I have a question, as they have been stripped of all points does that mean all their games that they have won, the other team gets full points? Also they play Richmond this week, does that mean it is an automatic 4pts for Richmond?

Compared to Adelaide, yes, Essendon did a lot worse, hence their punishment was a lot worse.

What came of that news that Demetriou tipped off the club about a potential investigation? I did I misread the headline.

I agree Isaac..............it has gone very quiet.

Reading between the lines I think Hird has agreed to drop his writ / allegations against the AFL and has accepted a 12 month ban.

He has just signed a 2 yr contract extension and from what I have heard it is worth approx $2.5 mill.

My question is about who will coach Essendon until August 2014?
I believe that Essendon have promised Hird a return to the coaching role after the suspension is served.
Not many would want to coach under that condition, unless Bomber Thompson steps in for the short term?

Hird has endorsed Bomber to coach the team - seems like the logical choice given he is on the payroll and really given he recommended Robinson after working with him in Geelong who then got Dank into the club might feel a persoanl responsibility to take the gig on?

Jake, at the time, it reminded me of the Catholic church being left to police their internal indiscretions. Of course it's in the interests of their organisation to cover things up. The AFL has long been rumoured to go easy on a few big-brand players and their drug issues, presumably for the sake of the league as a whole? (Or potentially for the good of the player, if you want to be particularly gracious.)

Its only Hird that is stating that Demetriou tipped them off. Others in the Essendon camp have contradicted Hird's (and Hird's PR team) statement that they were tipped off. The ACC has also stated that they did not give any specific info about clubs to the AFL when they announced their investigation.

Hird has handled himself poorly throughout this whole investigation (and while the supplement program was going on), making it all about him.

Which is what puzzles me about this new contract they've given him and the outpouring of support from fans. I get that he's their beloved son, but he messed up and then appeared to dodge blame at every opportunity since then. At what point is it time to find a new hero to lead?

And why is he a hero still?

If my kid was playing at Essendon, and Hird knowingly was making him have injections whilst knowing that there are side effects to come from them, I would be heading the lynch mob to get him out of town.

He is/was using the fact that sports fanatics (fanatics, not just fans) are a ravenous bunch of meatheads who put loyalty to the club and its heroes above all sorts of common sense.

DB5, I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment in speaking out against the program and the coach. The problem is, what happens to the FIRST player or parent that does speak out? You can almost guarantee they won't play football again especially if they don't have other people publicly supporting them. The former player who spoke out at the start of the saga was immediately discredited with a personal attack by other Essendon loyalists.

What other employer would give you a year offer after such a massive punishment then sign you up for a further 2 yrs on a mutli million dollar deal?

"A player will speak out only after being de-listed."

At which point they will be discredited for being bitter at their de-listing.

What other employer would give you a year offer after such a massive punishment then sign you up for a further 2 yrs on a mutli million dollar deal?

If the ASADA final report is dramatically different to the Interim Report and States that Banned Substances were taken by the Players will the Club & Coaches have further charges brought against them.

Alternatively, What if WADA over rules ASADA and imposes bans on the Players & Coaches & Club.

I don't think this is over yet and could get much worse for those involved.

The AFL has imposed a very light penalty to the Individuals involved so far. If this was an Olympic sport they would have had Life Bans no doubt.

I guess it all comes down to whatever they can get out of Dank, if anything.

Rather than being stripped of points and working out who gets those points, they've been placed in ninth position. AFL wanted them to participate in the minor round, hence the timing of this.
ASADA is a slow moving crab, crawling sideways.

If they were stripped of points, their opponents wouldn't have been awarded the wins/points for those matches.

Then they would be bottom, which helps them with the draft

Except they've been banned from the draft for two years. Have you actually read anything about what has happened?

The Situation. They have not been banned from the draft. They have lost 1st and 2nd round draft picks.

So they could have picked 37th if they finished last, instead of 45th? I don't think that's a massive windfall for the club or would have even been considered when negotiating to make them ineligible for the finals.

After hearing Demetriou on TV and radio the last few nights, you're sayen opposite things to what he is saying.

From what was said the other night, the Bombers preferred the "dignity" of just being ruled ineligible in 9th place rather than finishing last with no points.

Fair enough. Sounds like an agreement that suited both.
(Pretty sure I heard Demetriou say that it's only hird sayen I tipped essendon off, noone else is aying i tipped them off)

...and I've had to answer questions at the Commission and ASADA enquiries.....