Port “devastated” for suspended stars as Bombers banned
UPDATED: Port Adelaide is “devastated” for recruits Paddy Ryder and Angus Monfries, who will join 15 of their former Essendon teammates on the sidelines this season after the Court of Arbitration sensationally upheld the World Anti-Doping Agency’s appeal against the beleaguered Bombers.
The Power’s General Manager of Football, Chris Davies, said the club was “extremely disappointed” with the decision.
“We are devastated for Angus and Paddy who have been through so much already,” Davies said in a statement.
“This has been a long, drawn out process for both of them and we are most unhappy that it has ended with such a significant suspension.
“First and foremost, we will look to support Angus and Paddy in every possible way during their time on the sidelines… we are very proud as to how Angus and Paddy have handled this whole process and as a club we will stand by them all the way.”
The Court of Arbitration upheld WADA’s appeal against 34 past and present Essendon players involved in the club’s controversial 2012 supplements program. WADA appealed to CAS after the AFL anti-doping tribunal found in March last year that there was insufficient evidence to find the players guilty of doping offences arising from the club’s controversial 2012 supplements program.
The players were accused of using banned peptide Thymosin beta-4.
Port ruckman Paddy Ryder. Photo: Julian Smith, AAP.
The club’s new chairman Lindsay Tanner said in a statement: “Regrettably we can confirm the Court of Arbitration for Sport has found 34 past and present players guilty of committing an anti-doping rule violation.”
“As a result, the players – including 12 currently listed with Essendon – have been suspended for the 2016 season,” he said.
“The Club is currently digesting the decision and we will provide a further update later today.”
The decision has major ramifications for finals aspirant Port, who recruited star big man Ryder and livewire forward Monfries from the Bombers after 2012. Other former Essendon players set to be affected are Jake Carlisle (St Kilda), Stewart Crameri (Western Bulldogs) and Jake Melksham (Melbourne).
Former Bomber Mark McVeigh will need to stand down as GWS Giants assistant coach, while a number of VFL, WAFL and lower-level clubs will also lose players and coaches.
ASADA CEO Ben McDevitt, who came under heavy scrutiny when the club won the agency’s original case against it, said “this unfortunate episode has chronicled the most devastating self-inflicted injury by a sporting club in Australian history”.
“There were very little grounds for the players to claim they were at no significant fault,” he argued in a statement.
“The players had received anti-doping education through the AFL and ASADA, and were well aware that they are personally responsible for all substances that enter their body.
“Unfortunately, despite their education, they agreed to be injected with a number of substances they had little knowledge of, made no inquiries about… and kept the injections from their team doctor and ASADA.”
He said “at best the players did not ask the questions, or the people, they should have”.
“At worst, they were complicit in a culture of secrecy and concealment,” he said.
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While it was always felt that the final decision could go either way, the severity of the ban is another unexpected twist in the saga.
There had been speculation that the players’ two-year bans could be backdated so heavily that they would only miss a handful of games or even none at all. Essendon had always been confident any punishment would be minimal.
"What a bullshit decision. We will appeal it if we can if not no footy or coaching for myself… https://t.co/dwzEPKKvMF"
"— Nathan Lovett-Murray (@NATRAT42) January 11, 2016"
The CAS verdict is most likely the last step in the official anti-doping process that started on February 5, 2012 when Essendon announced they were coming under a joint AFL and ASADA investigation.
"The most devastating self-inflicted injury by a sporting club in Australian history"
The three-man CAS panel was comfortably satisfied that the players took thymosin beta-4 as part of the club’s controversial supplements program.
It is the biggest anti-doping scandal in Australian sporting history and the guilty verdicts and bans will have massive ramifications.
“The 34 players concerned are sanctioned with a period of ineligibility of two years, commencing on 31 March 2015, with credit given for any individual period of ineligibility already served,” the CAS statement said.
“Thus, most of the suspensions will come to an end in November 2016.
Angus Monfries. Photo: Ben Macmahon, AAP.
“The panel found to its comfortable satisfaction that Clause 11.2 of the 2010 AFL Doping Code (use of a prohibited substance) has been violated and found by a majority that all players were significantly at fault.”
Essendon and the AFL had made contingency plans about top-up players, who also were used during last year’s pre-season competition as provisional bans were served.
Essendon captain Jobe Watson among the banned players, with his 2012 Brownlow Medal also under a cloud.
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd said the verdict and penalty was disastrous.
“It opens a pandora’s box – it’s Essendon’s and the AFL’s worst nightmare,” Lloyd told the Channel Nine Network.
“Players have lost their careers, lost their livelihoods, the stress on the families, themselves.”
Lloyd noted Watson had contemplated retirement at the end of last season because of the ongoing stress of the supplements saga.
Essendon coach John Worsfold oversees pre-season training. Photo: Tracey Nearmy, AAP.
Essendon’s season last year went into freefall once WADA announced in May they were appealing against the March AFL anti-doping tribunal verdict. CAS held the appeal hearing last November in Sydney.
“Probably another write off for Essendon in regards to playing finals football – how much can the supporters take it anymore?,” Lloyd said.
“That’s devastating for everyone involved in the AFL fraternity.”
Former WADA president John Fahey said the anti-doping code was clear on each sportsperson’s responsibility.
“The reality of the matter is that the individual player is the responsible party,” Fahey told the Seven Network.
“The strict liability applies to every athlete in the world, including Essendon players or any football player.
“That’s the simple facts of how the code works.”
Port Adelaide is likely to hold a media conference later today, after the AFL, Essendon and the AFL Players’ Association all front the media throughout the morning.
MORE TO COME
-with Roger Vaughan, AAP
THE BANNED 34 – WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
ESSENDON:
Jobe Watson
Tom Bellchambers
Stay informed, daily
Dyson Heppell
Michael Hibberd
Michael Hurley
Brent Stanton
Travis Colyer
Heath Hocking
Cale Hooker
Ben Howlett
David Myers
Tayte Pears
OTHER CLUBS:
Jake Carlisle – St Kilda
Jake Melksham – Melbourne
Angus Monfries – Port Adelaide
Paddy Ryder – Port Adelaide
Stewart Crameri – Western Bulldogs
NO LONGER PLAYING AFL:
Dustin Fletcher – retired
David Hille – retired
Sam Lonergan – retired
Nathan Lovett-Murray – retired
Mark McVeigh – retired
Scott Gumbleton – retired
Alwyn Davey – delisted
Luke Davis – delisted
Cory Dell’Olio – delisted
Ricky Dyson – delisted
Brent Prismall – delisted
Kyle Hardingham – delisted
Alex Browne – delisted
Leroy Jetta – delisted
Brendan Lee – delisted
Henry Slattery – delisted
Ariel Steinberg – delisted
