Club didn’t cave to Robinson
The AFL would have orchestrated & paid the settlement to protect themselves, with Lukin and co on the stand they’d have been cooked
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Hird would make an interesting guest for the sacking podcast
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And knowing all of this………the AFL still okayed Robinson and Dank to come and work at Essendon. It was a cover-up in the making.
The AFL and ASADA just sat back and waited for the right time for the patsy to ripen.
Robinson was rewarded by both the AFL and ASADA for his co-operation.
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You could have a very good point there.
Yes. Now that would be a podcast to end all podcasts.
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Here’s hoping. It may be “Unfortunately I’ve signed an agreement not to discuss those matters” followed by 30 minutes of family and weather chat.
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Genuine question, why were ASADA so reluctant to pursue the Bock case? Compared to the flimsy case vs Essendon and the draconian punishment they dished out to Saad, it was a virtual slam-dunk for them to grab a genuine cheat.
Not refuting anything in this topic, I’m assuming that I’ve missed something
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Rumour mill says that ASADA did a deal with Robinson and in exchange for admission and further evidence on others, he and his Gold Coast stuff would go away.
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Fixed.
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ASADA probably had a great deal of information on GCS arising from its involvement in the ACC investigations, but was not permitted to cite that information in a doping inquiry. Absent a positive test, it was reliant on AFL cooperation to develop a case , which we assume was not forthcoming.
But, it would be useful to know the extent to which GCS players were subject to doping tests.
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More likely the deal was with the AFL & included Robinson . They no doubt paid him out after his court case & organised his study trip & subsequent employment with their auditors. Remember the AFL had to agree to the retrospective changes to the WADA code being applied which was of course in complete contrast with their own policy on anti doping matters not to mention in clear breach of the players contracts. In effect their entire anti-doping tribunal system was made redundant in the middle of our case. Any responsible employer would have defended their employees rights & not allowed the de-novo hearing to proceed. Instead we were willingly sacrificed by the AFL & form mine, there simply HAD to be a payoff somewhere in that for the AFL. I have always believed the AFL shafted us to save GC & any real investigation into Melbourne, Geelong or any other club.
IF Robinson had any actual bargaining chip that he gave ASADA then we would have seen some evidence of it in the transcripts. His testimony wasn’t what sank us at all so I think its fair to say what he held over the AFL is info on GC. The AFL held their coercive powers over ASADA & you can see from Andruska’s testimony that the AFL thought they had her under control as well. This is when the deal with Robinson was struck. McDevit probably had no power to renege on that deal as it would mean exposing that ASADA agreed to overlook a wider investigation for the lamb it was offered up.
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Prior to his appointment as ASADA CEO, McDevitt was a senior AFP officer and had carriage for CrimTrac coordination. Those agencies were involved in the ACC inquiry and it can be assumed that Ben had first hand knowledge of what went on at GCS and what Robinson was up to. Colluded with the AFL in the cover-up
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Known supposedly as a good bloke Dean Robinson, however, he was happy to let Dank wear it as the saga unfolded. Dubious friendships with known criminals and remember he was bashed, his car and house wrecked early in the saga and his pet dog killed. Later, someone tried to shoot him but luckily for Dean, he only sustained a bullet graze.
Whatever his relationship was and is with the AFL, they set him up for life. The AFL are an incredibly generous organisation to those who are loyal to them. Lady Luck shines down on Dean again. This man just seems to fall on his feet and brush off any negativity. Yep clean as a whistle. Whatever really happened at the GCS might have been Dean’s ticket to paradise.
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Appears that Corcoran, Hamilton, Hird and Thompson were comfortable to pursue Weapon based on his work at Geelong, but ignored a concerning period at GCS.
Don’t forget the C7 interview and the tears and lies to demonise Hird to the Australian public, had to do a little bit…what a kant of a man. And then of course there is the talent-less farkwit interviewer of Robinson who appears to have received his payout with a permanent spot at C7 despite his obvious incompetency in front of a camera…it just goes on and on. Lets play a game. Name the people that the AFL “paid off” to get the EFC & Hird in the cross hairs, what part they played & why. One at a time please.
PS - Don’t forget the public servants !!!
I’ll start: Robinson.
What he did:
Spilled the beans on everything to the AFL. He was instructed to shut up with the exception of the hatchet job of an interview" to demonise Hird and incriminate the EFC
Why:
AFL needed to protect GC (and other teams, but mainly GC) and Robinson had all the bad knowledge. Would have led to bloodletting of monumental proportion as AFL House as they were running the GC.
Payout:
Robinson-Off the hook, $1M, free education, Job with the AFLs auditor
AFL-Off the Hook, Gemma derailed
GC / Melb & many other teams - off the hook
ALP-off the front page
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Good start Bomber1408.
What about Eddie? Noticed his company has the contract for the AFL score review bunker to be located at RMIT.
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Yep - Ed was balls deep in it as well. Remember when was it the Gazelle (or was that another guy) claimed that they had supplied HGH to Collingwood & this was a major reason why they recovered so much better than St Kilda after the GF draw??? Again we see a clear example of at the very least reason to believe an independent investigation was warranted but instead we are left with the Essendon acted alone narrative. Lets also never ever forget that Maguire allowed “Sarah” to go to air claiming they had checked her out & verified her identity. It was only much later when probed further that he admitted that they didn’t actually verify who she was at all. A further payoff for Ed’s continued devotion is the complete & utter silence about the Sam Murray case. Thats 3 Collingwood players who have actually tested positive in the last 5 years - that should be the talking point but you’d be forgiven for thinking Murray simply never existed.
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I know we know this, but still, even now it remains a massively shameful act and why McGuire should be held with the highest contempt.
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Should be able to allocate bonus likes.
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I recall someone bringing this up in the old Saga thread. A post referred to the testing performed after the second Grand Final, where a certain hormone (not sure which one) was found to be elevated in four or five St Kilda players (typically the norm across a playing list after the conclusion of a season) but 17-18 Collingwood players (well outside of reasonable expectations).
This is all based off memory and should be taken with a grain of salt. Would have loved to have seen more light shed on this instance.
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