Wounded? I haven't bled too much, says Stephen Dank
by: Brent Read
From: The Australian
August 13, 2013 12:00AM
THE proverbial is about to hit the fan in Melbourne but Stephen Dank isn't willing to wait. He can see what's coming. As he sits in a coffee shop on the ground floor of the building where his barrister works in Sydney, Dank appears a bundle of bullish energy as the conversation drifts between the AFL, NRL and the Australian Sports Anti-doping Authority, the three bodies at the centre of the investigation that shadows sport in this country.
Over the course of close to two hours, Dank insists he has nothing to fear from the current investigation. He reiterates he has never given banned drugs to any of the athletes he has helped. He denies ever using the banned substance thymosin beta 4 and says he has issues with the journalist who printed that he had. He says he never worked with athletes outside the jurisdiction of their clubs.
He makes it clear his admiration for Essendon is only matched by his antipathy for the AFL, NRL and ASADA. At one point in the conversation, he takes my mobile phone and scans through a column written by The Australian's award-winning sports commentator Patrick Smith.
Smith had described Dank as wounded. Dank insists he is nothing of the sort.
"I don't feel like I am wounded," Dank says. "I don't think I have bled too much throughout all of this."
The thrust of Smith's column was that Dank should make himself available to ASADA for interview. As yet, ASADA hasn't come calling, but even if it does, Dank won't be co-operating.
ASADA will receive the same short shrift as that given to the AFL's integrity unit when that body attempted to set up an interview some months ago.
"If on day one they had said to me I think there may be some issues or things we want to discuss, or clarify, I would have been the first one in there to clarify," Dank says.
"It was never, never my intention to be obstructive but at the end of the day they have created an environment where I have said obviously I am not going to assist simply because of a lack of process and a lack of respect.
"Had they come to me day one in a totally different tone, of course I would have some long and fruitful discussions. They were the ones that elected to throw that out the door. I make no apology for that."
He also points out legal action against ASADA is on the horizon. Why would you co-operate with ASADA one minute, and sue it the next?
"It doesn't make sense," Dank says. "For all sorts of reasons, and mostly centred around what we just discussed, that's why there is no co-operation between myself and ASADA."
Dank insists the ASADA investigation has done little to damage his reputation. He continues to work for English Super League side Hull KR, watching the club's games each week and helping coach Craig Sandercock from his home in Melbourne.
Most weekends, he flies to Sydney to watch rugby league. He was at the Sydney Roosters' game against Canberra on Saturday. He is in contact with a host of players, in particular Cronulla captain Paul Gallen.
During our conversation, one of his business associates takes a seat at the table and details how the ASADA investigation, and the publicity surrounding it, has been a boon for their business selling sports supplements.
It hasn't all been rosy, however. Dank would still love to be involved in the AFL and NRL. It's pretty clear he misses the adrenalin that comes with being part of the dressing room or stalking the sidelines. He may relocate to England at some point to take a hands-on role at Hull. He hasn't given up hope of returning to the NRL or AFL.
He will take a keen interest in developments in the AFL in coming days, when it is expected Essendon will be heavily sanctioned for its supplement regime during Dank's tenure.
Coach James Hird, his long-time mentor Danny Corcoran, and club doctor Bruce Reid are all expected to be charged by the AFL with bringing the game into disrepute, possibly as early as today.
"To be brutally honest, tomorrow's outcome is going to be about what Essendon have contributed in a matter of disrepute to the game, which I think is ... laughable because I don't believe Essendon has done anything wrong," Dank said.
"There will be be nothing concrete from any doping violation point of view and I would suggest ASADA would need to be very, very careful if they're going to try to find a doping violation.
"Essendon will have their day in court so while tomorrow is the first concrete piece of any sort of outcome in relation to this investigation, it is not an outcome that is a direct result of the investigation.
"It is more of the AFL's interpretation ... I think Mr Demetriou is going to have some issues on that front.
"I feel for them because I don't believe Essendon have done anything wrong," Dank said.
"I think that's the thing I am probably most angry about."
