John Lawler, head of ACC has been interviewed.
Summary of his statements in the Roy Masters column from the SMH.
Why the Press Conference?
Firstly, someone could have died. There were injections given to players by non-qualified people of substances not meant for human use, where the doctor didn't know anything about it.
The second reason was to put a shot across the bows of the criminals regarding the sale of performance-enhancing drugs to professional athletes.
The third reason for going public was to get players to come forward and make self-disclosure.
Why the date?
It was dictated by intelligence findings.
An earlier date was planned but a premature announcement would have compromised an ongoing investigation
Why the Pollies?
They were always going to be involved. There needed to be additional resources to ASADA
Gains in the past 5 weeks
The things we wanted to happen have.
The codes have set up their own integrity units
They have banned sports scientists from injecting players.
The role of doctors in clubs has now been reversed.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration have made changes regarding the supply of peptides online
The Victorian Police has established a sport integrity unit
No one, including young and impressionable players, would not ask questions when about to be injected with a possibly dangerous drug.
Further people have come forward.
Read more:http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/why-did-we-act-players-lives-were-in-jeopardy-20130318-2gb98.html#ixzz2Ny2Jggs0
I am convinced that there are issues involving Mr Danks, injections and use of dodgy if not banned substances by some/many athletes.
The 3 reasons quoted are IMHO hardly compelling.
1. Driving to training is dangerous and someone could die. Repeated concussions are also dangerous and a player
could die.
2. To have a go at organised crime. What about the greater profits and misery caused by Organised Crime selling their usual range of drugs on the street? Where are they going to make the most money - Selling to 20 million "normal" Australians, or to 2000 professional athletes?
3. We know you may have been doing it, but we have no evidence and can't be bothered doing the necessary investigatory legwork.
The Pollies
Are there Federal ministers at every "we're going to get tough on drugs" announcement?
Why this one in particular?
The Gains
Did you need all the grandstanding, bully-boy tactics over the codes and to besmirch the reputation of ALL Australian athletes to achieve those gains?
IMHO there are far more
effective and
efficient ways of achieving all of the claimed gains without all the posturing and grandstanding.
For all my grandstanding, the statement "
No one, including young and impressionable players, would not ask questions when about to be injected with a possibly dangerous drug." is very relevant and is a major preventative measure that has come out of this whole fiasco. Unfortunately given the society that we are in, and the amount of money and glory involved, some young and impressionable, will still ignore that message and indulge in these practices in the pursuit of glory and recognition.
As said earlier, this important message could have been delivered without all the grandstanding.
Another good thing that this has done is that it did sell out Shark Park. A boost for their coffers which are apparently rather empty.
