Repeal Essendon Football Club's penalties. Formal apology to all parties including all 2012/2013 players & families and all football fans. Donate to EFC’s "Flight Plan". CEO Mr Demitriou to resign.
Repeal Essendon Football Club's penalties. Formal apology to all parties including all 2012/2013 players & families and all football fans. Donate to EFC’s "Flight Plan". CEO Mr Demitriou to resign.
The issue
In Febuary 2013 Essendon Football Club self reported to the AFL and ASADA, prompting an investigation into the clubs 2012 supplements program. During the investigation information was systematically leaked that was confidential and the AFL persecuted Essendon for the following 6 months. AFL CEO Andrew Demitriou was heard making several disparaging remarks, including calling on Essendon head coach James Hird to stand down, despite the investigation being in its infancy.
After a 6 month long investigation the club was found to have not breached any ASADA or WADA laws (however the investigation is ongoing). Despite this, the club was handed a $2 million fine, removed from the 2013 finals series the team had earned a place in, had first and second round picks removed for the 2013 and 2014 draft, a personal fine of $30,000 to assistant coach Mark Thompson, a 6 month ban to operations manager Danny Corcoran (2 months suspended) and a 12 month ban to head coach James Hird. The AFL attempted to also charge club doctor, Dr. Bruce Ried with the same charge - severely damaging his reputation as a medical practitioner but the AFL threw out its charges when Dr. Ried was prepared to fight the AFL in the court. The charges were laid under the AFL's loosely worded, generic "bringing the sport into disrepute" laws that allow the AFL to punish any conduct it feels unbecoming at its own discretion. In this instance, Essendon had not violated any AFL laws so this blanket law was utilised so the AFL can get be seen as reacting to the media hype.
Here is where it becomes disturbing. The 2013 players survey found that 12 clubs ran a similar program. It was found that an unknown number of players from 9 different clubs sourced their own supplements. Despite this, Essendon Football Club was the only club to be sanctioned. This is unacceptable conduct form the AFL. The AFL is tasked with being a fair, unbiased governing body and this conduct of persecuting one club for partaking in a common practice within the league is neither fair nor unbiased.
Please sign our petition to have the penalties that can be removed, removed and a formal apology and compensation for the penalties and suffering endured that cannot be undone. This petition also calls for a reform of AFL practices, beginning with the removal of the inept CEO.
Please read the links below for more information and visit www.facebook.com/we.are.essendon for more information.
The issue
In Febuary 2013 Essendon Football Club self reported to the AFL and ASADA, prompting an investigation into the clubs 2012 supplements program. During the investigation information was systematically leaked that was confidential and the AFL persecuted Essendon for the following 6 months. AFL CEO Andrew Demitriou was heard making several disparaging remarks, including calling on Essendon head coach James Hird to stand down, despite the investigation being in its infancy.
After a 6 month long investigation the club was found to have not breached any ASADA or WADA laws (however the investigation is ongoing). Despite this, the club was handed a $2 million fine, removed from the 2013 finals series the team had earned a place in, had first and second round picks removed for the 2013 and 2014 draft, a personal fine of $30,000 to assistant coach Mark Thompson, a 6 month ban to operations manager Danny Corcoran (2 months suspended) and a 12 month ban to head coach James Hird. The AFL attempted to also charge club doctor, Dr. Bruce Ried with the same charge - severely damaging his reputation as a medical practitioner but the AFL threw out its charges when Dr. Ried was prepared to fight the AFL in the court. The charges were laid under the AFL's loosely worded, generic "bringing the sport into disrepute" laws that allow the AFL to punish any conduct it feels unbecoming at its own discretion. In this instance, Essendon had not violated any AFL laws so this blanket law was utilised so the AFL can get be seen as reacting to the media hype.
Here is where it becomes disturbing. The 2013 players survey found that 12 clubs ran a similar program. It was found that an unknown number of players from 9 different clubs sourced their own supplements. Despite this, Essendon Football Club was the only club to be sanctioned. This is unacceptable conduct form the AFL. The AFL is tasked with being a fair, unbiased governing body and this conduct of persecuting one club for partaking in a common practice within the league is neither fair nor unbiased.
Please sign our petition to have the penalties that can be removed, removed and a formal apology and compensation for the penalties and suffering endured that cannot be undone. This petition also calls for a reform of AFL practices, beginning with the removal of the inept CEO.
Please read the links below for more information and visit www.facebook.com/we.are.essendon for more information.
Petition Closed
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Petition created on 18 October 2013