100% with you on this @Birch19 as are many others I’m sure.
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Nah. Jobe won that Brownlow. They can keep the medal and then there kids can sell them as some novelty item.
Perfectly said
Nothing they could ever do would repair the damage done to James and family.
Absolute disgrace.
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From page 227 of Mick’s book:
‘Another company, where Demetriou was chairman-BKD Executive Leaders-listed its ‘recent clients’ as the AFL, Greater Western Sydney, Crocmedia (a media company with close commercial links to the AFL) and, ironically, given Demetriou’s role in the Bombers drug saga, the Essendon Football Club.’
Says it all really right there in that little paragraph.
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Rob Kerr is also an executive at BKD. Hmmm.
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The wounds are certainly not healed for a lot of people I know either.
One day, some day, the truth will be revealed.
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I cannot see that ever happening. Apologies don’t come easy to the firm.
Some familiar names in this paragraph, and how they are connected.
“If you’ve been an Old Xav, or played with Uni Blues, you’re qualified for a job with the AFL,” Demetriou joked to Caroline Wilson back in 2012.
At the turn of the century, the dominant club was Old Xaverians. They were well run, resourced, coached and connected. In long sleeves in the back pocket was Andrew Dillon, now the AFL’s general counsel. At full forward was Dan Richardson, now the head of umpiring. He replaced Grant Williams, who coached McLachlan at Uni Blues. In the middle was Simon Lethlean, a sumptuous kick who later became the AFL’s head of football operations. At centre half back was Craig Kelly, on his last legs as a footballer, but already one of the most influential men in the game.
“A symbiotic relationship exists between many of the game’s key stakeholders,” Warner writes. “They rely on each other, and protect each other.”
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I noted The Guardian article did not mention the sorry saga.
So what you’re suggesting is that suspending players on the basis of a flawed and unreliable administrative (and not judicial) process might be considered unreasonable?
Almost sounds like an unreasonable restraint of trade.
Hmmm.
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Wondering about the duty of the Board of an incorporated organisation and whether it differs between for profit and NFP.
Asking for a friend who has rightly or wrongly observed that the AFL Commissioners rarely face scrutiny in a scandal
I’m just sick of seeing bumps in this thread, something looks promising or just another revelation all for it to just to go away. I just desperately want to see actual action, something actually to happen.
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Your thoughts are shared with many Essendon supporters but, in my opinion, not enough. The words “saga fatigue” have been used by many to describe the ambivalence of the media, and those with the power to do something. I have been told that it might take a generation before anything does happen, when all those involved have passed on.
At the 2019 AGM a fellow Blitzer and I were able to chat with former President Paul Little informally after the meeting. He said that the saga had completely consumed him and in some ways it badly affected him. His advice was to not let the pursuit of justice consume you.
This was sound advice. We all retain a need to see the wrongs, righted. That alone is a just and righteous cause. And I understand that the wait is frustrating. But we persevere; Never forgive and never forget.
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I think one of the main lasting effects of the saga is that it turned me into a misanthrope about football. Any good will i had towards other clubs just evaporated and now I tend to just wish ill-fortune on all opposition clubs, players, officials etc…
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This Kim Sawyer article is rather… philosophical.
Not quite the ‘forensic examination’ I was expecting. Im sure there are some good points buried in there but its too waffly for me.
With the amount of money Paul Little has he could/could’ve quite easily fund any court action.
Did quite a bit of huffing and puffing when he 1st became President and then whimpered away. Too many tentacles of the AFL spread into other businesses. Having your reputation and future business interests tarnished became too much.
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Can’t agree. Kim Sawyer has shown there was no evidence the players took TB-4 and his use of statistics demonstrates the high improbability of the CAS decision. It is an important article logically argued and based on the ‘evidence’ WADA used to prosecute and CAS to convict. What he shows is the players should never have ben prosecuted and never convicted.
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Off on a tangent…
I also think the paper was very good in drawing attention to the heart of the matter.
It cut away all the confusing “strands of the cable” and pointed out the very clear and objective facts that needed to be proved by the CAS prosecution. It clearly demonstrated that these simple facts were in no way proven.
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