Essendon chairman David Evans has dropped the latest bombshell in the AFL club’s supplements crisis by resigning on Saturday.
Evans is the most senior casualty so far of the scandal that threatens to do serious long-term damage to one of the league’s most powerful clubs.
“I appreciate very much that this will cause some consternation amongst the Essendon family,” he said.
“However, I strongly believe that the best thing for the club at this stage is for a new chairperson in order to see through the next phase of this challenging and difficult time for our club.
“What is happening at our club right now is a tragedy, but I know that it will survive.”
Evans also cited business and family commitments as major reasons for the decision.
But he also admitted to feeling pressure about how he had led the club during the crisis.
“My involvement, and indeed my family’s involvement over many years at both Essendon and the AFL have given me great strength during the last five months, because many of the people that I deal with are close friends,” said Evans, the son of former AFL chairman and Essendon player Ron Evans.
“This has given me great insight and assisted in making tough decisions, but those decisions now may be seen to be clouded by those relationships or be seen as a conflict.
“I am not prepared to have my decisions reflect poorly on the club either now or in future.”
The board will meet soon to appointment a replacement, with speculation that current director Paul Little will be the new chairman.
Saturday’s stunning announcement came after a week of intense focus on Evans.
He denied before Friday night’s loss to Hawthorn that there had been a falling out with long-time friend and Bombers coach James Hird.
Also on Friday, the club board had publicly declared its support for Evans amid speculation that there were concerns among some directors about how he was handling the crisis.
Earlier in the week, it was revealed AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou rang Evans the night before the club announced in early February that they were to come under an anti-doping investigation.
Demetriou has denied there was anything untoward about the call.
The AFL expect the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) to announce the findings of its Essendon investigation next month, with speculation it could be as early as August 5.
Several Essendon players went on Twitter to support Evans.
“Some people should be ashamed of themselves. This shouldn’t happen to such a great Essendon person,” Jason Winderlich said in a post.
Greater Western Sydney coach Kevin Sheedy, who coached Essendon for 27 years, described Evans as a fantastic person.
Sheedy also called on the AFL to expel scientists who administered supplements to players.
“Get rid of them, get them out of the game, and hunt them down, we might have to get some pest control,” Sheedy said.
Essendon chief executive Ian Robson resigned in May because of the crisis.
Hird was emotional after last night’s loss to Hawthorn, saying the investigations by ASADA and the AFL into Essendon had to finish soon.
“It’s got to the point that if it’s not over quickly, it’s going to affect people’s lives permanently and it’s got to finish – it has to finish,” Hird said.
The AFL issued a statement from Demetriou praising Evans, who had been Essendon chairman since 2009.
“These are difficult and complex matters that have been investigated, through the ASADA enquiry, and at all times David has sought to discover the facts, act in the best interests of all those under him at the club and to provide leadership on a challenging issue,” Demetriou said.
Earlier on Saturday, it was reported that fitness coach Dean Robinson had also resigned from Essendon.
The club stood him down in February and he is set to take legal action against Essendon.
vicbomber
Guest
And Hird being gone gives you what exactly? Who cares what you think Jack, one minute you're going on about the good of the game ad nauseam and now it's just a hate campaign. We have been through the wringer the past 6 months, lost several very good people at our club without a verdict even being delivered. I as an Essendon member want to see the club fight this tooth and nail no matter what. If ASADA haven't got anything concrete then we have no case to answer. Bringing the game into disrepute, what does that even mean? Leigh Mathews was onto a performance enhancing program with the half time I.V rehydration technique, no disrepute there. Ortokine is a cutting edge technique, check this out and who participated http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthokine , no disrepute there. EVERY team is after an edge and if it's within the rules then it's fair game. I don't believe for a minute all that crap about injecting dungeons and drug labs WTF? of course the media are going to paint that picture, grow up and stop believing everything you read pal. I know, perhaps we're guilty of poor governance...perhaps but we're not alone in that, look at the basket case clubs holding their hand out all the time to keep afloat...good governance? This whole thing is a farce. The media has whipped this into a frenzy without the report even being completed. They've enjoyed the fact that Essendon hasn't been able to defend itself publicly so they've been saying whatever they like thinking this was the way it was going to stay...guess what, it's not. The AFL through selective leaks to fairfax has been putting their agenda out there, firstly to get Hird and secondly to take our points, after all, the public demands it. What if the club in question was Melbourne? take their points? Oh hang on, after an exhaustive review of all 17 clubs and the all clear given, the Dees owned up to guess what, one of their players using AOD, funny, I didn't hear much more about that. Further to that, a week or so after that thorough review there was some talk from the Gold Coast camp....strange indeed. I'm just so sick of everyone already having a punishment for a crime we haven't even been convicted of. Whatever team you support mate, don't be surprised if one day.........
Franko
Guest
Evans should have just taken the lead from Vlad and had an overseas holiday. No need to be around at the moment, no pressing matters, off to the US then.
Franko
Guest
If I were them it'd be anger I think at the moment.
Stavros
Guest
The investigation hasn't finished yet, so what stage do you expect them to be in?
Mic
Guest
Essendon fans will go through the five stages . Denial, anger , depression, bargaining and acceptance. Unfortunately they are still all in the first stage.
Mark
Guest
LOL, Agreed, he constantly reaches a certain level of sophistication that is unmatched !.
steve
Guest
Good points. There doesn't seem a lot of sense in a company lodging a patents application and citing a non-consensual trial with a group of footballers which is what The Age would have us believe. How could the claim be audited? I am also inclined to the belief that the trials took place before the substance was banned under the catch-all category in 2011. But hey, all the inferences are selling newspapers and that's what journalists are there to do.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Careful, he has mates in elite 'VicPol' task forces and squads. And a level of sophistication that only a socccer supporter could hope to understand.
Phil Maguire
Guest
Look at the latest accusations logically. Fairfax alleges that Calzada (Metabolic Pharmaceuticals) lodged a patents application on the back of trials with 'professional footballers' as proof of the drug's attributes. While the team or teams the players represent was not named in the document, Fairfax said that ASADA believed it to be Essendon. That's rubbish. Why would a company like Calzada make a formal patents application based on trials obtained by questionable means without the consent of the players, especially if it knew it was illegal for use with footballers? It makes far more sense that the trials referred to in the application concerned a team other than Essendon and were taken before WADA category S0 apparently made AOD-9604 a banned substance in January 2011.
db swannie
Guest
From reading many forums about this saga ,the one thing that strikes me as odd ,Is the lack of anger directed at the club by the fans. Not just because they have more than likely cheated,but the fact(as stated in the internal report),they used the players as Lab rats/test subjects or whatever you want to call it. What planet are these fans on, direct your anger at what the club did & not the media.? It Is disgusting that young athletes could possibly have health problems down the track because of a win at all cost attitude..yet that point seems to be overlooked by the "Blame everyone but the club" fans
SteveM
Guest
Good post Fuss, You nailed the strategy of the investigators spot on, well done.
Doug Deep
Roar Pro
Hird doesn't need a spin doctor to prompt him to play woe is me, he's got 50,000+ members willing to do that for him. It makes me sick. At best Hird requested his fitness staff to bulk up his players faster than any other club and was too stupid to realise how they were implementing his instructions for the best part of 12 months. At worst Hird requested his fitness staff to bulk up his players faster than any other club and renewed his long standing friendship with Shane Charter for "advice" and drove the whole sorry affair with a cavalier attitude to do "whatever it takes" high on his own ego telling him he could do no wrong. And yet the overwhelming response, still, from the fans in one incapable of stopping, considering what we know (and we only know the tip of the iceberg, I believe) and asking, what if St James isn't so golden?
Doug Deep
Roar Pro
Possibly, but any that are would not be in any of the key positions within the football department or administration.
Mark
Guest
I guess since your VicPol mates let you in on a little secret, like, catching criminals is not all about car chases, that you yourself has become quite the sophisticate. LOL. The fact is, your a known disliker of the game of Australian Football, your sad, as well as hilarious agenda is quite clear for all to see, and you have reguarly gone back on your word, which was, that you will never post on the AFL board. Whatever you say, is only qualified, by those known facts, nothing more and nothing less.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@Brad You have a very unsophisticated understanding of: a) what is a market; & b) what influences market behaviour @Mark .. you are just an unsophisticated person.
Mark
Guest
LOL, Your mates told you ... deadset, are you actually for real !. And you have the temerity to descibe everone else as football illiterates etc LOL
Martin
Guest
Obviously Liam you're not an Essendon fan. Surely there must be a few people at the EFC who would be innocent victims?
Mark
Guest
But, but, but , his mates at the Vic police force told him, it must be right !.
joe b
Guest
It seems Hird's spin doctor is advising him to play the "woe is me" card...if only he wasn't so arrogant to accept his responsibility in overseeing the whole program....apparently one person is bigger than the club.
Mark
Guest
Agree, and hope AD sues her, as well as others, nothing but scurrilous rumour, and no respect for anyone.