Australian Football League side Essendon "lost the support of the other 17 AFL clubs over its handling of its drugs investigation," according to Pierik, Gleeson & Wilson of THE AGE. AFL Chair Mike Fitzpatrick "averted a potentially bitter
confrontation" between Essendon Chair Paul Little and the other club
chiefs "when he agreed instead to communicate the clubs' anger with
Essendon to Little privately after the meeting of all clubs at Crown
ahead of the Brownlow." The clubs "had strongly reinforced to Fitzpatrick at the
weekend that they were united in their view that the Bombers' strategy
of fighting the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority in court and
resisting answering the charges against the players was damaging the
competition and threatening to imperil another season." Fitzpatrick said that any move to admonish Little and CEO Xavier
Campbell, both of whom attended the talks, "should come from the AFL" (THE AGE, 9/22).
NO DEAL: In Melbourne, Greg Buckle wrote AFL Players' Association CEO Paul Marsh "denied Essendon's 34 past and present players facing show-cause notices are seeking to do deals with ASADA." Marsh said on Monday that the players insist they have "done nothing wrong." Marsh: "Contrary to media reports and speculation, the players remain steadfast in their position that they are not looking to resolve this matter through a 'deal' with ASADA" (THE AGE, 9/22).
