviews. Wonder what ASADA thought of Evans’ interviews.
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It doesn’t need to be in an official capacity. I think his removal/sacking/resignation had a tremendous affect on the morale of the club. It hasn’t recovered.
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I agree. The club has nt been the same since
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I find it odd that ANYONE that was involved in trying to get the players off should be even allowed to be involved in sport.
The head of EFC, 2ic of the league, people at asada plenty of others.
Since the players have been found ‘guilty’, surely those that were involved in trying to get the players off, have in some way sanctioned the doping.
1 Like
I tend to agree that it feels like club fabric was torn when we booted out Hird the last time. I Rembert being so fkn angry and watching Hurley and Zaka have a cry.
Whether him coming back or not is the answer and there are many arguments both sides, i don’t know. But we have had no spirit as a playing group in the seniors since.
I fkn hate what we are as a club right now. We stand for FK all, and when I’m watching the game thinking that my old sides would have Towled up this soft rabble, as demonstrated by Carlton (who will not win another game) I can’t be bothered any more.
We roll over in administration and on the field. Fkn soft.
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Would not wish that on him, with the pack of hounds out there.
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To my knowledge Evans wasn’t interviewed. I thought he was too unwell. Was he interviewed?
1 Like
Hird was definitely NOT involved in trying to pull a swifty or making deals with ASADA. His knowledge of what actually went down was the reason for his eventual demise.
Our President was and so was the previous CEO, the current CEO of the AFL and the Chairman of the AFL Commission. What does that tell you about the state of affairs at the time? Has anything changed? I wouldn’t think much has, its simply gone underground.
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I doubt the AFL would allow that to happen in any real capacity. We are a very forgiving family, sure they are ask Dean Bailey’s wife how forgiving they are. Bunch of educated thugs.
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For his own safety and sanity I HOPE HE STAYS AWAY AND KEEPS HIS DISTANCE.
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The petition sets out what is needed:
- Investigate and consider all the relevant facts so they are publicly available. To date, the evidence against the players has been based on taking ‘bits out that might compromise what we need’.
- Investigate the role, motives and ethics of each sporting, government body and the media during the investigation and prosecution of the case.
-
Identify if any person or organization has breached an Australia law during the investigation and prosecution of the case; make sure everyone is held accountable for their actions; and if warranted, prosecute the offenders.
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Investigate a mechanism for a review of this matter in Australia to ensure the players are given the opportunity to clear their names if they so wish.
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Review and amend legislation and rules so any identified injustices can never happen to Australian sports people again.
Make it happen.
Once it does, Hirdy and Bomber can take their well earned place as true club legends.
16 Likes
With the recent comments regarding Evans, maybe it’s time to have another look at Allan Hird’s letter to Jon Pierik, The Age, May 2018:
"David Evans’ responsibility as the Essendon President in 2013 was to search for the truth about the supplements used at Essendon. Instead he did a grubby deal with Andrew Demetriou, Gillon McLachlan, ASADA and the ALP government to make Bomber Thompson, James Hird, Danny Corcoran and Bruce Reid the scapegoats. As the head of club he had ultimate responsibility for the club’s governance but he shied away from his responsibility. What he should have done was let ASADA conduct its investigation in private as the ASADA Act provides. But as we know the AFL tried to stage manage the whole process and with constant leaks to the media, damaged the club, its players and the support staff. The club is still suffering from David Evans’ stewardship.
"Unlike the Presidents of Collingwood and Port Adelaide, David Evans let his club be steamrolled.
“There is no evidence David Evans tried to stop the AFL’s damaging action. Rather it appears he was a passive observer, if not a supporter, of the AFL’s course of action.”
27 Likes
Why is Evans a thing?
I mean, yes, I know Brayshaw (and by their own admission, “JB & Billy (and sometimes Howie) with you for the drive home where Sport Meets Stupid.”), but why that now?
2 Likes