As the calamitous events around Cronulla unfold, the inevitable comparison with Essendon has begun. The obvious common factor is sports scientist Stephen Dank.
Dank worked at Cronulla for three months in 2011 and for nine months at Essendon in 2012.
Dank is alleged to have stepped over the WADA line with both clubs with his use of supplements, drugs and intravenous injections.
A clutch of NRL clubs are also under suspicion as they engaged Dank at some point. That is quite a trail of potential destruction to reputations due to one man.
However, it does not necessarily follow that what has occurred at Cronulla will be replicated at Essendon in terms of potential ASADA breaches and subsequent sanctions.
Nor is it the case that the likely fallout and management action by the two clubs will follow the same course.
For starters, the investigation into the two clubs is quite different.
In the Australian Crime Commission’s report into Organised Crime and Drugs in Sport it makes mention of a club being under suspicion for systemic banned supplement use.
Most media commentators now assume this was a reference to Cronulla as they appear to be at the pointy end of the ASADA investigation, compared to Essendon whose investigation has only been running for a month or so.
At the time the report was published most assumed page 17 of the report must have referred to Essendon as it was the only club identified.
The Cronulla situation came to a head when media reports suggested up to 14 players were to be offered six month bans in exchange for a guilty plea due to alleged use of equine drugs banned by WADA.
What followed at Cronulla was a shambles. Four senior staff were sacked and the coach suspended by the Board, followed by the Chairman of the Board himself standing down.
This is not a way to manage your club in a crisis, hardly a blueprint for other sporting organisations to follow.
The NRL has had no choice but to parachute in management and key staff to rescue the club. Although in the NRL’s case it might suit another agenda.
There has been no such collapse at Essendon, despite a similar threat posed by the ASADA investigation.
The Chairman, CEO and Coach at Essendon fronted a press conference and announced they were calling in ASADA and the AFL to investigate.
This was followed by a request for an external management review of ‘irregular’ practices at the club.
The only similarity was the removal of the High performance Manager at each club, although in Essendon’s case Dean Robinson was stood down, not sacked.
It would be naive though to suggest that both Cronulla and Essendon did not have some idea of a massive problem prior to these events. To that end there will be consequences at Essendon once the facts are known, but not kneejerk sackings.
The nature of the supplements in use at Cronulla and Essendon is a complete unknown. There appears to be evidence by virtue of the six month offers to players that banned substances have been taken at Cronulla.
External and internal messages to date suggest Essendon may be in more trouble for the methods used (injections), rather than performance enhancing drug use.
A whistleblower exists in the Cronulla case; these is no whistleblower to date at Essendon.
If the worst case occurs for both clubs and ASADA bans multiple players or the whole club, the outcome will also be different in terms of how each governing body manages the impact.
The NRL is behind the AFL in its expansion plans. It has designs on a team in Western Australia and South Australia where it has no presence. There is also the possiblity of an extra team in Queensland and New Zealand.
The NRL perhaps might have engineered the removal of the entire management structure at Cronulla so it can effectively control the destiny of the licence depending on the severity of the ASADA bans.
The AFL, on the other hand, has already taken bold steps in expansion with two new clubs in NSW and Queensland.
Consolidation is the mantra for the AFL. There is no need to weaken Essendon anymore than it deserves.
Cronulla is a relatively unsuccessful club with a small fan-base.
Essendon has been a very successful club for much of its existence with an enormous fan-base.
The attitude of NRL v AFL fans is also different.
NRL fans of other clubs see a crippled or missing Cronulla perhaps as an opportunity; AFL fans in the main see a crippled or missing Essendon as unfavourable to the competition as a whole.
I think the latter response is correct for both NRL and AFL fans as the whole situation is tragic for the fans of the clubs involved, and there are unforeseen serious consequences to the respective competitions.
The bottom line is that no-one really knows what has occurred and it is too early to make bold statements that Cronulla and Essendon are on the same trajectory.
steve
Guest
The reality is that ASADA must impose the full force of sanctions on the essendon football club and players which the afl must comply with to the letter if they wish for parents to allow the children to play this great game. essendon failed to put in processes in their footlball club in place to ensure the well being of their players and integrity of the afl competition. They failed.
Redb
Roar Guru
Cronulla have now reinstated their sacked coach.
Redb
Roar Guru
Calls for a Senate enquiry. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/senate-sport-drugs-inquiry-sharks-players-may-have-to-face-parliament/story-e6frexrr-1226601042067 They aren't always the best people to be asking questions but the more light shed on the situation the better.
yewonk
Guest
i think robinson and dank turned up at essendon with a clear plan. from the time all the soft tissue injuries started popping up hird backed robinson in the months that followed. but by then dank had gone ( i think) so maybe it was bombers idea not just hirds.
Richard
Roar Guru
I didn't like Thompson when he was still at Geelong. Geelong had a strong culture though (still has), a great President in Frank Costa and an accomplished CEO in Brian Cook. They showed real leadership and skill in reportedly restricting Thompson to football coaching, at which he clearly excels, and removing him from everything else. Of course BT got the $#!^$ as a result and walked out on his contract, but not before he'd delivered on some fine performances. When Thompson went to Essendon they were vulnerable. The club had been in turmoil since the dismissal of their greatest ever coach in Sheedy and were ripe for the picking. Thompson, the saviour, took on much too much responsibility, way out of his league, and made some very bad decisions as a result. It appears that Thompson may have made the questionable calls at Essendon, but it's the Board which must cop the blame. They created the turmoil and then made a complete hash of addressing it. If I was an Essendon supporter, like most of my family it seems, I'd be calling for big changes at Board level and at senior management level. I'd want Thompson out and I'd want James Hird, with the strong support of a new leadership team behind him, to be given a clear go at winning back my belief in the Club. And I'd want to get back to football. Quick!
Redb
Roar Guru
AR, Been thinking that way for a month long before Caro got a sniff.
Australian Rules
Guest
Obviously Caro is pushing that barrow at the moment...and I think there's no question that M.Thompson's influence will be reduced as a result of this. By all reports, an appalling bloke.
Redb
Roar Guru
Yep in hindsight a terrible decision. A little bit of due diligence goes along way. Speculating: I think the smoking gun here is Bomber Thompson and a little too much say, didnt follow process trusted Robinson,etc. We shall see what comes of Ziggy's investigation. At the very least the club will right this power imbalance between Hird/Thompson.
Redb
Roar Guru
A mere smokescreen (white)
Australian Rules
Guest
You're probably right. I'm sure that knee surgery in December is nothing at all to worry about ;)
Australian Rules
Guest
Dank would have to be singularly the most untrustworthy (and loathed) person in the country right now. Talk about a bloke having a whiff about him. People forget...he originally went to the Gold Coast, and after about 6 weeks they sent him packing and said they wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. It makes Essendon's call to bring him in even worse.
Redb
Roar Guru
Be fair to say anything Dank says should be treated with grain of salt until the ASADA investigation concludes. smoke...fire...inferno... he's either very dumb or very smart? (allegedly)
Redb
Roar Guru
AR, Find a mirror, look yourself in the eye and punch. :) The Messiah does not have such human frailities.
Nocturnal
Guest
This appears to be the best summary at the moment (although still to be corroborated) CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: Dank has told 7.30 that he and his co-directors at the Medical Rejuvenation Clinic have been interviewed and cleared by the Australian Crime Commission. Speaking to 7.30 today on the phone, Dank's assistant Darren Hibbert said he was also interviewed and cleared by the Australian Crime Commission last year. He also told 7.30 he has a client list of around 20 players from NRL teams Manly, the Sharks and the Cowboys, and that they independently buy non-prohibited substances from him. Steve Dank would certainly argue and has put to 7.30, as do many sports scientists and people in the football and sporting community, that a peptide simply a supplement, it is not a performance enhancing substance. What's your response? RICHARD INGS: We wouldn't be here today talking about these issues and we wouldn't have the purge of the senior management of the Cronulla Sharks if we were talking about regular non-banned nutritional vitamin supplements. The very first thing that ASADA will work through is to ascertain if the substance in question is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency - and we are talking about seriously banned performance-enhancing substances.
Naturne
Guest
It wouldnt be an AFL post without a RL troll from Matt S "The only difference is the Essendon picture remains localised while the sharks stuff appeared for days on all national media outlets, even AFL.com. Essendon and its sponsors remain largely protected and they will stick firm as long as their brand is protected nationally. The national media dully comply. I bet the sharks would love to have their woes only reported in Sydney" Funny it hasnt stopped Sydney NRL identities asking what penalties Essendon are going to get as they get concerned as the RL net gets wider...so obviously they are reading national newspapers. BYW did he mean duly or was he being clever and saying dully. BTW the Cronulla story was 4 paras on the fifth last back sports page of the Age near the obituriaries..
Australian Rules
Guest
Joey D...the new Gumbleton perhaps? ;)
Redb
Roar Guru
I beleive white smoke did emanate from Ungarie the day young Joe was born.
Redb
Roar Guru
If we are still around Richard, I'm tipping a highly focused dedicated unit will take the field that day.
Redb
Roar Guru
AR, yeah irrelevant troll post from fussball. I don't think people read the article before commenting or lack basic comprehension skills, some quotes from the actual article: regarding governance failures at Essendon; "It would be naive though to suggest that both Cronulla and Essendon did not have some idea of a massive problem prior to these events. To that end there will be consequences at Essendon once the facts are known, but not kneejerk sackings." regarding the potential ASADA impact; "If the worst case occurs for both clubs and ASADA bans multiple players or the whole club, the outcome will also be different in terms of how each governing body manages the impact." Joe Daniher will be OK though :)
Australian Rules
Guest
"A few weeks ago people, who wanted to remain ignorant, laughed & said this was simply “Federal Government posturing”." Um, who were they? I don't recall anyone laughing about the Essendon situation or blaming Labour.