The much-anticipated release of the Ziggy Switskowski internal report into the governance processes of Essendon in regard to the alleged controversial use of supplements by players over the past 12 months, has come up with more questions than answers.
The most significant one – and it probably needs to be asked time and time again – is why. The Bombers and Dr Switskowski have acknowledged in the findings that there was at times a lack of accountability of the practices by the fitness staff imposed by the football department.
For an elite sporting organisation like Essendon, which is one of the AFL’s biggest and most successful clubs, that borders on disgraceful.
Those of us who have followed this explosive story since it broke almost three months ago are no doubt not surprised that the findings as outlined in the report offers little to the sometimes unconventional ideas of new fitness staff employed at the end of the 2011 season.
The football department was also criticised for not properly recognising the correct chain of command as to who the buck stopped with regarding the decision-making process. Was it the general manager of operations, Danny Corcoran or the football manager, Paul Hamilton, who is no longer at the club? I would have thought the GM was the man.
In a multi-million dollar business, it needs to be clear who is in charge, especially the footy department of an AFL club, but that was muddied according to the report.
The most damning aspect of that was the allegation in the findings that the fitness team, which were basically brand new, were able to ignore the attempts of those in charge of the football department at implementing direct management. How and why can that be allowed?
Essendon’s club doctor, Bruce Reid, is a long serving disciple and he did for months last year ring alarm bells about these practices of supplement use, and the club’s chairman, David Evans, at the press conference recognised that was wrong, but is it too late?
You would think the fitness and medical staff would work close together where the players’ bodies and welfare are concerned, even in the case of taking some supplements that are legal and above board, to ensure their most important commodities, the athletes, are fit and healthy to provide success where it counts the most, out on the ground.
That obviously hasn’t happened and David Evans has said that will be one of the changes implemented, with other ones, including the CEO Ian Robson, being accountable for everything going on at the club, which I would have thought is a non-negotiable. Why that wouldn’t happen in any organsation, sporting or non sporting is unacceptable.
Remember, this is an Essendon commissioned report and there’s still the ASADA and AFL investigation outcomes to be released, and this week ASADA will be interviewing the players, which is obviously not an ideal preparation for the game of the round on Friday night between the two only undefeated sides, the Bombers and Geelong.
However, this issue is into it’s third month now and the Bombers haven’t let it affect their on-field performances. In fact, it’s probably galvanised them even though of course it’s the last thing they wanted.
David Evans has handled himself well in heading the club during this difficult period and has actually taken blame for the club’s current plight.
That is a noble act, but the Bombers should never have put themselves in this predicament in the first place.
johnb747b
Guest
Agreed, gecko. Let's see the Reid letter. To whom was it addressed? What did it say? What was its passage through the Essendon office? Who got to read it? Whose responsibility was it to put it on the agenda for the board? Who made the decision not to put it on the agenda? Where is it now? It's not as though Reid's letter was trivial pursuit. It should have gone to the board and the board should have pressed the alarm bells. The Reid letter won't go away for Essendon. It gets to the heart of 'governance'. 'The dog ate my homework' won't work for the club in this case.
Redb
Roar Guru
I have a deeper understanding of the issues that anyone here. Most are not even close to the real situation. I'll leave it at that.
pope paul v11
Guest
Mythical
Chairman Kaga
Guest
Time to call in the police, these "internal investigations" never find anything. Call 000!
1860melbourne
Guest
I hope this is dealt with sooner rather than later. I would hate to be still here in August listening to the whispers behind closed doors and innuendo. Essendon are doing themselves no favours remaining undefeated. Maybe a loss here and there might be a positive thing for the club. I am saying this as a pies fan.:)
geoff
Guest
Redb your argumentshave little credibility. Which is proven by your defensive putdown of singleton.
geoff
Guest
Yes and they conveniently can't locate an important letter. And theinternal ziggy report doesnt mention it either. Essendon is using many forms of manipulation to cover this up. this was an issue 12 months ago. they are coming forward because they were caught. I do not believe a professional club were naive. essendon supporters seem to be good at deflection too by blaming journos for this. Suddenly hird is incompetent when it comes to this issue. suddenly this professional successful team of the ages are naive. this stinks and I hope justice will be served and these cheats will be punished.
Jimbo
Guest
Pharlap poisened by the yanks was a pretty black day, this is really just media claptrap.
Brendan
Guest
You may be correct Richard the initial announcement in February did describe it as the blackest day in Australian Sport.
Richard
Guest
Bunyip, despite my and others best efforts to provide you with an understanding of what and why essendon are in trouble from a corp governance and disrepute of the game perspective, you fail to comprehend. Doping aside which we await the results of the investigation, and I repeat I hope nothing has occurred as I like the club, if they get let off like melbourne and Adelaide did, if you think the media is one eyed now then watch them go after the bombers then.
VOG
Guest
Dismissed from Cronulla after only 10 weeks the year before, didn't raise any suspicions whatsover?
Blind Bomber Fan
Guest
Let's face it, they're not a meeting of Mensa. Directing a group of young men with a high school education doesn't require much in terms of mental stimulation. The average footballer is a 'simpleton troll' as you put it, not exactly a high number of university degrees amongst them (unless you count Hird's engineering degree, which took 3 years longer than usual and yet he is lauded as some kind of 'genius') and a couple of US online degrees in 'sports science' amngst the medical team of course... One might say their on-field performance has more to do with them being physically enhanced this year. A year of serious chemical enhancement is now bearing fruit. It's not like they were just injecting one time. I recall last year Essendon beating Carlton easily by 40 points, James Hird saying he would put the team "in the hands of the medical team", then two days later with one player change going down by one point to the Premiers at Anzac Day. The danger with Performance Enhancing Drugs is the enhancement can be too rapid, resulting in soft tissue injuries. But over say a year you can better manage or even perfect the enhancement. Oh wait...?
Richard
Guest
Brendan, whilst drugs in sport is one issue, the bigger issues at hand are the illegal betting and steroids trade. Honestly, despite all the attention on essendon and the sharks, I unfortunately don't think we have seen the main focus play out yet.
Blind Bomber Fan
Guest
Personal attacks don't make an argument. Waving a flag and chanting isn't an argument either. Given the AFL's poor record in handling important issues (like Melbourne tanking) so badly, I would expect that this will be messier and worse that it should be. My tip is Essendon is being asked to give up a scapegoat. That scapegoat will cop it, Demtriou will posture, Essendon will be asked to look sullen and sorry, and everyone will just move on. The footy journos will never go back and ask who else was doping, ask about what happens on the trips to Las Vegas every year, why every other world sport had steroids and PED's but AFL "didn't"...? What I find realy funny here is that Essendon seemed to lose their hunger last week against GWS, was it the anti-obesity drugs?
Blind Bomber Fan
Guest
Simplistic would be bypassing the club doctor, who incidentally was Hird's personal GP as well. Why would you not discuss the doping, sorry, 'edge' with the team doctor? Probably because you knew it was wrong, that it was cheating, but maybe that's just me guessing and maybe I'm just simple. Sending players to an offsite clinic, paying invoices for nurses specifically to inject players, using anti-obesity drugs for fit young men, these are all relatively simplistic too. "we" do not demand Gladiators, and these footy players are big fish in a very small pond. If you want to suggest they are world standard then please point me to any international competition or event they have competed in? Last time I looked they lost a series of 'international rules' to a part-time bunch of Irishmen. If you want to go down that route, then let me point you to the requirements on 'real athletes' (Olympians, cyclists, etc.) with proper drug testing. Those Olympic sports had steroids and EPO sweep through them, and yet the AFL has only had 1 positive test for PED's...? Stop shifting the blame, the Bombers are very well paid adults, with access to financial advice and personal management. Essendon might have called a parent teacher meeting every five minutes on the issue but they are not kids. Blame can be and should be shared here, from the players not knowing what they had injected into them, to the team management who co-erced them into it, and their own managers who never asked them why they were being asked to sign waivers?
Brendan
Guest
Redb Essendon are in the spotlight but i am sure other clubs have also gone down this path.Whatever the outcome of this saga is i hope the Afl puts in place a ruling that bans injections other than for medical reasons.
Redb
Roar Guru
Simmo, You really are a simpleton troll. ASADA don't suspend anyone. Essendon have not been found to have given players banned substances. The AFL will hand down penalties if they do or don't find banned substances. Essendon will pay a price either way. The situation on bans is far from clear even if they do find banned substances as you and others will no doubt find out in time. Essendon will prepare for the worst and hope for the best and it's 50,000+ members which keeps growing and getting more vocal, more active and more passionate. We Are Essendon.
Avon River
Guest
The heads of the codes were caught by surprise and you figure Essendon knew what they didn't? Perhaps ACC & ADADA accelerated their timetable to take advantage of the Essendon situation.
Jimbo
Guest
Media beat up, that just keeps giving, bring on the football.
Simmo
Guest
especially if uttered by anyone from Windy Hill. I've lost track - what's their version of the story this week?