Australian Football League side Essendon Chair Paul Little said on Sunday that players "wishing to meet with the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority and consider its offer of reduced penalties were entitled as individuals to do so, but ASADA's chief executive would be naive to think he could split them," according to Emma Quayle of THE AGE. Little was "again critical" of ASADA CEO Ben McDevitt’s attempt to "cut deals" with the players via media interviews, and of ASADA's "failure to provide the club with any evidence it had gathered before issuing 34 past and current Essendon players with show-cause letters" relating to their "alleged use of banned drug thymosin Beta 4 while part of sports scientist Stephen Dank's program" in '11-12 (THE AGE, 6/15). In Canberra, Jon Pierik reported McDevitt believes his "case against Essendon is on safe legal ground but has warned the Bombers his brief may not fall apart even if the club is successful in having the Federal Court label its joint investigation with the AFL as unlawful." Essendon and suspended coach James Hird have "both sought hearings in the Federal Court arguing for an injunction to permanently block what they feel is an illegally conceived case." The Bombers' hearing "will be on June 27" (CANBERRA TIMES, 6/14).
