Sportybots
We are the leading providers of kids fun multi-sports programs for Sport and Recreation Centres. Programs cover twelve common sports as well as Gross Motor Skill Development and suit children from as…
read morePapers have been lodged in the Supreme Court of Victoria alleging multiple acts of misleading or deceptive conduct by the AFL during the long-running supplements saga.
The action was brought by Melbourne lawyer Jackson Taylor and also names AFL Chairman Michael Fitzpatrick and Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan as defendants.
The Statement of Claim includes allegations that the AFL misled and deceived the public over both the integrity of the joint investigation, conducted by the AFL and the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA), and the AFL’s responsibilities for player health and safety.
In the two-and-a-half years since the "blackest day" in Australian sport alleged widespread use of performance enhancing drugs, it is the Essendon AFL club that the spotlight has centred on.
The 34 past and present Essendon players caught up in the investigation were all cleared by the AFL's anti-doping tribunal earlier this year, only to have their relief replaced by shock when they learned the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was appealing against the findings.
That appeal will be held by the international Court of Arbitration for Sport in November.
While the AFL has endeavoured to end the matter the story continues to detract from the national competition.
The sports scientist at the centre of the controversial supplements program at Essendon, Stephen Dank, is appealing against his lifetime ban from sport imposed by the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal and is also yet to face the Court of Arbitration for Sport as part of the WADA appeal.
Taylor's statement of claim runs to 32 pages and also names former AFL Chief Executive Andrew Demetriou alongside McLachlan and Fitzpatrick, alleging comments made in numerous media interviews and in the AFL's annual report were misleading or deceptive.
Taylor suggests constant comments that Essendon 'self reported' are incorrect, and that rather the club requested an investigation "only after, and as a consequence of having received the Demetriou disclosures and the McLachlan disclosures and having been required by the AFL to request the AFL-ASADA investigation."
Taylor claims that in June of 2013 the AFL had already determined to exclude Essendon from the finals or at least have points removed in order for them not to qualify, but continued to sell Silver Memberships including to Essendon supporters.
The announcement that Essendon was to be stripped of points and miss the final series was not made until August 2013. Withholding such information is alleged to be in breach of Australian consumer law.
26th June 2015 - AFL ANNOUNCES LIFE BAN FOR FORMER ESSENDON SPORTS SCIENTIST STEPHEN DANK
12th May 2105 - WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY TO APPEAL AFL ANTI-DOPING TRIBUNAL’S ESSENDON VERDICT
2nd May 2014 - ASADA COMPLETES FINAL REPORT INTO AFL/NRL SUPPLEMENTS SCANDAL
7th February 2013 - DRUGS AND CRIME REPORT ROCKS AUSTRALIAN SPORT
Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?
As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.
The Complete Guide to Leisure Industry Products & Services.
We are the leading providers of kids fun multi-sports programs for Sport and Recreation Centres. Programs cover twelve common sports as well as Gross Motor Skill Development and suit children from as…
read moreSince 1989 Elite Pool Covers have designed and manufactured an extensive range of high quality affordable manual,semi-automatic and fully-automatic pool cover systems for the harsh Australian…
read moreTicketSearch is focused on providing businesses, organisations, and venues with affordable, efficient, and powerful self-managed ticketing solutions. The organisation has offices in Australia, New…
read morePROVEN BUSINESS CONCEPTS WITH XBODY XBody’s goal is to see you and your EMS business succeed. That is why we don’t just sell equipment, we provide know-how, expert knowledge, business support…
read moreDeveloped in Europe, this innovative system offers a safety management solution for swimming pools that checks individual swimmers via their wristband - monitoring their depth and time. Sensors…
read moreWelcome to AAC – makers of the world’s best wristbands, lanyards, tickets, tokens and full-service print solutions. We are Australia’s premier global manufacturer and supplier of…
read moreAs of the 1st July 2018, Enta Australasia Pty Ltd/Best Union has been rebranded as VIVATICKET Pty Ltd. Click here to view the VIVATICKET Pty Ltd listing. 19th July 2018 - ENTA…
read moreHadley Australia and Series Australia Pty Ltd are the leading quality theatre chair manufacturers in the southern hemisphere. The businesses work closely with architects, interior designers and…
read moreGet your business noticed in our targeted directory. Viewed by 10,000 industry professionals per week!