Watson Admits Taking Banned Substance

Ricochet · June 25, 2013, 12:47:41 AM

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/essendon-captain-jobe-watson-admits-he-believes-he-took-a-banned-drug/story-fni5f6kv-1226669045577

BROWNLOW medallist Jobe Watson has revealed he took a drug he believed to be AOD-9604 - a substance since confirmed as banned under anti-doping rules

elephants · June 25, 2013, 02:46:28 AM

I'm bracing for the fallout here :-\

CFC 1979 · June 25, 2013, 06:27:52 AM

Finally someone is honest down at Essendon

Don't be surprised if this is a strategy by Essendon to force the authorities to speed up the investigation
so the Bombers are not dealing with this right on the eve of the finals

kilbluff1985 · June 25, 2013, 07:22:34 AM

blokes not as idiot he wouldn't of said it unless he knows something we don't like he has already told ASADA and they have cleared him etc he wouldn't just only admit to it on tv and deny it to ASADA people are making to much of this

Ricochet · June 25, 2013, 09:38:19 AM

My only concern is ASADA's stance in the past. You take a banned drug, you get banned. There has been no leeway in past incidents
I hope he comes out ok but unfortunately I think he'll get a ban

Ziplock · June 25, 2013, 09:45:04 AM

didnt he say he thinks he may have taken a banned substance? not really the same as admitting?

Ricochet · June 25, 2013, 09:48:35 AM

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/i-took-banned-drug-watson-20130624-2ota0.html

"My understanding after it being given through [club doctor] Bruce Reid and the club is that I was receiving AOD, yes,"

Ringo · June 25, 2013, 10:04:19 AM

Agree with CFC here - May be Essendons way of speeding up the invetigation and getting results out before finals.

Ricochet · June 25, 2013, 01:21:15 PM

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-06-25/jobe-liable-for-drug-use-wada?utm_medium=RSS

THE WORLD Anti-Doping Agency has reaffirmed the banned status of AOD-9604 after Essendon captain Jobe Watson admitted he'd been injected with the substance.

Watson insists he has done nothing wrong, having followed advice from Essendon medical staff, and he was surprised by WADA's statement last month confirming the drug was banned.

But WADA president John Fahey said on Tuesday "nothing has changed" and repeated the obligations athletes are under.

"You are responsible for what goes into your system, it's a strict liability," Fahey told AFL.com.au.

"Now whether or not there's any mitigating circumstances depends on individual cases, and that's a matter for ASADA who are currently investigating it.

Fahey wouldn't comment specifically on Watson's revealing interview on Fox Footy's On The Couch program on Monday night.

"I won't comment on that, that's a matter for ASADA ... any comments I make would only complicate that," he said.

Fahey said he had no issue with the time the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority was taking to investigate the allegations against Essendon.

"Lance Armstrong, start to finish, took somewhere like two and three-quarter years. These things take what they take, it's as simple as that," Fahey said.

The WADA boss said his organisation would review the Bombers' case only once the ASADA and AFL process had finished.

"We look at the results when it's concluded, we look to see if the code is being applied correctly, if it hasn't been applied correctly we have the right of appeal," Fahey said.

He said WADA could lodge an appeal on behalf of either his organisation or an accused athlete if it believed they had been treated unfairly.

"We can appeal on behalf of either if we don't believe the code has been applied in a correct manner," he said.

It is unlikely the League will make any comment about Watson's revelations on Tuesday.

On Tuesday morning, Watson's father Tim told radio station SEN he supported his son and said Essendon players were certain they hadn't taken a banned substance.

AFEV · June 25, 2013, 02:08:41 PM

ASADA would have already known this. This will most likely be a direct response to Gillian suggesting the investigation would probably not be completed until late August.

That being said I am not looking forward to the shower that will be flung at us by opposition supporters/media as a result of this 'admission'.

BratPack · June 25, 2013, 02:21:10 PM

Quote from: kilbluff1985 on June 25, 2013, 07:22:34 AM
blokes not as idiot he wouldn't of said it unless he knows something we don't like he has already told ASADA and they have cleared him etc he wouldn't just only admit to it on tv and deny it to ASADA people are making to much of this

Ding flowering Ding.

Jobe may have been naive but he's no idiot. He knows he's clear and Essendon knows it too, or else they wouldn't have let him answer with anything other than "No comment". Nothing is going to happen to Jobe or any other player

Ziplock · June 25, 2013, 02:26:44 PM

maybe he felt bad about being a drug cheat and came clean.

AFEV · June 25, 2013, 02:38:42 PM

Quote from: Ziplock on June 25, 2013, 02:26:44 PM
maybe he felt bad about being a drug cheat and came clean.

I feel he would probably put the welfare of the club ahead of his own conscience.
Besides, if Essington knew he was feeling guilt for whatever reason and was likely to step outside of the media boundaries set by the club, why would they let him do the interview?

Capper · June 25, 2013, 02:39:46 PM

Did he say that he took it this year or last year? As it wasnt on the banned list last year only this year. If he took it this year then he might be in trouble but if he took it last year only he should be ok

Ricochet · June 25, 2013, 02:40:58 PM

Quote from: tabs on June 25, 2013, 02:39:46 PM
Did he say that he took it this year or last year? As it wasnt on the banned list last year only this year. If he took it this year then he might be in trouble but if he took it last year only he should be ok

WADA have said it has been banned since 2011