Rich puts hand up for co-captaincy

Captaincy material? Midfielder Daniel Rich goes through his paces as the Brisbane Lions train at Coorparoo. Picture: Peter Wallis Source: The Courier-Mail

BRISBANE midfielder Daniel Rich says it would be a "huge honour" to be appointed Lions co-captain.

Rich, along with Tom Rockliff, Daniel Merrett, Jed Adcock and Joel Patfull, is a leading contender for the post created by Jonathan Brown stepping down from the sole captaincy to help usher in a new generation of leadership.

The 22-year-old said he would relish the opportunity to work alongside Brown if given the chance.

"To be able to learn from Brownie would be huge because it is not like you are being thrown in the deep end," Rich said.

"It is a massive responsibility for whoever gets the job but also a huge honour." Adcock, who has filled in for Brown when the skipper has been unavailable in recent years, says he still has plenty to offer.

"If the position came up for me, I'd love to do it but in saying that there is a really good crop of players that could take that role," he said. "I'm only 27, I hope I'm not too old."

The Lions are expected to name the co-captain before their first NAB Cup fixture on February 23.

Meanwhile utility Brent Staker has had a hiccup with his comeback from a knee reconstruction. He will undergo a precautionary arthriscope procedure tomorrow on the knee that was not reconstructed.

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Watters confident Saints are clean

St Kilda coach Scott Watters, left, and captain Nick Riewoldt. Picture: Dustin Bradford. Source: Getty Images

St Kilda coach Scott Watters yesterday admitted the shock and scale of the Australian Crime Commission's explosive report made it difficult to avoid distracting the players.

Watters said the club had addressed the players and staff on their responsibilities to the AFL and the game in general.

"I think initially players need to be informed and we've done that internally. We certainly want our players to be educated and have an understanding of their role and their place within everything that has been discussed," the Saints coach said after the first intraclub practice match at Seaford.

"At the same time, they're here to play footy. That's what they love doing and that's our core business. So, really it is business as usual for us. The footy's a fantastic distraction for a lot of things that happen.

"As a coach, we're very focused on what we do. So, it's about limiting the distractions to our players. Because of the enormity of the stories that are out there, that's a challenge because we're all affected by it.

"Having said that, players want to play, individuals want to get better, coaches want their sides to improve and we'll remain focused on the here and now and ultimately try and make every second count.

"It's a time when the game's being challenged and we need to sit back and have a real close look at it."

Watters said, like everyone, he was shocked by the Australian Crime Commission report that uncovered links between organised crime and performance-enhancing drugs being used by elite athletes.

And the Saints are another AFL club that immediately conducted an internal audit of all daily procedures.

"There has been an enormous amount of opinion and comment on what's gone on. Everyone in the industry, it has caused us to reflect. You wouldn't be human if that's not the case," he said.

"You do look at your internal processes. We're really comfortable and really reassured where we sit, the importance of our doctor being the ultimate filter on anything that happens here, medically. That's something that we've always had, but it certainly brings that into focus.

"It also causes you to look at your staff and we've got staff here that I have full confidence in the ethics they bring to the football club.

"Whilst you always have to be vigilant, we're really comfortable from a process and staff point of view. But it's a testing time for everyone and we're part of that.

"It (ACC report) was certainly some interesting reading. Obviously, we'll all sit back and wait to see where it all goes."

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Prized Giants safe from rivals

GWS Giants' 2011 No.1 draft pick Jonathon Patton has committed to the club. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: The Daily Telegraph

GREATER Western Sydney is on the verge of re-contracting some of its most prized young players, helping safeguard its glittering list from a poaching raid.

The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal three of its top-four picks from the 2011 national draft, including top selection Jon Patton, 19, have agreed to re-sign with the Giants.

The man Richmond made a big play for last year, inside midfielder Dom Tyson (No.3), line-breaking wingman Will Hoskin-Elliott (No.4) and versatile big man Aidan Corr (No.14, 2012 draft) have all made commitments to stay. 

The club, which made welcome progress on the deals on Friday, want to make an announcement about the youngsters' agreements in the coming weeks.

But a deal for last year's No. 1 pick Lachie Whitfield has not yet been finalised. The Giants are confident of extending terms before the end of the year.

The commitments are a major coup for the club, as it strives to keep its batch of youngsters safe from rival advances.

It is believed the youngsters either will or have signed for another two years, tying them to the club until 2015.

It is known the Giants fledgling young stars have raved about their relationship with GWS's new senior assistant coach Leon Cameron, who replaced Mark Williams late last year.

A source said Cameron's impact on GWS's first to third year players in particular has been "significant".

The Tigers, where Williams is now a development coach, made a major bid to snare the highly-rated Tyson, 19, last year, offering their first round draft pick for the prolific ball-winner.

Tyson has been laid low by a posterior ligament injury, but has been carefully managed by the Giants to help the Oakleigh prodigy return about mid-season.

Patton, the hulking key forward, has also been widely hunted but is set to stay at the Giants, helping make one of the formidable burgeoning big man partnerships with Jeremy Cameron.

Patton has been linked to Hawthorn, as a potential replacement option for Lance Franklin, if the out-of-contract All-Australian leaves Waverley.

The new contract agreements are a major accomplishment for Giants bosses, led by CEO David Matthews, list manager Steve Silvagni and veteran football manager Graeme Allan.

Despite the interest of Victorian clubs, the Giants have made an excellent start to keeping their list together.

A GWS spokesman said the club was happy with its list management progress as the club approached its second AFL season.

"Developing and retaining our best talent is a key priority for the GIANTS," the spokesman said.

"Last year we re-signed 13 players, including seven of our eight NAB Rising Star nominations, to long term agreements.

"We are not in a position to comment on any other players because nothing has been finalised at this stage but it will remain a key priority for the club as the year progresses."

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Chris McDermott: Fall on sword Hird

The buck stops with Essendon coach James Hird. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

MAKE absolutely no mistake - you will be caught. That's the promise from AFL headquarters after the Australian Crime Commission's explosive revelations regarding drug cheats in Australian sport.

Problem is we've heard it all before. And despite boasting world's best practice in the fight against drugs, the reality is the AFL has anything but.

Its Integrity Unit established in 2008 to protect the game has proven to be insipid at best, an abject failure at worst.

The AFL has not fumbled the ball, it has lost sight of it. The game of Australian rules at the highest level has rarely been in worse shape.

It beggars belief that the practices revealed at Essendon Football Club this week by the Melbourne media could have gone unnoticed by everyone at AFL House. This is surely a case of gross negligence by trusted members of the game's governing body and those heads must be held accountable as much as those involved with the administering of substances legal or otherwise.

The AFL says ignorance is no defence for players choosing to put unknown substances in their body. It can be no defence for them either.

Sadly the first head to roll might have to be one the biggest in the game.

James Hird, coach of Essendon, must be held to account for his role in the debacle at Windy Hill even if the substances involved are found to be legal. That he has allowed his players, almost to a man, to be used like guinea pigs without comprehension of what he was asking them to do is the worst football decision he will make and it could be a career changer.

It was not long ago the Brisbane Lions were banned from intravenously rehydrating their players under medical supervision because it wasn't a good look for the game.

Off-site injecting rooms have far greater implications and cannot go unpunished.

Despite suggestions injections were not forced on players, mob mentality is strong inside a football change room and young players would have felt obliged to participate in the practice after their coach condoned it.

It is abuse of his position at the very least - and the sight of Essendon's press conference with chairman, CEO and coach minus any Bomber logos, colours or sponsors was clear indication their issue is far greater than suspect supplements.

The AFL has pleaded for voluntary confessions rather than forced ones, so Hird may well be best served falling on his sword and admitting misuse of his powers in the hope of returning to the game in some fashion in the not-too-distant future.

By Hird's own admission as coach the buck stops with him. The 253-game dual-premiership player, Brownlow medallist, Norm Smith medallist, five-time All-Australian, AFL hall of famer and former club captain might have to make one more sacrifice for his team in the hope others follow suit.

Australians are by nature a forgiving mob to those that admit fault and in time Hird will be welcomed back with open arms, but choose the Lance Armstrong method of deny, deny, deny and in the public's eye a life sentence could await.

As powerful as the ACC's findings were, talk is cheap and villains must be identified and, where appropriate, arrests must follow.

The sporting public of Australia is currently left with more questions than answers. Quick action by the law enforcers is needed to protect the innocent as much as to catch the guilty.

Thursday February 7, 2013, has been labelled the blackest day in Australian sport history.

A nation so proud of its sports heroes has been left to question every one of them and every team they cheer.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou pleaded with fans yesterday "not to lose faith in the sport".

Too late, she cried, for some.

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Warnock desperate to make impact

Robbie Warnock in action. He faces stiff competition for a spot in the side this season. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Limited

WHEN he gets his hand on the ball, Robbie Warnock makes things happen. The problem is he doesn't make them happen enough.

Warnock, 26, has only played more than 12 games in a season once (20 in 2011) since first playing with Fremantle in 2007.

A career that has promised so much is in danger of delivering little and the 206cm left-footer knows it. And it won't be easy as he enters 2013 in a desperate race for a rucking spot given Matthew Kreuzer and Shaun Hampson are at the club.

Kreuzer, fit and well, will presumably take the number one role leaving Warnock head to head with Hampson, given coach Mick Malthouse is prepared to play two ruckmen if their form and hardness at the contest warrants it.

At 206cm the former Brighton Grammarian is one of the tallest in the game (Aaron Sandilands is number one at 2011cm) but height alone won't put him in front of Kreuzer or Hampson.

"We've all had our time in the sun as number one ruckman at different stages. We haven't all been fit at the same time so it will be interesting to see what they do. If we are all up and playing well then it's out of our hands," said Warnock from Carlton's community camp in Bendigo.

Last year he played just five matches, averaging 32 hit-outs to place him fifth in the competition. But the key to Warnock was his number one ranking on the hit-outs to advantage table.

It's why his midfielders like roving to him, plus Warnock isn't out of the contest once the aerial work has ended judging by his four clearances per game (2nd best of the top 10 hit-out winners).

He also won 74 per cent of his possessions in a contest, second only to the predictable figure of Nic Natainui. But none of the above will guarantee a game under a new coach named Michael Malthouse.

Warnock, who is a clear thinker, wasn't totally sure what to expect when Malthouse arrived although he knew he was a winner.

"I find him a great communicator. He actually keeps things pretty basic and as much as that might sound not smart, I think it is (smart) to a degree. He just doesn't over-complicate it," said Warnock.

"And his record speaks for itself. He took the Bulldogs a long way in the 1980s (3rd in 1985), the Eagles to finals every year (10 seasons) including two premierships from three Grand Finals and then Collingwood from 15th to 9th to a Grand Final.

"He has the runs on the board and is very clear on what he wants.When you speak to him it is obvious he knows what has to be done."

What Malthouse desires at Carlton is for at least two of Warnock, Kreuzer and Hampson to play in the same team, with Levi Casboult a chance to play as a forward who can go into the ruck. Sam Rowe and Luke Mitchell will have the chance to secure a key forward spot which would allow Jarrad Waite to use to his aerobic ability rather than being constantly bashed in pack marking situations.

Warnock knows he is third in the pecking order when it comes to being effective up forward, although he figures if he's rucking well enough it won't matter as much.

"Ruck is my preferred position. You do have to go forward these days the way the game is going but if you are number one ruckman then you will play 70 per cent of the time," he said.

"My season last year was slow to start after double shoulder surgery, then I came back and did my hammy, played a couple then hurt my shoulder again. I knew I was unprepared."

Last season his three year contract with the Blues had finished prompting speculation he could find a third AFL club over summer with up to four teams showing interest. Warnock decided to end speculation by re-signing during the year.

It was an act of faith in a place he believes is going places, claiming expectations this season are "limitless".

"The facilities are great, our playing list is really talented. If things click I really believe we can have some success and I want to be part of it. Our staff, medical, assistant coaches are all very good. We have no limitations on where we can finish," said Warnock.

"But you don't know what can happen so all you can worry about is week to week. When you see blokes play consistently, be injury free, then you will improve. You have to be on the track session after session, you can't do it in the weights room."

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Bookies suspend bets on Bombers

Bombers midfielder Jake Melksham has injured his hand during a intra-club match.

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou is adamant that cheating of any form in the AFL will not be accepted and you will be caught.

A year-long investigation into Australian sport has revealed widespread doping and links to organised crime.

BOOKMAKERS around Australia have suspended betting on Essendon-related matches and on the club's Brownlow favourites.

It comes as advocates call for a ban on all AFL betting in a bid to rid football of any match-fixing and Premier Ted Baillieu said there needed to be a renewed analysis of gambling and sport.

Tabcorp alone took $7.3 million in bets on Grand Final Day, while in the 2010-11 financial year, more than $3.3 billion in betting was placed on sporting matches nationally.

Anti-gambling campaigner and independent senator Nick Xenophon said a gambling summit, similar to the AFL's drug summit, should be held to canvass issues and get insight from players.

But the AFL says it has no plans to review or change any betting arrangements, saying "the way we operate is the best arrangement".

Bookmakers have suspended betting on the opening match of the AFL season between Adelaide and Essendon and any cash being placed on Bomber Brownlow Medal hopefuls including 2012 medallist Jobe Watson.

On hold also is which sides will make the top four, the wooden spoon, final eight and minor premiership.

Senator Xenophon said sporting codes were "asking for corruption" by encouraging ball-by-ball betting and micro-betting.

"It is over-saturation. It's a huge cultural shift that is now about odds and no longer about the love of the game," he said.

Senator Xenophon said the AFL needed to sever its links with betting agencies to avoid corruption in the game.

"It makes players vulnerable to match-fixing," he said.

But AFL spokesman Patrick Keane said the league did not support any bans on betting.

He said the AFL was in charge of approving what bets could be placed on and would not conduct a review into current practices.

"Under the current arrangement, we are able to monitor what is happening around our game, " Mr Keane said.

Betting has come under scrutiny again after a damning report from the Australian Crime Commission that found organised-crime networks supplied banned drugs to elite sports players and exposed them to corrupt on-field behaviour.

Nicholas Tzaferis, spokesman for Tabcorp, said Australia had some of the most sophisticated sports betting regulations in the world.

"It's far safer to have a well-regulated betting industry, whose operations are open to scrutiny, than allow the activity to go underground and unchecked," he said.

Anti-gambling campaigner Tim Costello, chair of the Australian Churches Gambling Taskforce, said that the number of people needing help with gambling for sports betting had doubled and would soon rival those addicted to pokies.

He said he had seen cases of children as young as 12 using their parents' credit cards and putting money on matches.

"You are now being urged by football and cricket commentators to indulge your natural passion with a flutter," he said.

"A ban is only short-term but it's a wake-up call that we are in a terrible mess."

Tabcorp is the only agency to hold a Victorian wagering licence. Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation data shows more than $789 million was lost in sports betting from 2001-12.

But this figure does not include millions lost through other major bookies, including Sportsbet, Betfair and Centrebet and Tom Waterhouse.

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Sports scientist a broken man: lawyer

Stephen Dank, who is at the centre of the AFL drugs scandal, has been described as a ''broken man'' by his lawyer. Source: news.com.au

Stephen Dank, who has links to several AFL and NRL clubs, at his Ascot Vale home this week. Picture: Tony Gough Source: Supplied

Australian sporting bodies will today begin examining clubs and officials for any signs of doping and match fixing.

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou is adamant that cheating of any form in the AFL will not be accepted and you will be caught.

THE man at the centre of the AFL drugs scandal believes he is a "sacrificial lamb on the altar of sport".

A lawyer for Stephen Dank, the former Essendon club sports scientist with links to several AFL and NRL clubs, said his client denied any and all allegations that he had administered illegal substances to athletes in the AFL or NRL.

Solicitor Greg Stanton said Mr Dank was the victim of "spurious, tenuous and unsubstantiated" allegations.

"None of which have resulted at this point in time in any criminal allegations being levelled against him, let alone a charge being brought under either state or Commonwealth legislation," Mr Stanton said.

"This man has been in a shameless and flagrant fashion deprived of a 'fair go'.

"He stands, if I may use this phrase, as a sacrificial lamb on the altar of sport which this country worships and adores on a day-to-day basis.

"He is a broken man."

Mr Stanton said Mr Dank had never been accused of any wrongdoing while at Essendon and "emphatically denies" any association with convicted drug dealer Shane Charter.

"No allegation whilst he was at Essendon emerged nor did any charge of supply of any illegal substance," Mr Stanton said.

"Mr Dank is a scapegoat - but his expertise, his skill, his knowledge and his credibility will ultimately come to the fore."

Details of which sporting stars and clubs are accused of wrongdoing are yet to be revealed.

With a cloud hanging over all professional codes, former prime minister Kevin Rudd said it was crucial "clean" athletes were not tarnished by the scandal.

"We all know how central sport is to the Australian identity ... it's because we actually believe in fair play and that's who we are. That is now being torpedoed by this report," Mr Rudd said.

"The key thing now is to establish the facts - which players, which clubs - because I'm a bit concerned about every person out there who we've all watched, admired ... is now walking around with a total cloud over their head."

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she found the crime commission's edited report "sickening" but she did not support its release.

"But I think we have to let the experts get on with the job," she said.

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Cloud over Geelong's flags?

Fremantle CEO Steve Rosich says their players have been injected with vitamin supplements, but all above board.

Essendon high performance manager Dean Robinson worked at Geelong and Gold Coast, prompting the AFL to investigate those clubs. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

A SPECIAL AFL forensic team will investigate the operations of the two clubs who previously employed suspended Essendon high performance manager Dean Robinson.

Geelong and Gold Coast have been told the league's investigators will be putting the microscope over every aspect of their high performance departments.

Robinson, who was stood down by Essendon on Tuesday, joined Geelong in 2007 as its strength and conditioning coach before moving to the Suns at the end of 2010.

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Brisbane is also on the league's hit list after admitting Stephen Dank, the performance scientist who was brought to Essendon by Robinson and is the man at the centre of the scandal, had been briefly employed as a consultant to the Lions.

The AFL is planning to audit all clubs over their use of drugs and supplements with every training practice reviewed.

Geelong has maintained it has nothing to hide about the way it conducted its sports science and fitness departments during its stunning premiership run.

Gatto denies links to betting company

"Everyone in this organisation is accountable," chief executive Brian Cook said earlier. "That accountability is a high focus within our footy club.

"I'm confident we won't be implicated. The processes we use are pretty sound.

"The doctors are the only ones allowed to give injections, the doctors have to sign off any vitamin purchases made and we have a supplement register."

Geelong Football Club CEO Brian Cook with the 1st Brownlow Medal returned to the club. Picture: Glenn Ferguson Source: Geelong Advertiser

Despite the latest scandal, Cook said the club would continue to remain on the cutting edge of sports science.

For the past three years the Cats have had their own sports science advisory committee which is made up of elite sports scientists from across the country, including the Australian Institute of Sport.

Cook said while that committee was always looking for the next competitive advantage in the sports science area, it operated in a "very ethical framework'' that complied with Anti-Doping regulations.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire yesterday revealed the Pies had already conducted their own  audit of their sports science procedures including substances used by the club.

AFLPA CEO Matt Finnis says the roles of club doctors and medical professionals are being diminished sports science.

"We have already audited Collingwood two days ago and we are ready to come in with our ideas of what has to happen,'' McGuire said.

"After what happened in the last couple of days, we wanted to make sure everything is right and ship-shape at our club, to make sure we have the protocols in place.

"If there is anything to uncover I welcome it. One of the things that has been lost in translation is that we don't want to win a premiership by cheating. So we stand for sportsmanship. You have to stand up for that.''

Hawthorn has also conducted an audit which found players were only taking multivitamins and protein powder.

Brisbane coach Michael Voss said he was "not concerned at all'' about the club's links to Dank given the very "limited involvement'' the club had with him.

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Dons grill team over drug use

AFLPA CEO Matt Finnis says the roles of club doctors and medical professionals are being diminished sports science.

Essendon coach James Hird asked his players if they took drugs. Picture: Tim Carrafa Source: The Advertiser

ESSENDON has interrogated every player on its list about using performance enhancing drugs as it continues to examine every aspect of the drugs scandal.

Coach James Hird, who fronted a Bombers board meeting on Thursday night, and football department boss Danny Corcoran this week summoned each player to individual meetings.

A meeting was also held yesterday in Canberra where Bombers chairman David Evans and chief executive Ian Robson met senior ASADA officials to ascertain the process of the investigation.

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At Essendon, several crisis meetings involving all the playing staff have been held, one of which was headed by Evans.

The players were told at one meeting the club did not know if they had been given banned drugs.

At the Hird meetings, the players were asked: Is there anything you need to tell us? Is there anything the club needs to know?

Each player answered no.

Gatto denies link to betting company

Although the answer was expected, Hird is understood to have found great comfort from the meetings, further strengthening his belief that his players did not knowingly take performance enhancing drugs.

Sacked sports scientist Stephen Danks has denied he gave the players prohibitive drugs when using injections and intravenous drips when loading players with supplements.

Some of those injections were done off-site, across the road from Windy Hill.

Thursday night's board meeting heard everything from Danks' signing to his departure, his unorthodox practices, the signing of consent forms and why and the expectation ahead of the ASADA investigation.

Directors were told strength and conditioning coach Dean Robinson, who joined the club in 2012, insisted that Danks join him as his sports science sidekick.

Fremantle CEO Steve Rosich says their players have been injected with vitamin supplements, but all above board.

Robinson has been suspended pending the ASADA investigation, but he's not expected to to return to the club.

Evans said yesterday it had been an "extremely difficult'' week for the players and their families.

"There's going to be a lot speculaiton, about our players, about our club and possible sanctions but remember not one of our players has not tested positive for any banned substance or performancing drugs,'' he said.

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Star-struck Tigers punished

The Indigenous All Stars show a united front against the Tigers. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

RICHMOND'S first game of the year descended to almost embarrassing levels last night after the Tigers were swept aside by the Indigenous All-Stars.

In warm conditions, the Tigers were never in the hunt and went down 14.6 (90) to 6.4 (40) in front of 8350 fans at Alice Springs' Traeger Park.

Richmond couldn't, or wouldn't, match the All-Stars' hunger at the contest and struggled to contain their run and spread from stoppages in the slightly shortened match.

Both sides missed key players, with stars including Lance Franklin, Cyril Rioli, Shaun Burgoyne, Brett Deledio, Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt all sitting out.

The All-Stars' speed inside 50m was the telling factor, with Graham Johncock (three goals), Liam Jones, Eddie Betts (both two) and Lindsay Thomas (one) all on the end of quick counter-attacks.

Betts - involved in an intriguing match-up with Steven Morris - Thomas and Johncock all had moments of brilliance.

Liam Jones marks strongly under pressure. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

But it was Jones who caught the eye early, with the Western Bulldogs forward leading quickly and marking strongly to kick two first-quarter goals.

Leroy Jetta's 60m bomb on the run helped the All-Stars to a 23-point quarter-time lead they never looked like relinquishing.

It was an even performance from the victors, who were propelled by the midfield influence of Harley Bennell, who won the Polly Farmer Medal for best afield.

Alwyn Davey and Lindsay Thomas were consistent contributors, Neville Jetta was a success off half-back, while Brett Goodes showed signs he could make it at the highest level playing in the same position.

Richmond started with Luke McGuane and Aaron Edwards deep inside 50m in the absence of Riewoldt and Tyrone Vickery.

McGuane kicked two, but Edwards' first game in yellow and black was a success. The former North Melbourne and West Coast forward looked bright early before the supply dried up.

Second-year forward Todd Elton looked promising, despite his kicking continuing to let him down. Dustin Martin lifted after a poor first quarter, but his influence was blunted by unusually poor execution.

Acting captain Shane Edwards got better as the game wore on. Orren Stephenson did the lion's share of the ruck work in the absence of Ivan Maric and finished with two goals.

The Tigers played three draftees - Nick Vlastuin, Kamdyn McIntosh and Matthew McDonough - and rookie Cadeyn Williams.

While none of the quartet exerted any great influence, none looked out of their depth. Vlastuin's ferocious attack on the football late in the match was eye-catching.

GOALS All-Stars: Johncock 3, Jones, Betts 2, Leroy Jetta, Ryder, Ugle, Thomas, Anderson, Bennell, Newman Richmond: McGuane 2, Stephenson 2, McDonough, Edwards BEST All-Stars: Bennell, Johncock, Thomas, Alwyn Davey, Jones, Betts Richmond: Martin, Grigg, Edwards, Jackson, Conca, Elton

ALL-STARS 5.0 8.1 12.4 14.6 (90) RICHMOND 1.1 2.1 3.1 6.4 (40)

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Betting suspended on Dons game

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou is adamant that cheating of any form in the AFL will not be accepted and you will be caught.

A year-long investigation into Australian sport has revealed widespread doping and links to organised crime.

BETTING agencies have begun suspending betting on markets involving the Round 1 Adelaide-Essendon game in the wake of the drug scandal surrounding the AFL side.

Tattsbet is not offering odds on the side's round 1 clash with the Crows, due to take place on March 22, as well as "futures" betting on all clubs' end-of-season table positions.

Betting on the 2013 premiership remains on the site.

Essendon is listed at $15, behind $4 favourites Hawthorn.

TAB Sportsbet has suspended betting on the round 1 fixture between Adelaide and Essendon but future betting is still being offered.

Centrebet also is not offering odds on the Adelaide v Essendon clash.

Anti-gambling campaigner Nick Xenophon has called for a temporary ban on all sports betting while investigations into drugs and match fixing continue and a permanent ban on "micro-betting".

"These findings are so serious that the only course of action is to suspend sports betting until measures to safeguard the integrity are put in place," he said.

Mr Xenophon said micro-betting, betting on events within matches - such as first goal scorers, should be banned permanently due to vulnerability to corruption.

"Micro-betting gives macro opportunities for corruption," he said.

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Outlaw substances up for grabs

Stephen Dank at his Ascot Vale home. Picture: Tony Gough Source: Herald Sun

Shane Charter reportedly supplied Stephen Dank with supplements, while it emerged he also has links with Essendon coach James Hird. Source: Herald Sun

THE man at the centre of the Essendon drug scandal is a director of a company marketing peptides banned from sale in Australia and outlawed in sport by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Stephen Dank, the football club's performance scientist, co-owns the Sydney-based Medical Rejuvenation Clinic, which boasts "a substantial range of Australian-produced Protein Peptides ... at very competitive prices".

Its website makes special reference to 15 products, including GHRP-6, CJC-1295, IGF-1, SARM, Hexarelin and MGF, which the Therapeutic Goods Administration said were "not registered for use in Australia" and "should not be available for commercial supply or sale".

The peptides are also strictly prohibited for use by professional athletes both in and out of competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The company was formed by Mr Dank with three co-directors in August 2011 - months before Mr Dank joined the Bombers on a three-year contract.

Mr Dank - known by some in the gym world as "the Peptide King" - yesterday confirmed his involvement in the business but said: "The company is legal."

However, another Sydney-based director told the Herald Sun it was a "grey area" and the company "gets round the legality of it by getting doctors to issue scripts".

"You can come into our clinic in Bondi and we have a doctor who will write you a script or you can order through our website," he said.

"We will then send you a PDF form asking for additional info and, by good grace, a script will be formulated and you'll get your goods from our compound chemist the following day."

It has also emerged convicted drug trafficker Shane Charter, who reportedly supplied Mr Dank with supplements, has links with Essendon coach James Hird.

Hird and Mr Charter - known by some as Dr Ageless - worked together for 12 months on his diet and fitness during the champion's premiership and Brownlow Medal-winning career.

Mr Charter was also hailed as "the architect" behind Demon Shane Woewodin's 2000 Brownlow Medal win.

There is no suggestion that Woewodin or Hird ever took banned substances.

But it was the Brownlow accolade that made Mr Charter in high demand with the league's best.

"It was a list that read like the who's who of the AFL," a former friend said.

He added Mr Charter would often mention he would have coffee with gangland figure Carl Williams most days.

And a former Melbourne footballer claims Mr Charter used to advise several Demons players on what to take to aid performance and recover "like European cyclists".

"He put me on a range of injections and supplements. I didn't know what the f--- I was taking, but my recovery was outstanding," the former player said. "I felt unstoppable some days.

"It cost me $10,000 so it wasn't cheap."

Mr Charter's partner, Donna, last night defended him, saying despite his prison past he was not involved in anything illegal now.

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Victorian club target-tested

The AFL announce new measures to their Integrity Commission to catch drug cheats including more investigators and more drug testing.

North Melbourne vice-captain and AFLPA board member Drew Peterie is shocked by the revelations by the ACC and welcomes the investigation.

AFL 360 commentator Gerard Whateley says no one and no sport is immune to the Australian Crime Commission investigation.

Government ministers and the heads of Australian sporting codes are talking tough about widespread criminal elements in sport.

Not the Bombers: Players from one of Victoria's biggest AFL teams are the subject of extensive target-testing by ASADA and the club is not Essendon.
  Source: Herald Sun

A GROUP of players from one of Victoria's biggest AFL teams has been the subject of extensive target-testing by Australia's anti-doping watchdog.

The club came to the attention of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency in about 2010 with as many as 12 players regularly tested since for performance enhancing drugs.

The club is not Essendon, at the centre of its own storm after 40 players are alleged to have taken supplements that could be illegal.

Sources have told the Herald Sun players from an interstate club have also come under suspicion and been profiled by ASADA.

It can be revealed the AFL's war on performance-enhancing drugs sees it meet monthly with ASADA and police bodies to share information and decide upon players to be target-tested.

Players regularly target-tested include those with ties to shady sports science experts, players who suddenly gain significant weight, or who have a form surge.

It is unusual for such a large group of players from one club to be target-tested. It can take several years of profiling to build cases against sportspeople who use performance-enhancing drugs.

Blood samples taken from AFL players in the last five years have been stored and can be re-tested as technologies improve.

The president of the Victorian club denied any knowledge of the tests this week.

It is believed some players are considering whether to come forward to ASADA given they are unsure what supplements they have recently taken.

AFL vows to save game

The Herald Sun revealed last month that the AFL had built a bank of biological data which could be used to prove the presence of performance-enhancing substances.

Sources said there were concerns with individual AFL players, and some players who had links to NRL players or doctors.

About 1000 tests are conducted under the anti-doping code each year, with a combination of urine, blood and EPO testing.

But the league has almost completely abandoned random testing as a way to trip up cheats, instead relying on its intelligence data base and information sharing networks with the Victorian and Federal police and the Australian Crime Commission.

 Target-testing also is aimed at players who finish top-three in best-and-fairests, who have had long-term injuries, who train overseas, and who have not been tested in the previous two years.

It can be confirmed that a tip former star Gerard Healy gave to the AFL about an Essendon staffer asking about peptides at a sport conference was passed on to ASADA. But it is not known if that played any part in the investigation into Essendon.

London Olympics silver medallist Mitch Watt yesterday told the Herald Sun he could be tested up to 10 times in a two-month international season and 20 times a year.

He said football codes might have to endure more testing, and potentially blood passports for every player.

"Everyone in Australian sport is so laid back and you think if someone is a good bloke they wouldn't do it. But there will always be a percentage of people who will cheat," Watt said.

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AFL vows to save our game

The AFL announce new measures to their Integrity Commission to catch drug cheats including more investigators and more drug testing.

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou is adamant that cheating of any form in the AFL will not be accepted and you will be caught.

North Melbourne vice-captain and AFLPA board member Drew Peterie is shocked by the revelations by the ACC and welcomes the investigation.

Government ministers and the heads of Australian sporting codes are talking tough about widespread criminal elements in sport.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou and AFL Commission Chairman Mike Fitzpatrick address the media after the Australian Crime Commission released a report on drugs and organised crime in Australian sport. Source: Herald Sun

THE AFL has declared war on drug-takers and pushers as part of an unprecedented crackdown on criminals infiltrating the sport.

An emergency AFL Commission meeting yesterday fast-tracked a host of reforms to its drug code.

The league will require the name of every drug and/or supplement that is given to players by medical and sports science staff at the 18 clubs.

All club personnel will have background checks ordered and a whistleblower unit will be set up.

Responding to yesterday's Australian Crime Commission report, AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick and chief executive Andrew Demetriou refused to share evidence of doping in the AFL, saying they were bound by confidentiality.

They said they were not aware of the number of players or clubs who had been identified by the ACC.

"We're not sure if it's a couple of individuals or more widespread at this stage, but we're going to find out," Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick said combating doping was the game's major priority.

"We feel the WADA testing was relatively successful to about 12 months ago, and it's become clear today it's not," he said.

"We're looking at moving as quickly as we can to make the sure the integrity, the fairness of the competition is reinforced.

"Our view is we're going to clean up the sport as quickly as we can."

It's understood the ACC has extracted information from criminal elements, and that at least one person central to the Essendon drugs scandal has been spoken to by the ACC.

Demetriou described yesterday as a "wake-up call", and that the AFL and the NRL - identified as the codes with the biggest integrity issues - needed greater resources to combat cheats.

"It would be fair to say after today there will be people at all of our clubs, working at all different levels, which would include players, that will have had a wake-up call," he said.

Adelaide Crows captain Nathan van Berlo surprised at the revelations revealed by the Australian Crime Commission.

"With this scrutiny they will be thinking, what should I do.

"I will say this, if you are out there and you think that you can run the gauntlet of cheating in this system, whether to be with the salary cap or the use of performance enhancing drugs, gambling etc, make no mistake you will be caught."

The AFL's strategy will be outlined to the four major heads of footy clubs - the chairman, the coach, the chief executive and football operations manager - who will be required to attend the AFL over the coming week.

The AFL reforms include:

A REVAMPING of the AFL's integrity unit, which includes more investigators, more technology, more intelligence gathering capabilities and more testing.

AN AUDIT of every club's use of supplements and other treatments.

THE AFL's medical officers to meet club doctor to review their practices and the use of external practitioners.

MANDATORY reporting of doping activity or when players are approached to take drugs.

REGISTRATION of all club staff, pointedly sports science staff and and high performance managers.

BACKGROUND checks on all club staff.

A WHISTLEBLOWER unit to help catch crooks.

Demetriou would not comment on the Essendon issue, but stressed some drugs were undetectable under current drug testing procedures.

"There are drugs out there not even approved for human use yet that are being trialled," he said.

Fitzpatrick said the game needed protecting from "insidious elements".

"Today's news from the Australian Crime Commission has shown us all Australian sport is not immune from the problems sport overseas have faced," he said.

"The world has changed and we have to respond to it."

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Hodge says he's playing on

Retirement off the agenda: Luke Hodge played only 10 games last year after damaging his posterior cruciate ligament. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

LUKE Hodge says he has no plans to retire at the end of the season.

 The Hawthorn captain is aiming to play his side's last NAB Cup game on March 15 or 16 in an attempt to push for Round 1 selection.

Hodge played only 10 games last year after damaging his posterior cruciate ligament in Round 6.

Out of contract at the end of 2013, Hodge admitted his injury-plagued 2012 season made him confront his football mortality.

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But the 2008 Norm Smith medallist is confident his body is capable of withstanding "another few years" yet.

"I think when you get to the latter stages of your career, any major injuries make you think 'Oh, is that the end?' " Hodge said yesterday.

"But I'm only 28 and it's not as if the injury last year was a result of wear and tear, it was an impact injury, a totally different thing.

"If it was a wear and tear thing it would have put a few question marks over me, but I've got full confidence in my body and how it's tracking this pre-season."

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Dank claims injections were clean

Former Essendon fitness guru Steve Dank has denied giving Bombers players performance-enhancing drugs. Source: The Daily Telegraph

EXCLUSIVE: THE man at the centre of the Essendon drugs scandal, Stephen Dank, claims the injections he gave players last year were clean.

The club's former performance scientist yesterday emphatically rejected suggestions he had overseen the inappropriate use of supplements at the Bombers in 2012.

Asked directly by the Herald Sun yesterday: "Did you give the players banned/illegal/performance-enhancing drugs?"

Dank said: "No."

Herald Sun: "You didn't?"

Dank: "No."

But investigations are under way, as revealed in the Herald Sun yesterday, with the Australian Crime Commission heading a probe into sports, organised crime, Customs and performance-enhancing drugs.

It is understood the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority, in conjunction with the AFL, will make a major announcement today about drugs in sport and its infiltration by organised criminals.

Former Bomber Mark McVeigh yesterday confirmed players were taken off-site for injections, but was adamant everything was above board.

Tony Doherty, a close friend of Dank, also supported him last night. Doherty, owner of Doherty's Gyms, said Dank would not have given AFL players banned substances.

"He would know the legalities of every substances," Doherty said. "When people hear the word injections they go into a frenzy."

Doherty was chatting with Bandido Toby Mitchell when the bikie enforcer was shot in an ambush in November 2011.

It has been confirmed footy's drugs probe was triggered on Monday when authorities contacted Essendon chiefs and warned them about serious investigations linked to the Bombers and other sporting codes.

Essendon immediately notified the AFL and asked the Australian Anti-Doping Authority to launch its own investigation into possible inappropriate use of supplements at the club in 2012.

The AFL is aware the sport is a target of criminal elements, and at least one Essendon figure has spoken to an organised crime investigative body about his knowledge of performance-enhancing drugs in football.

The Australian Federal Police is not involved, according to sources.

Dank is the central character in the scandal that threatens the existence of one of footy's most famous clubs.

Despite speculation that other clubs would emerge in the drugs scandal, no evidence has yet been found across the competition.

Coach James Hird yesterday maintained his club would be cleared of any wrongdoing.

Asked yesterday if he had confidence in high-performance manager Dean Robinson, who has been stood down, Hird said: "I have confidence in our processes at our footy club that we'd get it right. Our players are moving on, we're training hard, and we're looking forward to the start of the season.

"I'm sure it (the allegations) does have an effect (on them), but we're moving on," he said.

Mr Doherty said Dank would push the limits, but not cross them.

"As (Kyle) Reimers said, they were pretty close to the edge and Steve Dank would've been sailing along that edge gladly. But he wouldn't step over it, or risk the playing future of the players or the club," Mr Doherty said.

"He is smart enough to know exactly what he could and couldn't give to AFL players. He would be completely in touch with the WADA code, and would not put those players under risk," he said.

"I don't believe he would've been giving Essendon players illegal peptides."
 

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Tank threat to Dees' pokies revenue

Melbourne faces the prospect of losing $5m in pokies revenue if found guilty of tanking. Picture: Ellen Smith Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE faces the prospect of losing $5 million a year in poker-machine revenue if the club is found guilty by the AFL of "tanking" allegations.

An adverse finding into the claims, the subject of an exhaustive AFL investigation, could also force the resignation of senior staff.

The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation has the power to withdraw licences to operate electronic gaming machines and force the removal of key officials if it finds an organisation has acted inappropriately.

Melbourne owns the Bentleigh Club, which has 80 machines, and the Leighoak Hotel, at Oakleigh, which has 92 machines.

The Demons pocket about half of the $10 million the two gaming venues turn over annually.

"The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation will be considering the outcomes of the AFL's investigation in its own inquiry into the matter," a spokeswoman said.

Licensing expert Dennis Galimberti, of Hall & Thompson lawyers, said the commission could discipline a club or associated people if anything happened that meant they were not of good repute in regards to honesty and integrity.

"The VCGLR can also discipline the club even if it is associated with a person who conducts himself in such a way that he is not a person of good repute," Galimberti said.

"If the AFL was to find ... that the club or persons associated with the club have been involved in an attempt to alter the result of an AFL competition match or the organisation or the preparation of a match so that participants don't give their utmost performance, they may well be the subject matter of an inquiry conducted by the VCGLR.

"It may well lead to orders being made for interfering with the licence or requiring persons who are associated with the club to cease being associated with the club."

Melbourne has denied any wrongdoing.

The AFL has received a submission from Melbourne and is expected to soon announce whether the club has a case to answer.

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Dons ignored needle concerns

Essendon players train at Tullamarine yesterday in the wake of the drugs scandal embroiling the club. Picture: Hamish Blair Source: Herald Sun

SOME Essendon players were forced to continue taking injections against their will last season - despite voicing mid-year objections.

As the probe into Essendon's controversial supplements practices deepened yesterday, it emerged a group of players was told it was club policy to continue the "experimental" practice despite complaints.

Sources said players known to be deeply troubled by the injections were told they would continue as it was a team strategy.

The Essendon players, led by skipper Jobe Watson, yesterday met the AFL Players' Association and were briefed on their rights and the risks of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority-AFL probe.

They were told ignorance was no excuse if they had taken illegal substances.

The players' union is expected to engage a QC to oversee the matter.

Bombers coach James Hird talked to the players before training at Tullamarine.

The Herald Sun can reveal at least four Essendon players sought independent advice last year from a senior sports administration figure about the consent forms they were asked to sign while taking the supplements.

Recently retired Essendon onballer Mark McVeigh was adamant the club had done nothing wrong, saying he had taken only vitamins.

"I can honestly tell you that everything I took I knew 100 per cent that it was within the WADA and AFL doping regulations," he said.

Players were told that while it was pushing boundaries, the supplement program was legal and would help aid performance, boost recovery and help players sleep better.

As Geelong and the Gold Coast distanced themselves from the controversy despite links to Essendon sports scientist Stephen Dank, rival clubs scrutinised their own medical departments.

The AFL continues to search for evidence of the practice across other clubs, including whether Dank had personal clients from across the competition.

Hird reiterated his confidence in the club's compliance with WADA.

Asked yesterday if he had confidence in stood-down high-performance manager Dean Robinson, Hird said: "I have confidence in our processes at our footy club that we'd get it right.

"Our players are moving on, we're training hard and we're looking forward to the start of the season. I'm sure it (the allegations) does have an effect (on them), but we're moving on."

Club veteran Dustin Fletcher said: "I'm not too fussed about it, the boys upstairs will deal with it."

Former Port Adelaide captain Warren Tredrea yesterday revealed he was offered banned substances during his playing career by an individual outside the club.

"But I went and got it tested and came back with three illegal drugs in it," Tredrea said.
 

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Drugs on list sound alarm

Essendon bosses Ian Robson, David Evans and James Hird fronted the media yesterday. Picture: Scott Chris Source: Herald Sun

THE Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority website leaves athletes with little doubt when it comes to what's right and what's wrong.

Athletes, coaches and officials can type a substance into a search engine and check if it is banned.

And if they are not sure, there is a number to call.

World Anti-Doping Agency president John Fahey said yesterday ignorance was no excuse.

"It's each athlete's personal duty to ensure that no prohibited substances enter into his or her body," Fahey said.

"It's not necessary for the athlete to show intent or fault or negligence or knowingly use ... the simple fact is that the substance is in the body, then the offence is proven and the sanctions apply. There's no defence."

Select "Australian football", "male" and "athlete" and type "peptide", the drug alleged to be at the centre of Essendon's supplement use investigation, into the ASADA search engine and seven variants are listed.

Select six and a big red cross jumps up - growth hormone-releasing peptides are prohibited.

A search on the ASADA site for the amino acid Leucine, which becomes a peptide when joined with another amino acid, indicates it is not prohibited - as long as you don't inject it.

Leucine peptides and branched chain amino acids are the most common supplement peptides not banned under ASADA rules.

You can pick up a 300g tub of Leucine structured peptides powder online for $40.

"Peptides derived from whey protein, which are perfectly legal. You take them orally," said Wesley Hurrell, a science and biochemistry graduate who works at mrsupplement.com.au.

"They're probably the most expensive type of whey proteins."

Hurrell's colleague, Jerry Liu, who has a doctorate in nutrition and food chemistry, said growth hormone-releasing peptides such as GHRP6 "are completely synthetic, you can't find them in nature".

The banned substances are typically injected into people who have diminished growth, burns victims and the elderly.

"They trigger the release of growth hormones," Hurrell said.

"The major thing that growth hormone will do for an athlete is promote muscle growth and also help reduce fat."

While Hurrell said growth hormone-releasing peptides should be available only with a medical prescription, a quick search online unearths a 5mg vial of the banned GHRP6 available for shipment to Australia. It will cost you $40, plus shipping.

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Watson's Brownlow worry

Essendon skipper Jobe Watson could be stripped of his Brownlow Medal if drugs allegations against the Bombers are proven. Picture: Michael Klein. Source: Herald Sun

ESSENDON captain Jobe Watson would be the first AFL player to be stripped of his Brownlow Medal if serious drug allegations against the Bombers are proven.

But as his father Tim spoke of his anguish at that prospect, Watson was confident of his innocence despite taking supplements along with the rest of the Essendon list.

Watson has told family and confidantes that as far as he is aware, the supplements are legal.

Should the ASADA findings show Watson was one of the Essendon players who took illegal substances, he would almost certainly be stripped of the Brownlow Medal.

But Watson, who as captain had no knowledge of any suspicious substances, can only join his teammates and Essendon fans in awaiting the finding of the AFL-ASADA inquiry.

Watson said yesterday morning he would be gutted if Jobe lost the game's highest individual award.

"As a parent, I'd be devastated for him," Watson said yesterday on SEN.

"I'd be completely and utterly destroyed and that is one of the components of this story too.

"There are lots of things that are going on that we don't know about."

Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell and Richmond's Trent Cotchin tied for second on 26 votes in last year's count.

Late yesterday, Watson said his son wanted the chance to explain Essendon's controversial strategy, confident the club had done nothing wrong.

"I was completely shocked and taken aback by it yesterday," Watson told Channel 7.

"But he explained to me nothing has been taken outside the guidelines stipulated by WADA and ASADA and the club doctor and he is really confident where it sits and he would like the chance to explain his story."

Watson said he would be surprised if the Bombers had allowed someone into their club who could do such damage.

"One would think that everybody within their football club has the checks and balances whereby they know the people they're employing," he said.

"They know the substances and the composition of any substances being given to the players as well ... getting their players fitter and faster and stronger.

"They're going to push those because that's what being in an elite environment is all about.

"But I hope that the correct checks and balances and the correct checks on the people are conducted before you employ them, because then you know exactly what it is that's going on within your football club."

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Blues in bid to make MCG home

Carlton star Marc Murphy models the Blues new clash strip. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

CARLTON wants to make the MCG its primary home ground as part of a bold bid to re-establish itself as an on and off-field power.

The Herald Sun can reveal the Blues are intent on signing a deal to play up to eight games a year at the AFL mecca when their contract with Etihad Stadium expires at the end of 2014.

Carlton today will unveil its new clash jumper, incorporating a more traditional navy blue and white look, at the club's first intra-club practice match of 2013 at Visy Park from 10am.

The new strip - which ditches the controversial pale blue design - co-incides with the announcement of a three-year sponsorship extension with confectionary giant Mars.

The Blues' plan to become a tenant club of the MCG - at the end of its 150th year celebration next season - could depend on the strength of its membership base when venue talks heat up mid-year.

Carlton has more than 33,000 members but could need more than 50,000 to play the bulk of its home matches at the MCG from 2015.

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Chief executive Greg Swann said the club's ability to convert its supporters into members this season was crucial to the MCG deal.

"In comparison to some of the other clubs, it's a bit of a stone in our shoe, because we think we have got hundreds of thousands of supporters out there," Swann told the Herald Sun.

"We think if we can push it and head towards 60,000 (members) like some of the other clubs it just gives us a bigger bargaining chip when we sit down with Etihad and the AFL and everybody else for that matter about getting more home games at the 'G.

"So it's a big year for us."

Swann said increased exposure to blockbuster games with near capacity crowds at the MCG would benefit the team and the club's bottom line.

"Etihad has been fantastic. But if we want to get back up the ladder and playing deep into finals, the MCG is the place where all those big games are and the big crowds are, and we want to be part of it as often as we can," he said.

"When we play big blockbusters we nearly fill the place (MCG), so to get there more regularly will help us with membership and sponsorship and everything else that comes with it. Financially it's a better equation for us."

 Swan said MCG powerbrokers were supportive of the Blues' pitch.

Collingwood, Melbourne, Hawthorn and Richmond are the MCG's tenant clubs.

The Blues have a 10-year agreement to play six games a season at Etihad.

Swan yesterday welcomed the Mars extension, which secures its place on the front of the Carlton jumper for away games and the back for home games.

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Dons injected at secret locations

Essendon call in AFL and ASADA to investigate the club's training regime and suppliments given to players.

Victory University Institute of Sport's Simon Outram chats to Fox Sports News about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in light of the Essendon stimulant scandal.

Essendon players training at Windy Hill in 2012. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: Herald Sun

Artwork: David Mcarthur Source: Herald Sun

ESSENDON players were taken away from the club and injected with unknown substances by sports science staff last season.

The Herald Sun can reveal the off-site injections will form part of an investigation by the AFL and Australia's anti-doping watchdog into inappropriate use of supplements at the club in 2012.

Sources allege organised crime gangs also have been linked to the scandal.

It is alleged the alarm was raised at Windy Hill midway through last season about the activities of the club's performance scientist, Stephen Dank, who has since left the club.

BELOW: Possible sanctions that could be imposed by WADA and the AFL

Expense forms totalling more than $10,000, including the cost of a registered nurse to perform injections, were regularly submitted by Dank to the club.

Essendon late last night stood down club high performance manager Dean Robinson, pending the outcome of the investigation.

The substances, which have not been identified, were taken orally, by injection and intravenously.

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Essendon players were asked to sign waivers, supposedly exonerating the club of wrongdoing in the taking of the mystery substances.

It is understood an Essendon official spoke to an organised crime investigative body about his knowledge of performance-enhancing drugs in football last November.

The AFL is aware that its sport is being targeted by peddlers of illegal substances.

The Herald Sun last night submitted questions to the Australian Crime Commission, a leading law enforcement body in the fight against organised crime. In response, it said: "The Australian Crime Commission does not confirm who it is or isn't investigating."

Essendon coach James Hird, along with chief executive Ian Robson and chairman David Evans, talk to the media about inappropriate use of supplements by some players at the club during the 2012 season. Picture: Chris Scott Source: Herald Sun

BELOW: See timeline of club's past three years and snapshot of the Bombers' 2012 season

Sources last night warned at least one more club could be implicated over misuse of supplements.

It is known Essendon's highly respected club doctor, Bruce Reid, became frustrated by elements of Dank's work with the players last year.

But Bombers chiefs yesterday claimed they had become aware of "concerning information" only in the past two days. 

Who is Stephen Dank?

 Axed former Essendon star Kyle Reimers told Channel 9 last night: "They (Essendon) admitted to us that it was right on the edge.

"Speaking to blokes from other clubs, I don't think anyone has ever thought about signing it or doing the stuff we were doing.

"After a couple of months away from it, it does seem pretty odd that, the type of stuff we were taking."

Editorial: Drugs menace is a great game

Essendon yesterday stressed the recent departures of football boss Paul Hamilton and chief operating officer Dom Cato were not related to the scandal.

The Herald Sun contacted a number of senior Essendon officials about the allegations on Monday and they strongly denied any wrongdoing by the club last year.

They now fear, however, banned drugs may have been given to their players without the knowledge of senior officials.

The club had late night meetings on Monday and again yesterday before coming forward to the AFL.

Players face two-year bans

Bombers chairman David Evans said: "The integrity at the club is critical, and that's why we've moved quickly to contact the AFL.

"The info we gathered over the last 24 or 48 hours is slightly concerning, and we want to dig a bit deeper but we want the AFL to help us."

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou has long made known his dislike for the growing influence of sports scientists in the game.

Last night he said: "They (Essendon) have just started the investigation. They don't know what they have taken or alleged to have taken, they don't know the composition, and they don't even know if they have broken any WADA rules.

"They have come forward so I think they are entitled to the benefit of the doubt."

Dejected Essendon players depart the MCG after another loss late in the season last year. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

ESSENDON'S 2012 IN A SNAPSHOT

- The Bombers soared to an 8-1 win-loss record and are second on the table heading into June. Their premiership odds are crunched as Jobe Watson, Brent Stanton and Dustin Fletcher lead the charge.

- The Dons' opening nine weeks eventuated despite a spate of early-season injuries and included a stunning 30-point win against Carlton, which is the flag favourite at the time.

- A shock loss to straggler Melbourne in Round 10 lights the fuse for Essendon's dramatic demise in the second half of the season. The Dons are the first side to lose to the Dees under Mark Neeld.

- Dons chairman David Evans is forced to publicly defend high-performance manager Dean Robinson ("The Weapon") for the injury curse in August. Essendon's soft-tissue epidemic claims about a dozen stars, including Michael Hurley, David Zaharakis, Brent Stanton, Paddy Ryder, David Hille and Stewie Crameri.

- Essendon peters out to finish with an 11-11 record, dropping 10 of the final 13 matches to finish 11th on the ladder.

- The Dons record embarrassing losses to Richmond (45 points) and Carlton (96) in the final month of the season.

- Jobe Watson becomes the first player since Shane Crawford in 1999 to win the Brownlow Medal from a non-finalist, polling 30 votes.

- Essendon parts company with sports science guru Stephen Dank in the fallout from their wretched collapse last season.

- Football manager Paul Hamilton reportedly walks out in September, with Danny Corcoran taking charge at Windy Hill.

Essendon's big guns (from left), chief executive Ian Robson, chairman David Evans and coach James Hird, front the media yesterday. Picture: Chris Scott Source: Herald Sun

What they said
"I am very disappointed. Shocked, is probably the best word ... I believe we followed processes; we put in place the right kind of processes. My understanding is we worked within the framework that was given to us by the AFL and I am shocked to be sitting here really.'' - Essendon coach James Hird

"I think the investigation takes its course from here and we learn more, as I said earlier I don't have all the answers but as you would agree this is a minefield. It takes experts, we have contacted experts today and we will use them to help us with the findings.'' - Essendon chairman David Evans

"David Evans has briefed the AFL about the matter and we support his actions. The AFL's Integrity Unit already works closely with ASADA and will assist with the investigation.'' - Acting AFL Football Operations Manager Gillon McLachlan

TIMELINE
End of 2010
- Geelong premiership coach Mark Thompson quits the Cats to join Essendon as James Hird's senior assistant. He says the Bombers must get bigger.

End of 2011
- Former Geelong and Gold Coast fitness guru Dean ``The Weapon'' Robinson joins Essendon and says his pre-season program for the under-sized Bombers will be ``intense''.

Start of 2012
- Robinson recruits long-time collaborator sports scientist Stephen Dank. Known as "The Pharmacist'', Dank worked at NRL club Manly and Gold Coast Suns in the AFL with Robinson.

End of season 2012
- Robinson has his role downgraded as former Athletics Australia chief executive Danny Corcoran takes on more responsibility.

- Jobe Watson win the Brownlow medal, polling 30 votes.

- Football manager Paul Hamilton quits the club.

- Dank parted company with the club amid concern over the sports science program.

Yesterday
- Essendon chairman David Evans says "over the last 48 hours the Essendon Football Club has received information about supplements that have been given to our players as part of the fitness program of 2012". ADL and ASADA launch investigations.

Last night
- Essendon stands down Robinson pending the outcome of the inquiries.

A young fan flies an Essendon flag during a match at Etihad Stadium last season. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: Herald Sun

Possible sanctions

WADA
- World Anti-Doping Code penalties for using performance-enhancing drugs: First violation - two years ineligibility; Second violation: lifetime ineligibility.

However, the Athlete or other Person shall have the opportunity in each case, before a period of Ineligibility is imposed, to establish the basis for eliminating or reducing this sanction

AFL
- The AFL has broad powers under its rules to penalise clubs and players it deems have brought the game into disrepute - clubs could face hefty fines and exclusion from the national draft.

REPLAY our chat of the press conference coverage below

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Demetriou says no excuses

Essendon call in AFL and ASADA to investigate the club's training regime and suppliments given to players.

Victory University Institute of Sport's Simon Outram chats to Fox Sports News about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in light of the Essendon stimulant scandal.

The Bombers make their way up the race before a match last season. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: Herald Sun

Artwork: David Mcarthur Source: Herald Sun

ESSENDON players and officials can be penalised under the AFL's Anti-Doping Code even if they were not aware banned substances were being used.

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou said last night: "There are no excuses."

The football world was rocked yesterday by a confession from Essendon that it had called on the AFL and the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority to investigate possible inappropriate use of supplements by players.

The club last night stood down high performance manager Dean "The Weapon" Robinson, pending the outcome of investigations.

Editorial: Drugs menace is a great game

Performance scientist Stephen Dank, known as "The Pharmacist", worked with Robinson at Gold Coast Suns.

He advised Robinson when Robinson was at Geelong, but left Essendon last year after dissatisfaction with his performance.

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 Robinson was recruited to the Bombers on the recommendation of assistant coach Mark Thompson. The pair had worked together in the Cats' premierships years of 2007 and 2009, Thompson as coach.

The Bombers denied knowledge of the use of banned performance-enhancing substances, but Demetriou stressed that would not save them if found guilty.

It emerged players had been given injections last year away from the club's Windy Hill headquarters.

Some players allegedly were asked to sign waiver forms surrounding the use of supplements.

The pharmacist to the stars

 Demetriou first discussed the revelations with Essendon on Monday before club chairman David Evans and chief executive Ian Robson met AFL integrity officer Brett Clothier and league No.2 Gillon McLachlan yesterday.

"This is a minefield ... we've received information that's concerned us," Evans said.Calling for calm on a potentially disastrous day for the Bombers and the AFL, Demetriou said rules were strict.

The Bombers make their way up the race before a match last season. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: Herald Sun

Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority regulations mirror the World Anti-Doping Authority standard - players and officials can face up to a two-year ban for a first offence.

"Under the ASADA rules, whether you knew or not it's no excuse ... they are the WADA rules," Demetriou said. "Under the rules, the way they are structured at the moment, which all world sport has to follow, they apply to officials and under our rules they can apply to a club.

"In relation to WADA, when it comes to rules, and the rules are pretty specific, and other people have abused them ... but these guys get educated every year and they know before they ingest anything or take anything, and if you have any doubt, you ring the hotline or ring your doctor."

Demetriou would not speculate on possible bans.

"People should not jump to conclusions," he said.

"They have just started the investigation. They don't know what they have taken or alleged to have taken. They don't know the composition, and they don't even know if they have broken any WADA rules.

"They have come forward, so I think they are entitled to the benefit of the doubt."

The AFL Players' Association last night backed the AFL-ASADA inquiry.

"Clubs providing players with supplements and directions as to their players' training requirements have a significant responsibility and, in our view, any concerns regarding the nature of such directions ought to be treated with the utmost seriousness," chief executive Matt Finnis said.

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The pharmacist to the stars

The man everybody wants to find: Former Essendon sports scientist Steve Dank in 2005 when with NRL club Manly. Source: The Daily Telegraph

Essendon call in AFL and ASADA to investigate the club's training regime and suppliments given to players.

Victory University Institute of Sport's Simon Outram chats to Fox Sports News about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in light of the Essendon stimulant scandal.

Artwork: David Mcarthur Source: Herald Sun

THEY call Stephen Dank "The Pharmacist". And until late last year he was Essendon's performance scientist.

But don't go looking for his name in the club's staff registry - any trace of him as a Bombers official has now been erased.

Dank quietly left Essendon last year amid the fallout from the club's dramatic slide down the ladder.

Melbourne Football Club has since knocked him back for a job in its own football department - perhaps a rare stroke of fortune for the tanking-accused Demons.

Today, Dank and Bombers bosses have some serious explaining to do about what was going on at Windy Hill last year.

What were the substances being used by Essendon players and why has the club now asked the AFL and the Australian Anti-Doping Authority to investigate?
But Dank's practices are not unknown in Australia.

In 2005, he made headlines while working for the NRL's Manly Sea Eagles.

As the club's physiologist, Dank and the Sea Eagles created a world first in sport by using DNA testing to increase player performance.

It was also reported he had Manly players using a $300-per-litre anti-inflammatory product called Lact-Away, which is made from the bark of French pine and was initially a racehorse treatment. And then there was a product containing calves' blood extract, which helps to heal muscular injuries and increases stamina.

They all raised eyebrows but Dank soon moved on, eventually finding his way to Essendon at the start of last year after doing part-time work with Gold Coast Suns.

The Bombers make their way up the race before a match last season. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: Herald Sun

Dank has also had a long association with Essendon high-performance manager Dean Robinson, who calls himself The Weapon.

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 The duo worked closely at the Sea Eagles and have always stayed in touch.

When The Weapon moved to Geelong to help the club claim the 2007 flag, he was in almost daily contact with his mate Dank.

"We discuss ideas and philosophies and a lot of them are common to both the Sea Eagles and the Cats," Robinson boasted in an interview in 2007.

But Dank is less inclined to talk about what he does.

"I don't do media interviews," Dank declared while at Manly in 2008. "What the sports science department does stays in-house."

A Melbourne Football Club spokeswoman yesterday confirmed Dank had applied for a job at the club.

"He applied for a job at the club late last year but he was unsuccessful," she said. "He has never had any direct contact with the players."

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Maxwell poised to lead Pies again

Collingwood skipper Nick Maxwell. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

COLLINGWOOD is expected to announce this morning that Nick Maxwell will continue as captain for the fifth straight season.

Former Pies' premiership captain Tony Shaw had voiced his support for Scott Pendlebury's leadership claims, but the star onballer is tipped to remain vice-captain.

It will also be the fifth season Pendlebury, 25, has held the position.

Onballer Luke Ball is also set to play a key role in the leadership group this season.

Heath Shaw, Travis Cloke, Dale Thomas and Harry O'Brien rounded out the group last year.

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Judd holds off on new deal

There is a line of thought that Carlton champion Chris Judd may decide to retire at the peak of his powers to pursue other interests. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

Judd stretches his back before training. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

CARLTON star Chris Judd has delayed contract talks until mid-season at the earliest as he contemplates his future.

Judd has told the Blues he is not prepared to discuss extending his six-year tenure at Visy Park until he plays a significant portion of the season.

The dual Brownlow medallist turns 30 in September - an age that sees many footballers leave the game - but his brilliant form means his future is in his hands.

The fact he will not consider a deal now leaves it open that Judd may not play a 13th season next year.

Carlton would sign a deal with him now but is content to wait most, if not all, of the season, hopeful that relinquishing the captaincy will invigorate him.

There is a line of thought that Judd may decide to retire at the peak of his powers to pursue other interests. Carlton president Stephen Kernahan yesterday told the Herald Sun he believed Judd could play on for many years.

But he said he was aware that Judd might leave earlier than many believe.

"Put this on the record: he is 29 and I reckon he's got years to go. Will he last as long as we hope he does? I have a feeling maybe not," Kernahan said.

"He's got some serious football left in him, and that's my personal opinion.

"But he might surprise us.

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 "I have heard the things where he might only have a couple of years left.

"You hear all the stories, but Judd will know himself.

"He has been around the coalface for all his career, and he obviously made the call along those lines to release the captaincy, and give someone else the chance.

"He has had to do a hell of a lot at our club in the last five years but, if it's typical Juddy, he won't change at all."

Judd retiring as early as this year would be a stunning turn of events, given his performance level at Carlton: three best-and-fairests, a second placing (2011) and last year's third placing.

But Judd has long said he is not obsessed with the game and he has business and other interests outside football.

If Judd was keen to maximise his value for the 2014 season, he would sign a deal this pre-season.

But if he decided to play on, he may choose one-year deals like many veterans, including North Melbourne's Brent Harvey and Essendon's Dustin Fletcher.

Judd has admitted he has had "brain fades" in recent years with a pair of notable tribunal appearances for his "pressure point" and "chicken wing" tackles.

But when he does leave the AFL, the dual Brownlow medallist will be considered one of the greats of the game.

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Roberts quits to sign on with Fox

Channel 7 broadcaster Sandy Roberts is moving to Fox Footy. Picture: Cifra Manuela Source: Herald Sun

EXCLUSIVE: SANDY Roberts has walked out on Channel 7 after 34 years as a broadcaster to sign on with Fox Footy.

In the latest development in TV's news wars, the Herald Sun understands the Seven stalwart has been poached to call games and host programs on the football-only station.

Roberts, the weekday sports news reader for Seven, will inform the station today he is leaving, the latest dramatic change to Seven's news after the departure of veteran meteorologist David Brown.

Weatherman Brown has been replaced by former Olympic swimmer Giaan Rooney, amid simmering tensions over the personnel changes at the network.

Seven and Nine continue to fight a pitched battle over nightly news ratings, and Nine's commanding lead has forced Seven into recent changes.

Seven insiders said they believed Brown, 52, was unhappy about the decision to push him aside for Rooney, 30.

Roberts has not called games in recent seasons, but it is believed that after broadcasting to regional areas with radio callers Crocmedia he became confident he still had the fire in his belly.

He said in 2007 it was his decision not to call games for Seven given his weekday commitments with the network.

But the 62-year-old was constantly stopped in the street by fans asking about his absence, so his return clearly would be well received.

Fox Footy is known to believe the signing is a major coup given his reputation as a fan favourite in AFL circles. His son works at the network as a producer and Roberts will work across several shows.

The network will use him not only as a caller but also as host of some of the network's regular one-off specials.

Fox Footy has the rights to the All-Australian awards and AFL MVP award.

Roberts showcased his hosting skills at the 2009 Brownlow Medal when called in with only hours' notice after Bruce McAvaney was forced to withdraw.

Seven recently tried former Western Bulldogs ruckman Luke Darcy as a stand-in sports presenter when Roberts and weekend news reader Tim Watson were on leave.

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Buddy-minded season begins

Hawthorn may only receive a draft pick at the end of the first round as compensation, if Lance Franklin decides to leave as a restricted free agent.

Lance Franklin has put contract talks with Hawthorn on hold until the end of the season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

Shane Crawford channels his inner Liam Neeson when he discovers Gary Ablett is 'taken' and tries to organise a swap with one of his mates

LANCE Franklin says he wants to stay at Hawthorn, but recent history means his words will do little to allay Hawks fears of a dramatic departure.

Franklin, 26, will become a restricted free agent in October, making him available to offers from rival clubs. He chose to suspend contract talks with Hawthorn until season's end.

The superstar forward yesterday declared he had "no intentions of leaving".

"I obviously love Hawthorn. They've been an absolutely great footy club for myself and I'm coming up to my ninth season," Franklin said.

"It was my decision. It was something I wanted to do and I wanted to leave it until the end of the season.

"I know there's going to be a lot of speculation about what I'm going to be doing at the end of the season. I've got no intentions of leaving the football club, but it is what it is - I just want to play footy."

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 Gary Ablett, Tom Scully, Brendon Goddard and Kurt Tippett chose to delay contract talks in the past three years, citing the need to concentrate on their football and stressing their intent to stay. All left.

Only days after cancelling negotiations, Franklin fronted the media yesterday in his role as captain for the indigenous All-Stars side that plays Richmond on Friday, and he was unapologetic over his decision.

"It's going to be a distraction and obviously the footy club is shocked that I didn't sign either, but it's my decision," he said.

"I don't get entangled in anyone else's contracts or any boys from the the footy club. It's just something that's not talked about, internally it won't be spoken about.

"We'll just look forward to playing footy and hopefully winning a premiership."

Asked if he was open to leaving for another club, Franklin said: "No, not at this stage. I want to stay at Hawthorn, but I just want to leave it until the end of the season and go from there."

He rejected suggestions his decision would haunt Hawthorn throughout the season, much like it did for Collingwood during last year's Travis Cloke saga.

"Not at all. The football club we've got is very strong, we've got some really good leaders and our group is very tight," Franklin said.

"I have no real issues there. It's obviously going to be the media that is going to pump it up more than ever. It is what it is and I'll just wait until the end of the season and make my decision then."

A 2008 premiership player and two-time Coleman medallist, Franklin is arguably the game's biggest drawcard.

Industry speculation puts Hawthorn's offer about $1 million a year over four years.

It is understood Franklin, was last year not among the games biggest eight earners, who all received more than $1 million in total earnings.

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Franklin's  contract revelation led to a media frenzy across the weekend, with the line from Buddy's  management eerily similar to that of Tom Scully, Gary Ablett and Kurt Tippett before that trio walked out on their clubs.

SuperFooty explained how history revealed this could spell disastrous news for the Hawks, while club legend Dermott Brereton told the Herald Sun that Franklin had made the right decision.

It was also revealed that Franklin had not struck a secret pact with Magpie-turned-Eagle Sharrod Wellingham to relocate to Perth and again shack up with his former housemate.

But Adelaide jumped on the front foot,  yesterday declaring it could make an audacious end-of-season play for the champion goalkicker.

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Watson, Rioli suffer corkies

Jobe Watson has suffered a corked thigh after initially sending a scare through the Essendon camp when he limped from an intra-club practice match at Melbourne Airport with what looked like a knee injury. Picture: Andy Drewitt Source: Herald Sun

ESSENDON and Hawthorn have been dealt fresh injury blows less than a fortnight from the start of the NAB Cup.

But Bombers skipper Jobe Watson and Hawks livewire Cyril Rioli have escaped major damage, with both suffering corked thighs.

Watson sent a scare through the Essendon camp when he limped from an intra-club practice match at Melbourne Airport with what looked like a knee injury.

But coach James Hird was later relieved to learn his most important player had only sustained a knock above the joint and would be a short-term casualty.

Rioli's corked thigh, which was aggravated at training yesterday, has made him the latest casualty for the Richmond-indigenous All-Stars game in Alice Springs on Friday night.

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 There were also reports yesterday that injury-prone Carlton forward Jarrad Waite was nursing a calf strain.

All-Stars skipper Lance Franklin confirmed Rioli would join Shaun Burgoyne and Adam Goodes as spectators at Traeger Park.

"He's a little bit sore at the moment so he'll miss. He was pretty disappointed, with me being the captain he wanted to run out with me," Franklin said.

"It's a little bit disappointing 'Goodesy' is not playing and Shaun Burgoyne and Cyril, but the young boys we've got out there running around can play some football. Shaun is coming back from his knee. He's a little way away, but hopefully he'll be right for Round 1."

Trent Cotchin will lead Richmond out for the first time since being named captain last November in a squad missing Troy Chaplin (knee), Nathan Foley (Achilles) and Dylan Grimes (hamstring).

"They'll be a good mix of senior players, but also an opportunity for some young players who have come into the system over the last couple of years," Cotchin said.

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