As revealed in her column on Friday, members of the AFL commission have been detailing for Caroline Wilson their hopes and dreams.
In this case, their hopes that Jobe Watson would hand back the 2012 Brownlow Medal and save them the trouble of actually having to make a difficult decision.
Wilson wrote – doubtlessly as instructed, unless she can actually read minds – that “senior and long-standing commissioners thought and certainly hoped that Watson would make the decision for them”.
Upon the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s guilty finding – a finding that however unexpected, must have been planned for – the AFL’s options on Watson’s Brownlow were as simple as they were uncomfortable: strip the award, or allow it to stand.
Remarkably, they decided to do neither. Instead the AFL chose to chart a familiar course: attempt to engineer and manage the most painless (for them) outcome possible, no matter how transparent the reality.
After more than three years, you’d think they might have learnt something.
But no, there would be no easy end on this for Watson. No ripping off the Band-Aid. He’d go under the knife of the suits again, as though the death-by-thousand-cuts – which the AFL itself played no small part in – already suffered by the players in this god-forsaken saga wasn’t enough.
Their first move was to publicly invite Watson to a humiliating meeting where, it said, he would be given the chance to get on his knees and plead to keep his medal.
As a proud person, Watson understandably didn’t even entertain it.
Then, of course, there’s the players’ appeal on the CAS judgement to Swiss courts, which in any case delays a final decision on the medal.
The AFL’s next move then isn’t to make a decision or even simply wait for the appeal to be heard. Instead, the “thoughts and hopes” of its highest officers – the commissioners – are communicated to Wilson for printing in newspapers in order to heap more public pressure on Watson.
Wilson’s track record in obtaining the private thoughts of AFL heavies throughout this saga is first-rate. She’s clearly gathered sources at the highest level of the game who use her to communicate things they don’t dare utter themselves. For a journalist, it’s admirable. It’s her job.
For the supposed “leaders” of the leaking organisation, it’s reprehensible weasel-work. Too afraid to take a strong stance publicly, they instead hide behind journalists to say things without really saying them; in this case, that despite everything Watson has already been through, it should be him who does the dirty work the Commission is charged with carrying out.
The continued lack of leadership is incredible. That those holding supposedly the most prestigious positions – those charged with running the game – should continue to behave this way is mind-boggling. It surely does nothing for any of their individual reputations, many of which were built outside football.
Is being a Commissioner only about attending the odd meeting and shaking hands with politicians? Unfortunately, aren’t they sometimes required to make difficult decisions? To – wait for it – lead?
Is it too much to ask the AFL to play a straight bat, just for once? No manipulation, no managing of outcomes, no buck-passing?
The outcome of the players’ hail-mary Swiss appeal notwithstanding, the reality is clear: Watson loses his Brownlow. It was won at a time when it’s been found he was committing one of the most serious offences in football. It simply cannot stand. There are rules in place.
That’s not to suggest it’s fair on Watson. For a number of reasons, including the doubt regarding any advantage actually gained by the infamous supplement program, my own opinion is that Watson deserved his medal in 2012. I don’t think it’s fair he has to hand it back and I don’t for one second think he should voluntarily do so, particularly given he still believes in his own ultimate innocence. It’s an ugly situation, but it’s just another consequence of another very ugly situation: that inside Essendon in 2012.
It’s black-and-white – the medal simply cannot stand, by the AFL’s own rules and its own anti-doping code. When the final legal page on this never-ending mess is finally turned, let’s hope the AFL behave with just a shred of dignity and show some leadership.
I won’t be holding my breath.
Samantha
Roar Rookie
Again, what happens if the appeal were to be successful, does the Brownlow then get stripped from the two runners up (presumably it went to them?) and re-awarded to Watson? Sounds like a circus to me.
Aransan
Guest
Well said Don.
Karma Miranda
Guest
The success of the appeal is immaterial. A true Champion would have handed it back years ago, around the time of the Fox Footy interview, when it was clear that Watson knew the ramifications of this whole sorry saga. Further dithering by all concerned over the intervening period only adds to the farce; which goes to the heart of this article.
Don Freo
Guest
I like the way the AFL tries to make things work out for most concerned. No member of the press or the public needs to know the machinations. I know it disappoints some journos and many gossip columnists (like Caro, Bec Wilson and Hutchy)...but I really like that bit. Let the public watch footy. The try-hard columnists that forget footy and try to make footy something it is not are really tedious. I love The Roar because you can count on articles about the playing of the game. Who are the stars of the future? Who continues to amaze? What'll happen this weekend? The managerial/political stuff has always spoiled such discussion.
Col in paradise
Guest
This is the best article for 3 years on this topic..totally agree with it !!!!,.....which is rare for me on the topic as most fo the time its defending the indefensible...the club and Hird either cheated or totally mis managed its programme or both... and deserve all they get..the players I feel sorry for..and as you say..the AFL Managers and execs rather than slyly moving around should have the balls to make decisions and a call....that's what they get paid for...noses in the trough us fans pay for....
joe b
Guest
The EFC's internal investigation undertaken by Ziggy stated there was a "disturbing picture of a pharmacologically experimental environment never adequately controlled or challenged or documented", which resulted in a $2m fine from the AFL for poor governance and breach of duty of care, amongst other penalties. The AFL tribunal upheld 10 charges against Dank including 'attempted trafficking of TB4 to EFC'. The CAS guilty verdict of players taking TB4. The fact that the AFL asked Jobe to attend a meeting to discuss why he should keep the medal... suggesting a fait accompli. Finally, the only hope of a successful appeal is through a technicality of the CAS process, not through new evidence supposedly showing what drugs where injected. This is why some people might think the AFL can make this decision before the result of the appeals process is known... it is hardly mind blowing.
Aransan
Guest
And truth does not just come from a fertile imagination.
Samantha
Roar Rookie
The AFL register of findings shows them with a recorded drug strike. Did they cheat? Yes Did the cheating involve drugs? Yes Therefore, drug cheat. Whether they intended to or not CAS did not care about. Intent is irrelevant. A player's body still gains the same benefit regardless of intent. Watson still scored more Brownlow votes whilst he was actively and knowingly involved in the supplement programme, than any other period in his entire career.
Joan
Guest
Anyone calling Watson or the other 33 a drug cheat or that they were convicted of being drug cheats would be wise to check defamation laws. ASADA/WADA made no such claim and CAS made no such finding. Check out para 164 of the CAS report
Jay Buoy
Guest
Watsons improvement from a plodder who was below average by any metric and was about to be given his marching orders by Sheedy to an elite player is more easily explained by enhancement than by any other method.. .Nothing to hide then fill your drug intake forms in correctly when asked to after games..Cheating is not fairer or better..
BigAl
Guest
"Wilson wrote – doubtlessly as instructed..." That's a bit demeaning to Caro ! - suggests she is a mouthpiece of the AFL ??. She would have to be the most objective/fiecest critic of the AFL amongst the whole AFL media horde
Wilson
Roar Guru
What If they are cleared with the Appeal? For me I think they have to wait till after the Appeal and if they lose then he need to be striped of the Brownlow not before.
mattyb
Guest
I think it is fair enough to wait until all the appeals are exhausted before any decision is made. If the suspensions stand then Jobe can't be considered the winner unfortunately. That doesn't mean I think he should give it back though and I'm not overly interested in any good bloke,bad bloke argument. If hes a good bloke and thinks he didn't do anything wrong he should just keep the medal. If he's a bad bloke and knows he no longer deserves it but doesn't care then he obviously isn't going to give it back anyway. Watson didn't force anybody to give him the medal,the league decided to under the rules they consider warrant the award. If something has changed its up to them to make the decision to strip him of the award and them only.
Samantha
Roar Rookie
You are right, he can't keep the medal if he remains a convicted drug cheat. Since that conviction is under appeal it is just plain ridiculous to strip it and possibly have to re-award it if the appeal wins (which I don't think has a snowballs chance in hell of, but it doesn't matter). How much of a circus would it be if the AFL took the medal now, re-awarded it to the runners up, then the appeal is successful so the AFL has to then strip it from the runner's up and re-award it back to Watson. Mind blowing why people don't get there is nothing to be done while an appeal is underway.
Brian
Guest
As others have said its clear he can't keep the medal. Just remember this is the AFL expect an announcement a day before the season starts. Its all about getting ahead of reality TV shows and Donald Trump at the water cooler
Paul D
Roar Guru
Maybe the AFL commission can take a lead from the Federal government - the masters of squibbing decisions they’re supposed to make - and conduct a non-binding and pointless plebiscite of all AFL fans as to whether or not Jobe gets to keep his Brownlow. I agree that the leadership has been absolutely gutless on this. There’s no way he can keep the medal, so bite the bullet and strip it.
me too
Guest
Whether using PEDs knowingly or not, whether the PEDs were what WADA says or whether we have no clue, as Essendon claims not to - Watson in volunteering for a mass injection program of 'unkown' substances certainly doesn't deserve to be recognised as the 'fairest' player in the comp.
Josephine
Roar Pro
Thanks for giving Caroline Wilson credit for her outstanding level of information gathering. Why is there such a debate about this whole scenario anyway? It's best and fairest, he wasn't the fairest he didn't deserve it it goes against the AFL and it's values and codes.
Tony Tea
Guest
Footy is lies.
Aransan
Guest
I agree, but if the players lose their appeal then Watson should hand back his Brownlow medal so long as that doesn't compromise any claim for damages against Essendon that he might have. No wonder Watson has been so torn through all of this.