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Drugs in sport

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waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
"... but they're none to pleased with the way ASADA & the Government handled the enquiry".

They can just get into line with the rest of us.

I think part of the problem was that the LNP, having been so critical of the "darkest day in Australian sport" when in Opposition had to maintain that position for as long as possible once in Government. ASADA were IMO subject to a fairly sustained undermining campaign by LNP Ministers & their cheerleaders in the Murdoch (& to a lesser degree Fairfax) media.

ASADA could certainly have handled this whole mess a lot better & maybe they could've had successive governments not turned it into a political circus.
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
I think part of the problem was that the LNP, having been so critical of the "darkest day in Australian sport" when in Opposition had to maintain that position for as long as possible once in Government. ASADA were IMO subject to a fairly sustained undermining campaign by LNP Ministers & their cheerleaders in the Murdoch (& to a lesser degree Fairfax) media.

ASADA could certainly have handled this whole mess a lot better & maybe they could've had successive governments not turned it into a political circus.

They allowed themselves to be brought into the big top by appearing on stage with the political goons so the goons could get a headline.
Integrity of the process ought to have led to them taking the view that that was not a good idea.
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Kenyan Sevens Coach and players may be in some trouble.


Steroids have been found in supplements given to players on Kenya's fast improving rugby sevens team, according to a report that calls for disciplinary proceedings against head coach Paul Treu and five members of his staff.

The report by a task force set up by the government to investigate allegations of doping in Kenyan sport says there are "strong suggestions" that Treu of South Africa and his assistants have violated anti-doping rules after introducing the supplements to players.


Read more: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11345631
 

I like to watch

David Codey (61)
You think Essondon Have a choice to continue,or are they irrevocably tied to Hird doing his impersonation of the Monty Python black knight?
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
He was lucky to keep his job when he decided to appeal the initial decision, I seriously doubt that Essendon wouldn't give him the arse if he now chose to launch an appeal against his unsuccessful appeal a month out from the start of their season & with 20+ off their current roster facing infraction notices. They'd want it over, surely.
 

Strewthcobber

Mark Ella (57)
The article states that he's currently overseas, right in the middle of the pre-season so it doesn't look like he's juggling much at the moment?
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
^^^^^^ doesn't say where overseas, how long he's been there or when he's coming back either though, does it. Whadya reckon the chances are his lawyers said "we're fucked, best you get out've Oz for a coupla days & let us answer the "what now?" questions, that's what you're paying us for"?
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
^^^^^ questions that have now been asked & answered twice, surely, so let's say he goes for third time lucky & loses again, does he then go to the Privy Council?

Sooner or later someone needs to remind this prat that there are careers other than his at stake & maybe he should just accept that he fucked up big time, take whatever punishment he cops, and MOVE FUCKING ON.
 

ChargerWA

Mark Loane (55)
While I have serious reservations with ASADA's ability to add substances to the banned substance list then charge people for using them retroactively, this seems to be a pretty clear cut case of a team actively pushing the boundaries beyond what would widely be accepted as a reasonable limit.

Hird needs to put the team ahead of him self and just move on.
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
^^^ Yep. The Australia Act 1986 (Cth) and The Australia Act 1986 (UK) did away with the ability of the UK Parliament (or sovereign) to interfere in Australian activities.

Legally the buck now stops with the High Court of Australia.
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
^^^^^ questions that have now been asked & answered twice, surely, so let's say he goes for third time lucky & loses again, does he then go to the Privy Council?

Sooner or later someone needs to remind this prat that there are careers other than his at stake & maybe he should just accept that he fucked up big time, take whatever punishment he cops, and MOVE FUCKING ON.

There's a bigger issue which actually has nothing to do with the rights and wrongs of what you think Herd did and that concerns ASADA's ability to ride on the coat tails of a coercive investigative system in which the accused has no right to silence - i.e. the AFL.
It appears that not enough was done to quarantine the material obtained under coercion by the AFL from ASADA.
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
"The primary judge found, and it was not disputed, that, upon becoming a player or official, Mr Hird and the 34 players voluntarily accepted the obligations under the AFL's player rules and anti-doping code to attend interviews and answer questions fully and truthfully, or face possible sanction by the AFL. Mr Hird and the 34 players were all legally represented at their interviews."

Game, Set, Match. It's over & the sooner Hird accepts that fact the better for all concerned, surely?
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
"The primary judge found, and it was not disputed, that, upon becoming a player or official, Mr Hird and the 34 players voluntarily accepted the obligations under the AFL's player rules and anti-doping code to attend interviews and answer questions fully and truthfully, or face possible sanction by the AFL. Mr Hird and the 34 players were all legally represented at their interviews."

Game, Set, Match. It's over & the sooner Hird accepts that fact the better for all concerned, surely?

ASADA is not the AFL.
It is a condition of playing in the AFL (and ARL) that you answer questions truthfully - but that is because of the contract you enter into when you coach, manage or play either.
The issue, simply put, is whether information obtained by that means can be used by, essentially, a police body who, had they conducted the interviews themselves, the players and Hird would not have been obliged to say anything in answer to their questions: its called the right to silence and its pretty fundamental in most countries based on the English system.
The wider question for drugs in sport is the extent to which the previously fairly fundamental right can be circumvented for ASADA's benefit.
You may not be aware that, for instance, information obtained in ICAC cannot be used to prosecute.
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
"They also knew that the AFL was invoking the compulsory powers conferred by its player rules and its anti-doping code when it required answers to the interview questions.

"No one objected to answering any question, whether on the ground that its answer might incriminate him or expose him to a civil penalty, or otherwise."

I get where you're coming from & maybe Hird & the players should've had the right to silence. But they didn't, in fact they expressly gave it up so can't now claim its protection IMO.
 
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