The joint AFL-ASADA Essendon investigation that survived two Federal Court challenges also has the backing of an internal review.
More than three years after it was first flagged, the league’s review of how it handled the Essendon supplements debacle is now reportedly with the 18 clubs.
The Australian has published details of the findings, with the review endorsing the league’s joint investigation with the national anti-doping body.
Essendon and James Hird lost a Federal Court challenge over the legality of the AFL-ASADA investigation.
Hird then broke ranks with the club and lost a Federal Court appeal against the original verdict.
The review will do little to appease fierce critics of how the AFL handled the Essendon crisis, the biggest scandal in Australian sporting history.
The joint investigation was one of the most controversial elements of the four-year saga.
Essendon announced they were coming under AFL-ASADA investigation in February 2013.
That August, the league hit Essendon with the harshest penalties in the game’s history.
Essendon were kicked out of the finals, fined $2 million and docked draft picks, while Hird was banned for 12 months.
As flagged by current chief executive Gillon McLachlan, the internal review also recommends stricter guidelines for top AFL officials in the event of another investigation.
The chief executive would stand down from the commission and would help run the investigation.
It would then be the commission’s role to rule on any sanctions.
Essendon’s season-opening win over Hawthorn last Saturday night was an emotional and symbolic milestone as the club moves on from the scandal.
That team featured six of the players who have returned from the doping bans that stemmed from the debacle.
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
Where'd you find the report, Tom? I've still got free time before a media lecture and I wouldn't mind having a look.
TomC
Roar Guru
I just finished reading the report, and it really is pathetic. It reads more like a response to a report. There's certainly no probing assessment of the problems with its investigation.
TomC
Roar Guru
Reports are all fixed, and I have a report that proves it!
Paul
Guest
There is no doubt that there is a stink Recent revelations reveal a systematic pattern of deceit the west coast report proves it 10 years in the making and they still don't release it Try these on as well Son of president represents essendon players in wada case That team suddenly Wow, not hard to feel there was plenty of mud on head office A fixture that is so biased its unreal Umpiring so inconsistent that no one knows what's going on 27 different umpires lets let them all interpret and expect consistency no prior opportunity If they don't fix the illegal disposal rule it allows inconsistency which also leads to either incompetence. Or biases even have ball ups in place of a bounce ( women umpires) The only bloke who has spoken up is Kennelly why he's his own man All others are sycophants paid and owned Consider bomber s role Consider the weapon Many premierships since 2002 have been tainted Oh and when hawthorn move to dingley who owned that land previous Been a lot of hawthorn guys in admin senior positions too no suprise umpiring ( free kick hawthorn) has? Geelong new stadium they had to win ( big body's built quick too smashing thru tackles) never penalised Sydney cola Brisbane West coast They have turned OUR game into an Event
Reservoir Animal
Guest
Investigating an injection programme whose details weren't recorded was never going to be easy. No doubt the AFL and ASADA weren't perfect, but if they'd ignored the whole thing with an attitude of "we can't investigate a club that destroys all records of what the players took," then AFL football and many other sports would be more worse off as a result.
andyl12
Guest
"The report so clearly highlights the failings of the AFL" How so?
Steve009
Roar Rookie
The AFL says the AFL is OK, not a surprise. The report so clearly highlights the failings of the AFL even those words aren't written within it.