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This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Statement on ASADA's investigation into doping at the Essendon Football Club'.


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2.  The Herald-Sun reporting related to a purported recording of a private meeting of Essendon 
Football Club senior officials on 8 August 2013 in which the officials discuss approaches to 
possible imminent sanctioning of the Club by the Australian Football League (AFL) over the 
2012 Essendon injections program, following the receipt of an interim report of the joint 
AFL-ASADA investigation from ASADA. Those responsible and the motivation for the release 
of the recording are unknown.   
3.  On 13 August 2013 the Essendon Football Club and a number of senior officials were charged 
by the AFL for breaching the AFL Rules, specifically engaging in conduct that is unbecoming 
or likely to prejudice the interests or reputation of the Australian Football League or to bring 
the game of football into disrepute. 
4.  The sanctioning of the Essendon Football Club and senior club officials by the AFL did not 
relate to individual anti-doping rule violations. At that time the joint AFL-ASADA 
investigation into possible doping violations remained ongoing, with the AFL explicitly noting 
that infraction notices under the AFL Anti-Doping Code against individual Essendon FC 
players or other persons could also result if further information comes to hand. 
5.  The recorded discussion relates to circumstances that applied at that time and have been 
overtaken by many events in the interim, including affirmation of the validity of the joint  
AFL-ASADA investigation by the Federal Court and Full Bench of the Federal Court in 2014; 
the January 2016 Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) de-novo hearing and verdict that 34 
Essendon players committed doping violations; and the October 2016 dismissal of an appeal by 
the players of the CAS verdict by Swiss Federal Court. The Essendon Football Club also 
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pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 in the 
Melbourne Magistrates Court over the injections program.    
6.  The decision of the Swiss Federal Court represents the final step in the legal anti-doping 
processes associated with the Essendon matter  The sanctions applied by the CAS have been 
served and those affected are free to be involved in the AFL or any other sporting competition.  
7.  Separately, the ‘Justice for the 34’ (J34) group continue to lobby widely, including to 
Ministers, members of the opposition and members of the crossbench, for a Senate Inquiry into 
sports anti-doping in Australia and in particular the joint AFL-ASADA investigation into 
doping at the Essendon Football Club. According to media reporting, the J34 group has claimed 
to have provided you with new information to justify the calling of a government inquiry, with 
a view to having the CAS verdict that the 34 players committed doping violations overturned.  
Further media reporting of 25 February 2017 indicates the J34 group consider the recorded 
discussion as additional evidence the Essendon Football Club was unfairly targeted in the  
anti-doping investigation.   
8.  It is the Department’s strong view that, while it is understandable diverse
BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH  and deeply-held 
opinions on this issue will persist and some may feel aggrieved by the pena
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lties imposed on the 
Club and players, the matters at hand have been comprehensively reviewed during the 
exhaustive legal processes outlined above, and the various allegations and opinions held do not 
invalidate the deliberations and findings of the courts.   
9.  Further, the anti-doping rules contained in the World Anti-Doping Code and enshrined within 
Australia’s anti-doping arrangements not only support the rights of the clean athlete to 
participate in fair sport on local, national and international levels, but critically, protect the 
health and welfare of those participating in sport by eliminating use of doping substances, 
which often are not approved for human use and may have long term significant health 
consequences.   
10.  An internal review of the AFL’s handling of the Essendon matter is planned to be made public 
prior to the beginning of the 2017 AFL premiership season.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Background:  
On 24 February 2017 the Herald-Sun newspaper released a purported recording of a private meeting 
of Essendon Football Club senior officials held on 8 August 2013. Both audio footage and a 
transcript of the discussion were released. The Department cannot independently verify the 
provenance of recording, though has no reason to doubt its authenticity and notes there appears to 
be little question of this in the ensuing public commentary.  
 
The recorded discussion relates to consideration of the Club’s approach to possible AFL sanctions 
for the 2012 injections program at Essendon, following the receipt by the AFL of an interim report 
of the joint AFL-ASADA investigation. On 13 August 2013 the AFL sanctioned Essendon, 
imposing a $2 million penalty; removing Essendon from the 2013 finals series; stripping draft 
picks; and fining or suspending a number of senior Club officials. While it is important to 
contextualise the recording as a single discussion relevant to the prevailing circumstances of the 
time, it is perhaps noteworthy that comments within the recording suggest the group were unaware 
of what actually happened during the Club’s injections program, but considered there was 
insufficient time to establish this in light of imminent legal action. The lack of any consideration of 
or concern for the potential implications for the health and welfare of the players subject to the 
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injections program, following the receipt of the ASADA interim report, also appears conspicuous.       
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Current Chief executive Officer of the AFL, Mr Gillon McLachlan, is accused in the recordings of 
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misleading the officials present in related negotiations. Mr McLachlan has refuted those allegations 
in media statements of 24 February 2017. 
 
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The sanctions imposed by the AFL on Essendon in August 2013 did not relate to individual anti-
doping rule violations by Essendon players or support staff, as at the
OF   time the AFL-ASADA 
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investigation into possible doping violations remained ongoing. Notwithstanding, the release of the 
recording has further raised suggestions by some of the need for a Parliamentary Inquiry into the 
INFORMATION 
AFL-ASADA investigation of the Essendon inj
HAS  ections program, including questioning of the 
Prime Minister on the matter during a radio inter
OF  view on 3AW, to which the Prime Minister 
responded he has not formed a considered view. 
 
DEPARTMENT 
Relevance to Election Commitments / Budget Measures:  N/A 
 
DOCUMENT 
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State / Territory / Stakeholder Engageme
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Financial Implications:
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Sensitivity: There is an expectation you will consider the merits of commissioning a parliamentary 
inquiry into the Essendon doping matter after reviewing ‘new information’.    
 
Rural and Regional Considerations: N/A 
 
Regulatory Burden Implications and/or Deregulation Opportunities:  N/A 
 
Timing/Handling (including legislative changes): N/A 
 
Consultations: N/A 
 
Communication/Media Activities: N/A. 
 
Attachments: Nil 
 
 
 
 
 
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FOI 230-1617
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