An anti-doping consultant says ASADA had told him that the AOD-9604 anti-obesity drug, central to the supplements saga at AFL club Essendon, was not a banned substance.
The Bombers are under investigation from ASADA regarding their use of supplements in 2012 and skipper Jobe Watson has admitted in a television interview he took what he believed to be AOD-9604, but he felt he hadn’t broken any anti-doping rules.
Sports medicine specialist Andrew Garnham, who has been on the AFL anti-doping tribunal jury, said on Tuesday he had asked ASADA in February 2013 about the status of AOD-9604 in his capacity as a member of the AFL’s Anti-Doping Tribunal.
“I was inquiring so there was some clarification as to where the matter might be heading,” Garnham told Fox Footy’s AFL 360 program.
“The advice that I had at that time was that AOD-9604 was considered under section S2 of the anti-doping code and was regarded as not prohibited.
“I’m aware that other people within the AFL had been in contact with ASADA. I’m not sure exactly what time period.”
Asked if AOD-9604 was a prohibited substance according to ASADA when he inquired in February 2013, Garnham said: “At that point in time, no.”
“There was some discussion with people in the AFL and also at that stage I’d been in contact with members of the Essendon Football Club,” Garnham added.
Essendon confirmed on Tuesday they were seeking a delay to the AFL Commission hearing due for Monday August 26.
The AFL and Essendon have been in negotiations for several days over the hearing.
Senior coach James Hird, club doctor Bruce Reid, assistant coach Mark Thompson and Bombers football manager Danny Corcoran will also have their hearings delayed beyond next Monday.
The AFL has charged the club and the four individuals over Essendon’s supplements scandal.
Garnham said he had asked ASADA to clear up some confusion over whether AOD-9604 was a banned substance under Section S0 of the WADA code.
“The advice was it had been considered under S2 (as not prohibited) and therefore effectively S0 did not come into play,” he said.
“It had a section to which it belonged and therefore further exploration of those issues was not required.”
Phil Maguire
Guest
You lot thrive on false allegations, don't you? Here I am defending Essemdon as I have done since day one and will continue to do until they are cleared of this insane nonsense.
Hansie
Guest
Interesting that the Essendon defenders have gone to ground since the charge sheet was released.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Ok thanks, Ian - that raises a much more serious concern than simply "performance-enhancing" or "cheating". I recall TdF bike riders were dropping dead from EPO side effects & Armstrong still refused to admit anything to authorities. Let's hope the only thing damaged at Essendon are egos & the players have no long-term physical effects.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
While a PED, banned under WADA and so on, Im not as worried about hexeledrin as CJC-1295. CJC-1295 was pulled from it’s clinical trials when a test subject had a heart attack, and it looks like those poor misled fools at Cronulla were given it.
Franko
Guest
Ah the old tanner and libido one. How this slipped by A Current Affair I'll never know. It's clearly a wonder drug.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Briefly, its a tanning and sex drug.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"There is no evidence of Essendon knowingly taking CJC-1295, for example" Item 124 in the document lists 16 substances that were administered to players. The name of one substance - coincidentally item number (h)!! - has been redacted but it is a substance that begins with a letter "c"-"l". It's highly likely the substance is Hexarelin, which is similar to Human Growth Hormone & banned by WADA. The document states Hexarelin was: kept in Dank's office at the club, injected into Essendon support staff & self-injected by one support staff member.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Weirdly, it's actually less bad than Id feared. There is no evidence of Essendon knowingly taking CJC-1295, for example. Yes, there was a systematic, club-wide doping program - but we knew that already. It involved heavy use of thymosin beta-4 - but we knew that already. It involved Dank shooting up Hird - but we knew that already. And it involved Hird in the middle of it, and his "guidelines" being a a dead letter - but we knew that already.
Australian Rules
Guest
This report is just staggering. Arguably more staggering, is the persistent denials from Essendon that it's done anything wrong.
seanmaguire
Roar Rookie
I'd love to know what the redacted sections are! I'm shocked that they released it though, it seems Essendon's relentless PR campaign would have had some bearing on the AFLs decisions to release the whole thing (barring the black bits).
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
I'm stunned by what I'm reading! The AFL's allegations are detailed & incredibly serious, including: * Hird received, on the Club's premises, the banned (& potentially very harmful) substance Melanotan II (which isn't approved for human use anywhere), he injected himself with this banned substance & he suffered side effects (nature of side effects are blacked out) * Convicted drug dealer, Shane Charter delivered banned substances to a 3rd party & this 3rd party billed Essendon for banned substances * Essendon's doctor, Bruce Reid became aware that players had been injected with AOD-9604 (Reid's letter to Hird is tabled as evidence) ... etc. etc. Anyone, who thinks the case against Essendon is "unraveling" is simply misguided.
Franko
Guest
Sure am, what they hell is Melanotan II????
Australian Rules
Guest
** BREAKING ** The Notice of Charge against the Essendon FC has just been released on the AFL website. It's there for all to see.
Steve M
Guest
After reading the AFL charge sheet, Essendon will be lucky to ever play football again, drop everything and find out what really happened.
seanmaguire
Roar Rookie
Is anyone reading the AFL charge sheet??? It looks like they've found Reids letter after 6 months of looking!! No wonder Essendon didn't want to find that! http://www.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL%20Tenant/AFL/Files/EssendonFC-notice-of-charges.pdf
Phil Maguire
Guest
FYI Fussball. Dr Andrew Garnham left the AFL anti-doping tribunal earlier this year in order to advise Essendon. He was approached by Essendon early in the piece to offer advice to them about some of the supplements that may have been used, what were the safety issues and other concerns around them. It was cleared at AFL level that he step across from his role with the AFL tribunal jury and then provide advice to Essendon as a consultant. He is a highly respected sports physician and have no doubt that he spent time with Essendon's legal representatives before he addressed last night's meeting. As I said the other day the case is crumbling and the AFL should have the sense to pull out now.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"Once it is in S2 it HAS been passed, according to ASADA." I'm sorry but that just doesn't make sense. If a drug falls within Category S2 on the WADA Prohibited List it means the substance is BANNED. Falling within any of the categories on the WADA Prohibited List means the substance is banned, not that "it has passed"!
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@Phil Maguire The AFL charges are of ZERO interest to me. These are internal administrative matters for AFL - it is of no relevance to anyone outside the AFL community. My only interest in this issue is in relation to "Drugs in Sport".
mark
Guest
@ fussball, any posts, that have anything to do with Australian football and the AFL by you, must be taken with a grain of salt, in other words, not worth the tapping, or the smashing of your fingers on your keyboard. Whats more, you advised previously that you will never post on this AFL board. Whats with that !, are you a man of your word ?.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@ Phil Maguire WADA says AOD-9604 is a banned substance & it has always been a banned substance. WADA is the only authority that I will listen to on this matter. AFL360 may think they're experts in this field; independent lawyers may think they're experts in the field. The only opinions that matter are WADA &, eventually, CAS.