Essendon players involved in the ASADA investigation into the club’s 2011 doping scandal rejected six-month suspensions which would have all but ended the Bombers’ pursuit of a spot in the 2014 AFL finals.
Overshadowed by James Hird’s return to the club on Monday after a one-year ban, reports earlier in the week detailed proposed six-month ASADA sanctions, similar to those recently accepted by players from NRL wooden spoon candidate Cronulla, which were rejected by the 20 Essendon players after ASADA refused to list the evidence it had collected against those in question.
The deal, a 75 percent discount on the standard two years for prohibited substance use, is believed to have expired in early June.
The Essendon board rejected a proposal on Monday which may have enabled players to serve a voluntary ban during the off-season, returning to the club in time for round one of the 2015 season.
Suspended players would have been permitted to train together away from the club with the period then discounted from any future bans.
Confirmed have been discussions between league chief executive Gillon McLachlan and Essendon chairman Paul Little.
“Last Thursday, Gillon and I met and discussed a range of topics and as part of that discussion we talked about various issues concerning our players,” Little told the Herald Sun on Monday.
“The Essendon Football Club board were fully briefed on these discussions and will continue to act and make decisions in the best interest of our players.
“We have maintained all along, we believe our players are innocent and we have not seen any evidence to date that proves otherwise.’’
ASADA has reportedly obtained evidence that Essendon players did use the banned substance Thyamosin Beta 4 while the club is holding out hope a federal court case will find the government statutory authority’s investigation to have been unlawful with the charges then being dismissed.
Photo: Michael Dodge/Getty Images
