Essendon

[Fricky]

Not sure I would take the deal if i was a Bomber's player, not while its still in court. They all seem pretty sure they haven’t received anything illegal

[Booney]

Cronulla skipper Paul Gallen is believed to be among 10 current NRL players to have accepted doping bans from ASADA on Friday.

According to reports Gallen and the nine other players still playing in the NRL who were at the Sharks during their 2011 season which has been the focus of the doping investigation have accepted 12 month back-dated bans which will expire on November 21.

The ban effectively means those players - Gallen's Cronulla teammates Wade Graham, Anthony Tupou and Nathan Gardner, Newcastle's Jeremy Smith and Kade Snowden, Gold Coast pair Luke Douglas and Albert Kelly, and North Queensland back Matthew Wright will miss only three NRL games.

ASADA made the offer on Wednesday and gave the players 48 hours to reply, with the deadline for their response 9.30am on Friday morning.

The bans are set to decimate the Sharks side for their wooden spoon play off with Canberra at Remondis Stadium on Sunday, while Wright will be ruled out of the Cowboys' likely finals campaign.

In accepting the bans, the players must admit to taking banned substances as part of Cronulla's 2011 peptide program.

These admissions are likely to be used as evidence against support staff.

The players are said to have agreed to the bans after WADA stated they were happy with them.

Super League players Paul Aiton and Ben Pomeroy are said to have rejected the bans.

The NRL is expected to release a media statement confirming the bans soon.

NRL boss David Smith said he hoped the 18-month investigation was finally reaching a conclusion.

"I'm not completely up to date, as to who has decided to do what, but I do know that process is going on in the background for all the players that were issued with show cause (notices)," Smith told Channel Nine.

"If we can bring the thing to an end, if we can get the right response whereby the punishment fits the crime, whereby anybody that is involved with the game that has had a duty of care is not involved in our game anymore and we can finally put this behind us then the right things have taken place in the right way and I think we have managed the process pretty well so far.

"Then of course we will all be happy and the fans will be happy and the game can move on and we have some clear blue air next season."

[Jim05]

I must admit I find the whole deal a bit perplexing. For so long we have heard how WADA will come over the top and threats of 2 year bans and now they turn around and dish out a 3 week ban for guys who have admitted doping. These players will be back in time for finals

[Fricky]

Its all about saving face for the codes. Players take the deals, cop a month off and next season we start with all fresh.

McLachlan has said "he hopes that the AFL can go into 2015 with "resolution and clarity" following the Essendon supplements saga", which to me sounds like he wants the Bombers players to take any deal they can so next season there's nothing hanging over the League.

[Jim05]

Its all about saving face for the codes. Players take the deals, cop a month off and next season we start with all fresh.

McLachlan has said "he hopes that the AFL can go into 2015 with "resolution and clarity" following the Essendon supplements saga", which to me sounds like he wants the Bombers players to take any deal they can so next season there's nothing hanging over the League.

Gilligan has just come out and said there is currently no deal on the table for Essendon.
Media have gone with the story that we will be offered the same deal as Cronulla

[Jim05]

3 players have refused the deal, Ben Pomeroy and another UK player plus one retired player.
Its been reported Cronulla players accepted the ban as the individuals or club have no funds to take this to the courts and it would be a lengthy and costly process

[LaughingKookaburra]

Through this whole issue I really don't have an issue with the players involved as I truly believe they were mislead. How you could ever pull on a Guernsey for the club again is beyond me considering how negligent the process was. If my work place injected me to improve my productivity with a something else than what I was lead to believe..... **** me you wouldn't see me anywhere near the Pricks in charge again unless it was in court..

[dedja]

So Figjamus Incrediblous returns to work at Essendon today

[Booney]

So Figjamus Incrediblous returns to work at Essendon today

Oh yeah, James won't be at the club this year, it will be a distraction for the players.

7 hours after the ban expires, Golden Boy drags his media circus along.... WAFW.

[Jim05]

So Figjamus Incrediblous returns to work at Essendon today

Oh yeah, James won't be at the club this year, it will be a distraction for the players.

7 hours after the ban expires, Golden Boy drags his media circus along.... WAFW.

I agree he should stay away from the onfield stuff until after the finals but I do realise he has to go back to work. There is a fair bit of planning needed for next season and James will be responsible for de-listings and other list management stuff. Id imagine he would be at our last VFL game and running the rule over who stays and goes. He would also be going over all of this seasons data and trying to analyse what we can do to improve. Id hope he doesnt appear in the box at the Carlton game or the finals.
And FWIW the staff and players all requested he come straight back yesterday and meet everyone. I believe some of the playing group even organised a little welcome back show for him last night

[Spargo]

So Figjamus Incrediblous returns to work at Essendon today

Oh yeah, James won't be at the club this year, it will be a distraction for the players.

7 hours after the ban expires, Golden Boy drags his media circus along.... WAFW.

I agree he should stay away from the onfield stuff until after the finals but I do realise he has to go back to work. There is a fair bit of planning needed for next season and James will be responsible for de-listings and other list management stuff. Id imagine he would be at our last VFL game and running the rule over who stays and goes. He would also be going over all of this seasons data and trying to analyse what we can do to improve. Id hope he doesnt appear in the box at the Carlton game or the finals.
And FWIW the staff and players all requested he come straight back yesterday and meet everyone. I believe some of the playing group even organised a little welcome back show for him last night

BYO or was the club supplying?

[Fricky]

So Figjamus Incrediblous returns to work at Essendon today

Oh yeah, James won't be at the club this year, it will be a distraction for the players.

7 hours after the ban expires, Golden Boy drags his media circus along.... WAFW.

I agree he should stay away from the onfield stuff until after the finals but I do realise he has to go back to work. There is a fair bit of planning needed for next season and James will be responsible for de-listings and other list management stuff. Id imagine he would be at our last VFL game and running the rule over who stays and goes. He would also be going over all of this seasons data and trying to analyse what we can do to improve. Id hope he doesnt appear in the box at the Carlton game or the finals.
And FWIW the staff and players all requested he come straight back yesterday and meet everyone. I believe some of the playing group even organised a little welcome back show for him last night

Of course they did. Even if some dont want him back they arent going to say anything yet and create more issues by having a split within the club. IF things go pear shaped for the players I'm sure a few board members and off field staff will suddenly voice that they were against Hird coming back.

[Rik E Boy]

So Figjamus Incrediblous returns to work at Essendon today

Oh yeah, James won't be at the club this year, it will be a distraction for the players.

7 hours after the ban expires, Golden Boy drags his media circus along.... WAFW.

The biggest self absorbed tosser in Football bar none.

regards,

REB

[Mr Beefy]

Something just popped up in my fb feed, apparent Jimmy's nemesis Caro has been caught drink driving recently...again

[Johno6]

thi story better get massive air play if true
it is a major story!!

just like swan having a photo with Mitchell!

its a bloody outrage it is!!!!

[stan]

Something just popped up in my fb feed, apparent Jimmy's nemesis Caro has been caught drink driving recently...again

Not much coming through about thus at the moment. I guess we should stay tuned?

[Jim05]

Something just popped up in my fb feed, apparent Jimmy's nemesis Caro has been caught drink driving recently...again

Yep, last week.
3rd strike, hopefully the media hound her

[stan]

Something just popped up in my fb feed, apparent Jimmy's nemesis Caro has been caught drink driving recently...again

Yep, last week.
3rd strike, hopefully the media hound her

Lol, didn't know she was a piss head.

[dedja]

It's all Mick's fault for not boofing her 20 years ago ...

[Jim05]

Something just popped up in my fb feed, apparent Jimmy's nemesis Caro has been caught drink driving recently...again

Yep, last week.
3rd strike, hopefully the media hound her

Lol, didn't know she was a piss head.

Would of thought it would of been the hubby who was a pisshead to go home to that thing everynight