Former Essendon employee and controversial sports scientist Stephen Dank has been banned from working in the AFL for life.
The decision to end Dank’s career in the sport was handed down today by the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal, and will take effect from 25 June this year.
Dank is currently not working for any AFL club.
Although he was found not guilty for several charges earlier this year, Dank was found guilty of ten charges relating to trafficking, attempting to traffick and complicity in matters related to prohibited substances.
The AFL’s statement in April relating to what he was found guilty of read as follows.
“The Tribunal has found that the former Essendon support person has been found guilty of 10 breaches of the AFL Anti-Doping Code.
“The breaches include trafficking, attempting to traffick and complicity in matters related to a range of prohibited substances.”
He has denied the charges numerous times throughout the supplements scandal, and said that he gave players no illegal substances.
This is despite admitting he administered the banned peptide Thymosin Beta 4 in an interview with Fairfax Media.
He later retracted the comment, saying he meant he had give players Thymomodulin, which isn’t banned under the WADA code.
Dank chose to be unrepresented at the Tribunal hearing, chaired by former Victorian County Court judge David Jones, which determined the penalties.
Last month, the Tribunal upheld 10 anti-doping infringements against Dank, but he was cleared of 24 other alleged infringements.
He has the right to contest the the lifetime ban before an AFL appeals board.
The finding could delay the World Anti-Doping Agency’s proposed re-hearing of the case against 34 past and present Essendon players at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Dank worked for the Cronulla Sharks in 2011, before working for Essendon in 2012. He has also been banned for life by the NRL.
“AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal has ended its deliberation on sanction of former Essendon FC support person found to have breached Anti-Doping Code.
“The Tribunal has imposed a lifetime sanction, commencing on 25 June 2015.”
Essendon players were previously found not guilty of any offences by the AFL Ant-Doping Tribunal. This decision has been appealed by the World Anti-Doping Authority, with a hearing date still to be determined.
With AAP
Penster
Guest
Same as Melbourne being fined for not tanking. Nothing to see here ......
WhereIsGene
Guest
Dank banned for life for "trafficking peptides" (to whom?) and "complicity in matters related to peptides". So... he didn't actually supply Essendon players with peptides, he certainly didn't inject them with any, but we're banning him for life because.... umm.... its just "the vibe". Trust us he deserves it, just don't ask us why. Oh and there is absolutely no peptide problem in the AFL, we're clean as a whistle folks! If anyone is still wondering why WADA requested the upcoming trial be heard *outside* Australia, wonder no more. It disgusts me the way this country talks tough on doping, the way we ridicule Chinese swimmers when they do it but whenever our homegrown athletes are busted we work like mad to sweep it under the rug. Massive double standard which needs to be exposed, the AFL's financial interests be damned.
The artist formerly known as Punter
Guest
Yes I'm confused!!!!!
jamesb
Guest
So the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal gives a not guilty verdict to the Essendon players, but in return, Dank gets a lifetime ban from the same AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal. Yeah, that makes sense.
cm
Guest
I know. I mean, who is going to hire someone who can import the good stuff, but is somehow totally unable to give it to anyone? That's just incompetence that is!
Penster
Guest
Not sure too many clubs were lining up to hire him .....
marcel
Guest
AFL ordains its official scapegoat?
Fadida
Guest
Agree. Apparently there was no evidence of stimulants, peptides etc but Dank is guilty of trafficking and supplying them??? And yet they didn't exist......
bryan
Guest
Was this ban even required? You would have to go full retard to touch him in Australian Sport
The truth
Guest
You are 100% correct Kev. The AFL is a disgrace and needs to cleaned out. Kennett is the man for the job. He won't be there to make friends and will clean this mess up.
Franko
Guest
The AFL would have been better off not handing down this ban, it only highlights their hypocrisy. No club would hire the man anyway.
kevin
Guest
So he gets life, but Hird and Little keep telling us nothing has been done wrong.( I think not}