Sports scientist Stephen Dank’s "moment of truth has finally arrived," according to Baker & Massoud of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. With the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Association "potentially preparing to issue charges against him" over Australian Football League club Essendon’s '12 supplement program. Dank "confirmed he’d recently received a show cause notice, an official signal of ASADA’s intent to take action against him." Potential infractions relate only to the supplement program Dank "devised at Essendon two season ago." The show cause letter "makes no mention of his involvement at Cronulla in 2011, when players were allegedly subjected to an 11-week program of peptide injections, creams and tablets." Dank "has denied giving any players banned substances" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 3/14). In Sydney, Le Grand & Read reported Dank's legal response "is likely to include Federal Court action and a complaint to the Privacy Commission." The official from another AFL club named in the show-cause notice "is understood to be a private patient of Dank who was receiving treatment unrelated to his work in football." Dank’s legal advisers believe that "the inclusion of the official is a breach of patient privilege." They suspect ASADA of continuing to leak information about its "highly sensitive investigation despite the public denial" of outgoing CEO Aurora Andruska (THE AUSTRALIAN, 3/14). In Melbourne, Adrian Proszenko reported ASADA "has completed its investigation phase and former Federal Court judge Garry Downes has been engaged to look over the evidence." Four players from National Rugby League club Cronulla "are reportedly also set to receive show-cause notices over the club's controversial supplements program in 2011" (THE AGE, 3/13). In Sydney, Andrew Wu reported AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou "has set Greater Western Sydney a pass mark of six wins this year but believes the league's newest club will be a finalist within five seasons." Expectations "are rising for the Giants, who, heading into their third season, are no longer considered a certainty to claim the wooden spoon" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 3/14).
