Retired Essendon great Dustin Fletcher has spoken of the frustration and embarrassment caused by the anti-doping ban that continues to affect his daily life even after his departure from the AFL.
Fletcher, who retired at the end of last season after 400 AFL games, is one of 34 past and present Bombers players currently serving ASADA bans for their part in the club’s 2012 supplements program.
The suspensions, most of which run until November this year, exclude current players from taking part in club-sanctioned football-related activities.
But it has also keeps Fletcher from pursuing professional opportunities in other sports and even places restrictions on what he is allowed to do when he attends his son’s football games with TAC Cup side, the Calder Cannons.
Fletcher remains unclear about exactly what he can and can’t do under the terms of the ban, with his father Ken describing the restrictions on him watching his son play as ludicrous and an absolute joke.
“Once your footy is all done and dusted it’s probably a hard time anyway, but just to have this still hovering in the background and obviously not be allowed to do certain things … it just makes it that little bit more difficult,” Fletcher told The Sunday Footy Show.
“It is more frustrating … you’ve probably been angry really for four years, it’s been that long an event, but I think it is nearly done.
“We will move on when the appeal gets handed down.”
The banned players have launched an appeal against the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s verdict that saw the suspensions enforced with a Swiss court to hear the case later this year.
Fletcher says he still counts former coach James Hird as a friend and holds no ill will toward the club but agrees mistakes were made by all parties involved.
Although he doesn’t believe he would do anything different if he had his time over.
“Obviously as one of those players we probably tried to tick off (supplements that were) WADA approved, ASADA approved, so we probably did all we could in that sense,” he said.
“You think to yourself could I have done anything different? “I still feel a little embarrassed when I go out because you probably withdraw just a little bit because you know it’s been such a massive scandal over a long period of time.”
Daz
Roar Pro
Thank you @Stephen, that is exactly what I mean. Two separate actions, at the time. If you put the word Thymosin into Google, even back in 2012, you'd have received a wikipedia page (which looked like this:https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thymosins&oldid=469026736 in 2012). Now, I know footballers aren't known for being sports scientists, but even on that page, you can see there are different types. Then, an honest player could have started by checking the WADA code available at the time, ringing the hotline that was available, or talking to Dr Reid (who apparently was a friend as well as doctor to most players) would have revealed that "Thymosin" was not necessarily one thing and that a certain type was banned. Anyone advising would surely told the player to check which type of thymosin they were receiving. Any honest player that "...probably did all we could in that sense” should have had alarm bells ringing. The fact they went along with it speaks volumes. @Casper, he wrote that he asked about it in his autobiography, but that was published on 1 September 2015. I don't know when it was written, but I'm sure it was written in hindsight of the "saga'. Nothing any player says about their state of mind, actions taken, or their accountability at the time rings true after the fact. Just because they say it now does not make it true at the time.
andyl12
Guest
"I’ve never heard one Essendon supporter say that they club got off too easy." And nor will you, because Essendon supporters are too clouded to admit anything.
Stephen
Guest
I don't think he suggested googling the WADA code for Thymosin. I think he said, Look up the WADA code and google thymosin, meaning 2 separate actions. Regardless if you google Thymosin now, you will get different results than if you googled in 2012, because this whole fiasco has generated a lot of results on it's own. Personally, I believe that if you google Thymosin, you will get information that there are many varieties. This is why you should never have the word "Thymosin" on a consent form or treatment form, as the word is too broad and vague. (One could even suggest the possibility that the term "Thymosin" was used in order to be intentionally ambiguous).
Joan
Guest
Have you googled the WADA Code for thymosin? Just try
Stephen
Guest
If you want some insight as to how a REAL court would handle the situation, please feel free to read: https://sociallitigator.com/2016/01/14/asada-said-links-in-a-chain-wada-said-strands-in-a-cable-which-was-right/ This article will show you that in all likelihood an Australian court of law would deal with the evidence in the same way as CAS. Just remember that the members of the CAS Panel are esteemed members of the legal profession and not just some Bozos assembled.
Stephen
Guest
I think that ASADA wanted to talk to Dank, but Dank did not want to play ball. All the legal threats in the world cannot drag words from someone's mouth. On the other hand, you would expect that if it was in Dank's best interests to talk to ASADA, he would do so quite willingly. Suggest that you also read http://www.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL%20Tenant/AFL/Files/EssendonFC-notice-of-charges.pdf
Stephen
Guest
Suggest that you carefully and fully read http://www.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL%20Tenant/AFL/Files/EssendonFC-notice-of-charges.pdf It will give you a pretty clear indication of what James Hird could have done differently and how key figures at the club should have known that things were amiss. There are too many people relying on media for information (which is low on factual content).
harry houdini
Roar Rookie
And still ASADA has not questioned Dank. No positive tests, no proof of enough TB4 to inject the players, no proof of TB4 onsite, no whistleblowers, still no confessions and the players were convicted by their admissions on a form that they signed to take part in a program where thymosin MAY be administered, a thymosin they understood to be thymomodulin. A farce of huge proportions. I would love to see this in a REAL court, not the CAS joke it was heard in.
Momentbymoment
Guest
Can't help but feel this could have gone so much better for the players if the club just admited they were negligent. The club digs its heels in and really dug its own grave.
Casper
Guest
I've not seen what evidence the club gave to ASADA, but I'm under the impression that they gave them what they had. Not sure why you are putting it on Hird. Dank and Robinson were in control of the program. I've never heard one Essendon supporter say that they club got off too easy. Kicked out of the finals, loss of draft picks, coach suspended, players suspended and a $2m fine. I doubt whether anyone would say that is getting off easy.
northerner
Guest
I'm not questioning Fletcher, but why doesn't Essendon have the books, why can't Hird say what the players were given? Huge failure of duty of care here in my books, and the club is getting off too easy in the eyes of its supporters.
Casper
Guest
Reading his autobiography it seems like he asked all of that. He was always questioning Dank, and Dank always got his book out to show him what he was taking.
Daz
Roar Pro
Still, I have no sympathy. You were one of 34 who was deemed to have taken a prohibited substance. You failed to comply with the WADA and ASADA code that you signed up to. Deal with it. "...we probably tried to tick off (supplements that were) WADA approved, ASADA approved, so we probably did all we could in that sense". Realy... all you could.... did you check with the club doctor who was raising concerns? Did you declare the injections to ASADA when asked? Did you look up the WADA code and google "thymosin"? Did you ask "what exactly is this substance that is being injected into my navel, off the premises, without certification, without the presence of the club docotor"?
Brinnx
Guest
Yeah what he going to do pump steroids into the half-time oranges? Such a thing as taking things to far.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
I agree that the bans on him being able to go into the rooms, etc. and help out as a normal dad, at his son's footy is ridiculous and unnecessary. Surely everyone could just turn a blind eye to that stupid rule.
Stephen
Guest
I think that the frustration he feels now should be offset against the benefits he received by being allowed to continue to play whilst the whole saga played out. Continued delays and stalling enabled him to play his 400th game. I think he has done OK. He should be grateful.
me too
Guest
don't do drugs dustin. oh you didn't? well what did you do?
Brinnx
Guest
Bit sick of the "banned bomber X is frustrated/sad/crying/angry" stories. The players got experimented on and completely screwed over by the club. Serve your bans, sue the Bombers for everything you can get and move on. Place the blame where it belongs and stop looking for excuses that excuse the inexcusable.