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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Essendon's punishment was lenient when considering its crime | Essendon's punishment was lenient when considering its crime |
| (21 days later) | |
| Since Essendon accepted a $2m fine, a loss of draft picks and the suspension of coach James Hird, there's been much talk of "the harshest penalties in the history the game". | Since Essendon accepted a $2m fine, a loss of draft picks and the suspension of coach James Hird, there's been much talk of "the harshest penalties in the history the game". |
| Perhaps they are, in purely economic terms. But when you look at the crime they start to seem rather lenient. Collingwood's Heath Shaw was banned for 14 matches in 2011 for betting $10 on a team mate. On Hird's watch his players were subjected to a supplements programme with unknown consequences, yet he gets less than double that. | Perhaps they are, in purely economic terms. But when you look at the crime they start to seem rather lenient. Collingwood's Heath Shaw was banned for 14 matches in 2011 for betting $10 on a team mate. On Hird's watch his players were subjected to a supplements programme with unknown consequences, yet he gets less than double that. |
| It's hard not to conclude that the deal struck between the AFL and Essendon was simply the easiest option for both parties. The AFL may have had difficulty proving the allegations of doping contained in their charge sheet and simply wanted the affair out of the headlines before the finals, so they allowed Essendon to negotiate a settlement. | It's hard not to conclude that the deal struck between the AFL and Essendon was simply the easiest option for both parties. The AFL may have had difficulty proving the allegations of doping contained in their charge sheet and simply wanted the affair out of the headlines before the finals, so they allowed Essendon to negotiate a settlement. |
| The Bombers, for their part, wanted to leave with their heads held high (and their collective wallet not emptied by lawyers) – and so we have "harsh penalties" for "conduct unbecoming" and "bringing the game into disrepute", but no mention of drugs. A whitewash, in the words of Peter FitzSimons. | The Bombers, for their part, wanted to leave with their heads held high (and their collective wallet not emptied by lawyers) – and so we have "harsh penalties" for "conduct unbecoming" and "bringing the game into disrepute", but no mention of drugs. A whitewash, in the words of Peter FitzSimons. |
| The result is good for Essendon and the AFL in the short term (look over there – finals!), but what of the players, the fans and the long-term health of the sport? Essendon continue their toxic infatuation with James Hird, who will now be installed as the martyr of Windy Hill for "heroically" taking one for the team. | The result is good for Essendon and the AFL in the short term (look over there – finals!), but what of the players, the fans and the long-term health of the sport? Essendon continue their toxic infatuation with James Hird, who will now be installed as the martyr of Windy Hill for "heroically" taking one for the team. |
| "Hi guys, this will obviously be the last video we'll do together for a while," he said in his "message to fans", barely able to suppress a smirk. And why shouldn't he be smiling? Not only does he get a year's holiday, he'll come back to a contract extension. | "Hi guys, this will obviously be the last video we'll do together for a while," he said in his "message to fans", barely able to suppress a smirk. And why shouldn't he be smiling? Not only does he get a year's holiday, he'll come back to a contract extension. |
| And if football manager Danny Corcoran (suspended for six months) and assistant coach Mark Thompson (fined $30,000) stay in place until 2015, then the dream team that brought us the whole mess will be reunited. It will be like nothing ever happened. | And if football manager Danny Corcoran (suspended for six months) and assistant coach Mark Thompson (fined $30,000) stay in place until 2015, then the dream team that brought us the whole mess will be reunited. It will be like nothing ever happened. |
| Except that it did. Players were injected with god-knows-what and may still face action from ASADA (not to mention long-term health effects). AFL Players Association chief Matt Finnis says that legal action on behalf of players is still a possibility, but it seems unlikely considering the relationship Hird continues to have with the club. In that sense, the players (and their parents, with one notable exception) have dudded themselves by not speaking out about what happened to them. | Except that it did. Players were injected with god-knows-what and may still face action from ASADA (not to mention long-term health effects). AFL Players Association chief Matt Finnis says that legal action on behalf of players is still a possibility, but it seems unlikely considering the relationship Hird continues to have with the club. In that sense, the players (and their parents, with one notable exception) have dudded themselves by not speaking out about what happened to them. |
| The fans, including the deluded #standbyhird brigade, have been let down as well. They've forked over a good deal of money for memberships, tickets and pay TV to be part of a season they were never really competing in. The true diehards will now spend even more money on future seasons in which the Bombers are disadvantaged. Like the players and their parents, they could have stood up and said that enough was enough and that the club was bigger than Hird, but they never did. | The fans, including the deluded #standbyhird brigade, have been let down as well. They've forked over a good deal of money for memberships, tickets and pay TV to be part of a season they were never really competing in. The true diehards will now spend even more money on future seasons in which the Bombers are disadvantaged. Like the players and their parents, they could have stood up and said that enough was enough and that the club was bigger than Hird, but they never did. |
| The lesson to be learned by other clubs from the whole saga is that if you try to break the rules then you can escape any truly "harsh punishment" through obfuscation and stony-faced denial. | The lesson to be learned by other clubs from the whole saga is that if you try to break the rules then you can escape any truly "harsh punishment" through obfuscation and stony-faced denial. |
| And as a code, that's not the message you want to send to would-be drug cheats. | And as a code, that's not the message you want to send to would-be drug cheats. |
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