ASADA show-cause notices for Dons
Date
June 12, 2014 - 7:20PM
Samantha Lane, Jake Niall
The 17-month drugs probe into Essendon Football Club has climaxed following the preparation of a slew of show cause notices for players by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.
Neither Essendon players nor the AFL have received any notification from ASADA that outlined alleged anti-doping rule breaches, but Fairfax Media established that the issuing of numerous notices was set to occur simultaneously.
A total of 34 notices will be issued to players, querying the use of the peptide thymosin beta 4. It is understood the show cause notices do not concern the use of the controversial anti-obesity drug AOD-9604.
The final step before show cause notices could be sent was the personal authorisation of each individual notice by ASADA’s CEO, Ben McDevitt, who told a Senate Estimates hearing last week that the case involving AFL and NRL clubs would come to a head in a matter of “weeks” rather than “months”.
The cause notices will be issued to past and present Essendon players as a consequence of the supplements program that was run at the club in 2012/13.
The Essendon footballers, who are being represented en masse by solicitor Tony Hargreaves and two members of the AFL Players’ Association’s legal counsel, will have 10 days to respond before briefs of evidence are passed from ASADA to the Anti-Doping Rule Violation Panel – the federal government appointed group of experts that must review all significant anti-doping proceedings.
Neither Essendon or the AFL are willing to comment at this stage, but Tim Watson, former Essendon great and father of current skipper Jobe, told Channel Seven that players were in "shock".
"The players, having received show-cause notices, are in shock," he said.
Watson also indicated that legal action would be taken by the club.
"There is probably going to be some legal action launched by the Essendon Football Club ... what happens beyond that is anyone's guess," he said.
Watson said he had "no idea" how the players were going to put the notices behind them and play on the weekend.
Fairfax Media reported last month that show cause notices had been expected at the beginning of June.
Any players or officials found guilty of doping offences face suspension from all sport, but the process of deciding whether anyone is guilty could take years, with legal action a certainty.
Essendon announced on February 5 last year that it was to be investigated under a joint AFL and ASADA inquiry.
In August last year, the AFL heavily penalised Essendon, kicking the club out of the finals and suspending coach James Hird for 12 months among other punishments.
But the ASADA investigation has been ongoing.
Also last year, Essendon had its own investigation into the supplements program.
Investigator Ziggy Switkowski reported ‘‘a disturbing picture of a pharmacologically experimental environment never adequately controlled or challenged or documented within the club’’.
Earlier on Thursday, Essendon chairman Paul Little addressed the ASADA issue in a letter to members.
‘‘Unfortunately there has not been any significant developments or relevant information made available to the Club in recent weeks,’’ he said.
‘‘Our players are still carrying the heavy burden of continued speculation in the media with no concrete timetable for the ASADA process to conclude - this has been incredibly frustrating for us all.
‘‘However, I can confirm we are exploring all legal options for our players in the unlikely event they receive show cause letters from ASADA.
‘‘We make no apologies for that.’’
