Essendon star Jobe Watson is considering his AFL future after being stripped of the 2012 Brownlow Medal.
Watson was one of 34 past and present Essendon players banned this season for anti-doping code violations arising from the club’s 2012 supplements program.
The veteran was last week stripped of the 2012 Brownlow by the AFL Commission, having already decided to hand back the medal.
Bombers coach John Worsfold on Tuesday raised doubts about Watson’s future after the furore surrounding the medal.
“I can’t say what his mood is but it’s challenged him more than where he was at six weeks ago,” Worsfold told News Corp.
“We will support him taking his time with that decision, if and when that passion comes back. I am confident it will and I have told Jobe I will assist him and hopefully he can find that.”
The uncertainty surrounding Watson’s future comes as Essendon agreed to pay settlements to 18 past and present players who lost earnings as a result of the supplements saga.
Law firm Slater and Gordon on Tuesday confirmed the Bombers had reached an in-principle agreement with the players but said the amount of money each would receive was confidential.
“These players were innocent participants in the supplements program,” class action lawyer Patrick Gordon said.
“They were given assurances that all supplements they were receiving had been approved from people who they thought they could trust.
“No player at any time intended to breach their obligations under the AFL Anti-Doping Code and any such breach that occurred was due to the players being misled about the nature of the supplements they received.
“They now hope to move on with their lives and careers, both within and outside the AFL.”
Gordon said paperwork had been lodged in regards to the settlements, which were expected to be formally resolved in coming days.
Stewart Crameri, who now plays for the Western Bulldogs and has been publicly linked to Slater and Gordon, is among the 18 players set to receive a settlement.
It’s understood some of the remaining 16 players have sought independent advice and may still be seeking to reach settlements.
The Bombers last week revealed the supplements debacle had cost them almost $10 million over the last year.
Essendon said the net additional cost of player compensation claims and legal fees was $4.5 million.
Additionally, they had to fork out $1.5 million for short-term player contracts so they could field a team.
They also lost $3.1 million in reduced gate takings and other revenue and took another $806,000 hit as they wrote off assets at their old Windy Hill ground.
Slane
Guest
I find that most of the people who have a problem with Caro are barely able to read a newspaper anyway.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Caro is a pretty good journo, really, and as others have said her criticisms are perfectly valid. They should have had this planned out long ago.
Katfish
Roar Guru
Mdso, northerner is bang on. The players still hold some guilt. Watson has refused to acknowledge that and has been pulling the victim card. Yes he is somewhat a victim, but he has had an opportunity to make an example of this whole scenario. To suggest he is a hero is ridiculous.
Birdman
Guest
leave Caro alone, Bruce. It's not like the AFL didn't have plenty of time to plan for these contingencies as she quite rightly points out.
Cat
Roar Guru
A lawyer (ambulance chasing one at that) saying someone isn't guilty ... show me a lawyer who doesn't make that claim.
northerner
Guest
I read what Peter Gordon said. What else is the lawyer representing 18 of the players going to say? The reality is that the players had a greater level of responsibility than that to ensure that what they were taking was WADA compliant, but not one of the knows what he took. And further, none of them discussed it with the team doctor. That in itself shows they didn't take their personal, individual responsibility seriously. They've learned a hard lesson, the hardest way possible. They are certainly owed compensation for what the club has put them through. And they have "done their time" and are entitled to move forward. But lets not pretend they were innocent victims - any one of them could have, at any time, demanded to know exactly what he was being injected with, and checked it out. None of them did.
TomC
Roar Guru
Perfectly fair article.
Bruce
Guest
Again Caroline Wilson who has never run anything in her life has a cheap potshot at the AFL who are negotiating their way around an unprecedented Brownlow medal presentation event. http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-in-a-muddle-over-brownlow-presentation-20161122-gsv8fd.html No wonder people hold her I such high regard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Captain Captain
Roar Rookie
mdso said | November 23rd 2016 @ 9:53am | ! Report Perhaps you didn’t read or missed what Peter Gordon said. That should read Patrick Gordon, not Peter Gordon the WB Prez. Patrick is Peter's son IIRC. Both are lawyers.
mdso
Guest
Perhaps you didn't read or missed what Peter Gordon said. The players were not at fault. They filled in their forms they did what was required of them short of having a science degree. They were assured the supplements met the WADA code. You probably weren't aware there were 12 AFL clubs who all had undocumented supplement programs. I hope whoever you follow wasn't one of them or isn't in the future. Will the supporters of other clubs let the banned Essendon players make a new start and play footy? It remains to be seen.
Birdman
Guest
Existential crisis at Windy Hill
Jrod
Guest
Champion?
Katfish
Roar Guru
you're dreaming if you think Dank will actually come out with anything new. Even more so if you think Jobe deserves a statue Dank is just a clown looking for attention and Watson is no hero
Mike
Guest
Jobe Watson statue???????? Dank pull off a miracle?????????? So much I could say, so much I won't.
The Finger
Guest
It would be a shame for one of the AFL's champions to bow out this way. I like to watch the best players in the game, no matter who they play for. Watson deserves to be encouraged to get back out there, and I reckon if he does, the Essendon fans will be rapt, and probably insist that a statue of Watson be erected for what he has done for the club during the recent hard years of supplement issues. Can Dank pull off a miracle and finally prove that the players supplement program operated within the rules? If so, there are interesting times ahead!