Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
WHILE the sanctions that have been imposed on Essendon have been well reported already, for those of our readers that are interested in the full official statement that was released by the AFL, here it is in it’s entirety:
The AFL Commission and the Essendon FC acknowledge that the conduct in its totality relied upon by the AFL and EFC to constitute a breach of Rule 1.6 is as follows, namely, that Essendon FC:
· established a program relating to the administration of supplements to its players in preparation for, and during, the 2012 AFL premiership season (the Program);
· engaged in practices that exposed players to potential risks to their health and safety as well as the potential risk of using substances that were prohibited by the AFL Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Code;
· disregarded standard practices involving the human resources department when employing Dean Robinson and Stephen Dank at EFC;
· failed to conduct routine, systematic pre-employment checks in respect of Dean Robinson and Stephen Dank;
· failed to ensure that persons with the necessary integrity, reputation and training were engaged by EFC to implement the Program;
· failed to ensure that those implementing the Program were adequately supervised;
· failed to devise or implement adequate systems or processes to ensure that some substances provided to and used by players were safe and were compliant with the AFL Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Code;
· failed to have proper regard to player health and safety, including failing to ensure that some substances had no potentially negative effects on players;
· failed to identify and record the source from which some substances used by players were obtained;
· failed to adequately monitor and record the use of some substances;
· failed to audit or monitor some substances held on the premises of EFC;
· failed to implement a system for recording and storing some substances held on the premises of EFC;
· failed to meaningfully inform players of some substances the subject of the Program and obtain their informed consent to the administration of some of the substances;
· failed to take appropriate and adequate action when it became aware of facts that suggested that unsatisfactory and potentially risky practices were occurring in relation to the administration of supplements; and
· permitted a culture at EFC of frequent, uninformed and unregulated use of the injection of supplements.
The AFL Commission further determines, and the Essendon FC further acknowledges, that by reason of the above matters:
· EFC failed to ensure it adequately protected the health, welfare and safety of the players;
· there was a risk that Essendon players could have been administered substances prohibited by the AFL Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Code and any such risk is an unacceptable risk; and
· EFC is unable now to determine whether players were administered some substances prohibited by the AFL Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Code,
As a result, it has been determined the Essendon FC breached Rule 1.6 of the AFL Player Rules (March 2011).
Essendon FC sanction
Essendon FC:
· will pay to the AFL a fine in the sum of $2,000,000, such amount to be paid by in instalments as follows:
· $400,000 on 31 December 2013;
· $800,000 on 31 December 2014;
· $800,000 on 31 December 2015; and
· will forfeit its place in the 2013 AFL finals series and will not play in the 2013 AFL finals series, being deemed to have finished the 2013 Premiership Season in ninth position;
· is prohibited from exercising, at the 2013 National Draft, its Round 1 and Round 2 selections, as those selections are identified immediately prior to the exchange period as specified under Rule 9.1 and any rights conveyed under Rule 8.1; and
· is prohibited from exercising, at the 2014 National Draft, its Round 1 and Round 2 selections, as those selections are identified immediately prior to the exchange period as specified under Rule 9.1 and any rights conveyed under Rule 8.1.
· EFC will, in 2014, be granted a selection at the end of Round 1 of the National Draft prior to any compensation selections otherwise awarded under the Rules.
· For the avoidance of doubt, the EFC has the ability to trade in for draft selections at any level of draft pick in the 2013 and 2014 National Drafts.
EFC acknowledges that:
· EFC regrets the impact and the potential consequences of this matter for the EFC players and the AFL competition in general;
· EFC supports the AFL Rules and recognises the need for the integrity of those Rules and the integrity of the AFL competition to be preserved by the AFL Commission.
The AFL acknowledges that neither EFC nor any of the individuals charged set out to implement a supplements program that would result in players being administered prohibited or potentially harmful substances.