Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority’s investigators "recommended against pursuing current and former Essendon footballers over the club’s 2012 supplements program, warning that any attempt to prosecute doping charges would face insurmountable problems," according to Chip Le Grand of THE AUSTRALIAN. Although the investigators believed there was a circumstantial case that Thymosin Beta-4, a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, was used at Essendon, "they did not believe the case could be proved." This is consistent with ASADA’s position at the time of its interim report in August last year, when then CEO Aurora Andruska told the Australian Football League that although investigations were continuing, ASADA "had insufficient evidence to charge any players with a doping offence." Misgivings held by ASADA’s investigators about their case were ignored by current CEO Ben McDevitt, who, after receiving the final report, "initiated anti-doping proceedings against 34 current and former Essendon players" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 12/9). In Melbourne, Warner & Baker reported anti-doping hearings against the "Essendon 34" will be "held behind closed doors -- to protect the privacy of players."
AFL Tribunal Chair David Jones ruled that "the three-week hearing, beginning next Monday, would be confidential." He said that players’ privacy "outweighs the public interest" (HERALD SUN, 12/8).
