GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A.

BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

On Saturday 2 April 2016, Gerard Whateley interviewed former Essendon player Brent
Prismall about his Court of Arbitration for Sport suspension. It was a typical Whateley
interview about Essendon. Ninety-five per cent of the interview involved Whateley
emulating Bambi so that he would be loved by everyone, and five percent involved striking
like a snake. Well Gerard, here comes the Mongoose, with the emphasis in your case on the
goose because you have this information in your files. The reason Brent Prismall didnt write
anything about Thymosin on his ASADA form was because, wait for it Gerard, when he had
his urine test in December 2011, the Thymosin which ASADA wants the world to believe
was Thymosin Beta 4, wasnt yet in the country. Everybody has got it wrong, Gerard
Whateley, ASADA, WADA, the CAS panellists and most damning of all, the lawyers
representing the players. They should have seen this flaw in the time line in an instant, risen
to their feet and objected like Perry Mason on steroids.
It should have been game, set and match at CAS; it should have been game set and match
with Gerard; but, he so desperately wants to ingratiate himself to the cosy
ASADA/WADA/CAS old boys network the way he has the AFL/Big End of Town/Look At
All The Racehorse Owners I Know Club.
Most of Whateleys venom, which we can now call spluttered venom, involved him making a
damaging editorial type statement and then seeking endorsement from Prismall for his
statement. When Whateley received that endorsement he never pushed Prismall to
substantiate his position. Inter alia, Whateley said:
Are you now of the understanding that Dank had Thymosin Beta-4?
Under stress, Prismall said: From what I know, I think yeah he quite

possibly would

have had it, yeah.

That was a silly response by Prismall. He has no evidence that Dank had Thymosin Beta-4. A
decent journalist would have asked Prismall to justify his claim but Whateley had obtained
what he wanted a chance to grab a headline with some shifty writing on the ABC
Grandstand Sport website. Whateley wrote:
Former Essendon player Brent Prismall says he believes the banned drug Thymosin
Beta-4 (TB-4) was indeed part of the disgraced supplement program that has left him
and 33 teammates serving doping bans.
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GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

This was classic dishonest journalism. Prismall didnt say he believed that the banned drug
TB-4 was indeed part of the disgraced supplement program Prismall made three
comments that prove Whateley manipulated Prismall answers:
i.

Whateley asked is it possible that you were [possible that he was administered
TB-4]? Prismall said: Its possible. Yeah. I dont think I did but it is possible.
Most honest people would acknowledge that there is a huge difference between
believing TB-4 was part of the program and saying it was possible.

ii.

Whateley said: So you know what you did but do you know what was done to
you. Do you know what you were injected with in that supplements program to
which Prismall said No. Prismall clearly said he didnt know what he was
administered so Whateley was wrong to claim Prismall believed he was
administered TB-4.

iii.

Whateley asked: Are you now of the understanding that Dank had Thymosin
Beta-4. Under stress, Prismall said: From what I know I think yeah he quite
possibly would have had it, yeah. Prismalls response of quite possibly is
substantively different from saying he believed he was administered TB-4.

It defies logic why anyone involved in the Essendon saga/ASADA scandal would agree to be
interviewed by any media person. No player has been briefed well enough to handle a
journalist such as Whateley. In fact, the players werent even briefed properly to handle the
scheming ASADA investigators. And Id be amazed if Prismall were briefed well enough
before his CAS appearance because I dont believe the legal team knows what happened.
Although Prismall was incredibly impressive with Whateley, he made a couple of mistakes
which harmed himself and the other players. I shall highlight those mistakes as I dissect the
items. The first item is taken out of sequence because it highlights how one player was
deceived by WADA, it highlights how poorly he was briefed, and it highlights that Prismalls
legal team didnt know enough about his evidence. Mind you, the legal team is not Robinson
Crusoe. Mike Fitzpatrick, Gillon McLachlan, the AFL Commissioners, Players Association
chief executive Paul Marsh and Essendon president Lindsay Tanner know bugger all.

GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

Item (Whateley) 1: And that maybe there were issues that you could not completely answer
in a way that you perhaps imagine that you were going to be able to
Prismall: Yeah. I would love to have been able to give all the answers and certain things
around doping forms and things like that I would love to have answered and I suppose have
had a proper answer for or an answer that I didnt say Im not sure why. But the facts are I
wasnt sure at the time.
Whateley: And one of those issues seems to be that the word thymosin didnt appear on the
players anti-doping, doping control forms along the way. GW: were you asked that
question?
Prismall: I was asked. I was shown my doping control form from a drug test that I did in
December 2011 and I didnt have Thymosin on there. I was asked why I didnt and I couldnt
answer it. I just said I am not sure why. I am still not sure why. It wasnt because of me
receiving the injection and me trying to keep it under wraps. It was nothing and I know it
might look like that. I know that there are some people out there would possibly think that
this is the way it has played out but it certainly the guys who I speak to, and myself included,
I wasnt trying to hide anything at all I just didnt write it down. I am clearly serving a ban.
That was part of the reason why.
Whateley: Can you rationalise why you didnt write thymosin on the form at the time?
Prismall: Not really, no. I mean had a fair bit of time to think about it. I think it was three
years between the time of the doping form to when I did the CAS interview so I had time to
think about it but I still dont know why I didnt know at the time why I didnt write it down
and clearly that is one of the reasons reading the CAS decision about why we were found
guilty, that was one of the reasons.
My Comment:
1. This is a unfortunate costly mistake. Prismall was conned by a question in the have
you stopped beating your wife mould.

2. Prismall didnt declare that he had been administered Thymosin because he hadnt
been administered Thymosin. It was a low trick question. We know Prismall was
tested in December 2011. His test predates the arrival of Thymosin in the country.
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GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

3. Shane Charter ordered by email Thymosin Beta-4 from GL Biochem in China on 8
December 2011.
4. GL Biochem sent a package to Cedric Anthonys warehouse in Shanghai for onward
sending to Melbourne.
5. Anthony stored the substance he had received from GL Biochem in his warehouse
fridge along with a number of other substances, including Thymosin Alpha-1.
6. At Charters request, Anthony sent a package labelled Thymosin to Nima Alavi in
Melbourne. The parcel arrived at Alavis compounding pharmacy at 3:30 PM on 29
December 2011.
7. As Alavi didnt have the raw material, which was labelled Thymosin, tested, he had
no idea whether the raw material was Thymosin Alpha-1; Thymomodulin; Thymosin
Beta-4; or an unknown substance.

8. Dank picked up vials of the substance on 18 January 2012.

9. Thymosin wasnt administered to the first player until late April 2012.
10. It is beyond belief that WADA asked Prismall a trick question.
11. It is beyond belief that the Essendon legal team didnt know enough about Prismalls
evidence given to ASADA to object to the question.
12. It is beyond belief that on Saturday, Whateley perpetuated the myth about Prismall
not filling in his doping control form correctly when he has had access to the same
evidence as I.
13. Its not surprising that Prismall couldnt recall what happened four years after the
event, particularly as it appears he wasnt briefed properly.

GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

Item (Whateley) 2: And so nobody did Brent. From the outside it looks as though everyone
knew not to write thymosin on the form. Thats not the case?
My Comment:
1. The snake strikes. This is gutter journalism. Whateley made a statement that implied
that the players conspired not to write Thymosin on the form.

2. Whateleys expression from the outside were just weasel words used to create the
impression that his outrageous statement had some credibility. Whateley had no
evidence to support the allegation:
3. In the players eyes, Thymosin was not an unacceptable word. Every player believed
that it was the name of a permitted substance. There was no reason for a player to
have any reason not to declare on his doping control form that he had been
administered Thymosin.
4. I know Whateley treats his viewers, readers and players as though they are idiots, but
surely if 22 players were told not to declare on their doping control forms that they
had been administered Thymosin, surely one of the players would have been bright
enough to say to the other 21 players Hey, guys, this smells a bit fishy. If ASADA
allows us to take Thymosin, why cant we tell ASADA that we have taken it in the
last seven days?

5. No one, including the CAS panellists, the WADA legal team and Whateley was in a
position to make a judgement on whether the players filled out their doping control
forms correctly unless they knew the date when the urine test was done and the dates
that the specific substances were administered to the players.
6. The players only had to declare substances taken in the previous seven days prior to
the urine test. I bet my precious Swans scarf that Whateley doesnt know when each
of the players wwas tested and Id bet my priceless Swans beany that Whateley
doesnt know the date that a single player was administered Thymosin. Until he finds
out that information he should shut up and hibernate for the winter.

GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

7. Although the panellists may know the dates that the players had their urine tests they
certainly do not know the dates the players received their Thymosin injections.
Therefore, they were wrong to use failure to declare Thymosin on the doping control
form as a reason for finding the players guilty.
Item (Prismall) 3: I feel comfortable that I did all that I could to ask the right questions to
the right people.
My Comment:
The most basic questions would be:
i.

What is the name of the substance?

ii.

Is it WADA permitted?

iii.

How will it help me?

iv.

Are there any side-effects?

v.

As I am required under clause 7.4 of the AFLs anti-doping code to table a

document with Dr Reid prior to the start of each season of every substance that I
have been administered in the previous 12 months, how do you spell the name of
this supplement?

Item (Prismall) 4: Yeah. Im not sure how it is possible. Its probably the biggest thing for
me and my biggest stress is that you cant give any clarity on what you have been given
My parents are the same and scratch their heads and wonder how do you not know what I
have been given. But I dont know what Ive been given hopefully Ill get those answers.
My Comment:
1. If Prismall asked the right questions, as he claims he did, and if he agrees with my
understanding of what constituted the right questions (see my comment to item 3),
then he should have clarity on what he was given. Prismalls situation is no different
from a patients position in hospital. The doctor or nurse tells the patient what he/she
is being given. The patient has no proof of what he has been given other than what the
doctor or nurse said. Similarly, Prismall could never obtain any further proof other
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GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

than what Dank said he was giving him. If Dank lied about what was in the
vial/syringe it will be impossible to ever ascertain what he was given.

2. The AFL was remiss, if not negligent, in not insisting that Essendon and every other
club had similar procedures to the hospitals to record what substances were purchased
by the club and what was given to each player.
Item (Whateley) 5: So you were obviously told but you have no faith in what you are told at
the time.
My Comment:
No one could have any faith in what the players were told by Dank and Dean Robinson for
the following reasons:
i.

Australian Crime Commission chief executive John Lawler, Minister for Justice
Jason Clare, Minister for Sport Senator Kate Lundy and AFL chief executive
Andrew Demetriou all disgraced themselves with their wild unsubstantiated
allegations on 7 February 2013.

ii.

Demetriou repeatedly, publicly claimed throughout most of 2013 that the players
had taken banned substances.

iii.

ASADA investigator Paul Simonsson told the players on 20 February 2013, words
to the effect that they wouldnt be suspended if they pleaded guilty to taking
banned substances.

iv.

Over the last three years, starting from 6 February 2013, various newspapers have
collectively written about 10 million words stating unambiguously that the players
had taken banned substances.

v.

ASADA chief executive Ben McDevitt has repeatedly claimed that the players
took banned substances and has then immediately contradicted himself by
lamenting that no one will ever know what the players were administered.

GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

vi.

ASADA and the AFL investigation into the alleged administering of banned
substances at Essendon was so corrupted it is impossible for the players to know
what happened.

vii.

In what can only be described as an appalling report, Ziggy Switkowski made a

number of outrageous claims that obviously created severe doubt in the players
minds as to what they were administered

Item (Prismall) 6: At the time I was told that it was either an amino acid or a vitamin
injection which I was comfortable with. I got the injection but obviously things have changed
and information has come out that might not be the case - whether I was administered TB-4 .
I am serving a ban for it so the powers above obviously think I have..
My Comment:
1. In item 3 above, Prismall claimed he asked all the right questions. Consequently, it is
difficult to comprehend that he didnt ask for the name of the supplements/amino
acids or vitamins he was being given. In his interview with ASADA on 23 May 2013,
he was able to nominate the name of two substances, which were amino acids. As he
discussed the supplements program with his parents, it is surprising that they didnt
insist that he find out the name of the other substances that he was given that
contained amino acids.

2. Forty-six players were interviewed by ASADA and virtually all of them told the
investigators that Dank told them the name of the substance that they were being
administered. Many couldnt recall the specific names of all the substances when they
were interviewed.
3. Off the top-of-my-head, my recollection is only three or four players said that Dank
gave them an amino acid.
4. Thirty-four players recalled being administered an unnamed amino acid by Dr Hooper
at the HyperMED, but as Prismall claimed he only received injections from Dank,
what happened at the HyperMed doesnt apply to him.

GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

5. If Whateley were an objective interviewer he would have asked Prismall to clarify or
expand on what he meant by things have changed and information has come out that
might not be the case - whether I was administered TB-4 . It is incomprehensible that
Whateley didnt ask Prismall to inform his listeners about the new information.
Whateley got what he wanted when Prismall used new information and TB-4 in
the one sentence.
Item (Whateley) 7: Do you now understand that the thymosin that was on the consent form
to be Thymosin Beta-4?
My Comment:
This was a weasels question. It was no different from asking someone whether they had
stopped beating their wife. Whateley was expressing his own opinion and was obviously
hoping that Prismall would inadvertently agree with him. To his credit, Prismall gave a
superb response.
Prismall said: I signed the consent form and it was Thymosin and Im sure if all the guys
knew it was thymosin beta four they wouldnt have signed it. We were told it was thymosin.
It was WADA compliant and hence the reason we signed it, the forms and I was comfortable
with it and I signed it. And at no stage did Stephen Dank or anyone at the club say I am
injecting you with Thymosin Beta-4. I was always told that it was a vitamin or an amino
acid.
Item (Whateley) 8: The level of deception was laid very clear by ASADAs first
investigator who interviewed you. What level of deception do you think you were subjected
to?
Prismall: I think the fact that when I was told I was getting a vitamin injection or an amino
acid that I didnt or I dont think I did. I have seen emails from Stephen Dank to Dean
Robinson or vice versa saying can we just call them amino acids or a vitamin injection which
I found out in my interview for ASADA. I found out all that stuff which was pretty hard to
take. I think dealing or seeing that and hearing it from the first time, yeah, I think there is a
massive level of deception by those people, which is disappointing.

GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

My Comment:
1. This was an unconscionable statement in the guise of a question. Whateley has made
a major Freudian mistake here. The ASADA investigator was supposed to be asking
Prismall questions in order to ascertain his understanding of what substances he was
administered and to glean what happened at Essendon. Whateley has let it slip that the
ASADA investigator filled Prismalls head with allegations of deception by Essendon
staff. The ASADA investigator was undoubtedly guilty of gross misconduct in
informing Prismall of such things. Sadly, it wasnt a one-off.

2. An ASADA investigator told Paddy Ryder during his interview on 20 May 2013 that
his unborn child could be deformed because of the banned substances he was
administered. Ryders attitude to Essendon changed at that moment, as did his
psychological disposition.
3. Hal Hunter and his mother Melita Stevens were subjected to a similar tactic. M/s
Stevens told 4 Corners that: They did start the questioning by saying, "We're going to
tell you something and you're probably not going to be very happy about it." And then
they explained that the injections that Hal had been given at HyperMED: I think it
said six or seven injections on the list. They said it was probably an amino acid, but
nobody really knows. It was- belonged to a, um, different patient: a muscular
dystrophy patient who had visited HyperMED; and that, um, that person had
purchased these, um, medication in Mexico and it had been left at the clinic. And
that's what Hal - and the other players that were there that had injections - were
injected with. The investigators were supposed to be questioning the players, but here
we find the investigators starting the interview with a horrific story, part of which
wasnt true. The substance was not sourced from Mexico. It was bought in El Paso
Texas, which is in the United States of America. Its hard to imagine why ASADA
told Hunter and his mother this story other than to create the impression that Essendon
were the really bad guys and we are here to help you nail them.
Item (Whateley) 9:It must be haunting to have gone through a program and now only
through drips and drabs be putting together what you may or may not have been
administered.

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GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

My Comment:
1. This is just another grubby comment by Whateley. He is not only expressing his own
thoughts but is putting words into Prismalls mouth and seeking agreement with his
position.

2. Whateley was obviously tampering with his own equipment when he stated that
Prismall was learning something in drips and drabs. Prismall and the other players
were swamped from day one by a Tsunami of bile from drips in the media. To this
day, I question whether they have learnt anything from the media, ASADA or WADA
as to what transpired at Essendon.
Item (Whateley) 10: Was there pressure to be all in with the program?
My Comment:
1. This was a mischievous question to which Whateley knew the answer. It was well
documented that not only had Hird said that the players were free to participate or not,
but many players said there was no pressure applied to have a particular supplement.

2. Whateley was leaked access to a table created by ASADA labelled Admitted use of
substances by players and officials. A primary school child could have deduced
from that table that there was no pressure to have a particular substance. For example,
eight players admitted that they received an AOD-9604 injection; 38 players received
vitamins B and C intravenously; 15 players took Colostrum tablets; 8 players used
Comfrey paste; 4 players received Traumeel; 8 players received Thymosin injections.
The number of players using specific supplements was so low it is outrageous to
suggest that there was pressure applied to take the supplements.
Item (Prismall) 11: Certainly there was pressure when you are having meetings with
James Hird, Stephen Dank and Dean Robinson They are talking about the program; clearly
endorsing the program; talking about what the effects are; how it is going to help us; how its
not going to produce over the line in terms of being WADA compliant. But certainly the
conversations you are having being in that environment it sort of leaves you no choice to do
it. There were some guys that hadnt and they are not serving the bans so.

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GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

My Comment:
1. Prismall was clearly mistaken on a couple of grounds.

i.

The players were given some supplements on 19 October 2011, which was the
first day of season 2012, pre-season training. Hird wasnt present when the
supplements were distributed and he left the next day for a five-week overseas
holiday. Hird had no idea the players were given until about 15 January 2012.

ii.

On 8 February 2012, players attended a meeting at the Essendon football club

auditorium. The meeting was addressed by Dank and Robinson and related to
the supplement protocols. Dank introduced for substances AOD-9604;
Thymosin; Colostrum; and Tribulus - that had reportedly been approved for
use in accordance with the new supplement protocols. Hird did not attend this
meeting.

2. Ironically, Prismall is Exhibit A in proving that no pressure was applied to

participate. ASADA nominated 16 specific substances and an all other category in
the aforementioned table. Prismall admitted to only receiving two of the 16
specifically named substances and admitted to receiving amino acids for which he
didnt know the name. Surely, Prismalls extremely low participation rate proves that
there was no pressure applied to take any substance.
Item (Whateley) 12: Have you reached a point in your mind that you can apportion blame
as you know who the villains of the piece were?
My Comment:
1. Normally, this would be a perfectly natural question for Whateley, or any other
journalist, to ask. However, in this instance, Whateley asked it for ulterior motives.
He was obviously hoping that Prismall put the knife into Hird. For three years,
Whateley has only been interested in blaming Hird. My reading of the Essendon
organisation structure, Hirds job description, the tripartite agreement between the
AFL, Essendon and each player, and the Victorian Occupational Health & Safety Act
indicates that the following had more legal responsibility than Hird: The nine
members of the AFL commission; Gillon McLachlan; Adrian Anderson; Brett
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GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

Clothier; the AFLs human resource director; the AFLs OH&S manager; the nine
members of the Essendon board; chief executive Ian Robson; football general
manager Paul Hamilton; the two Essendon doctors; Dean Robinson; Stephen Dank;
and the Essendon human resource manager. Legally, this means about 30 people had
more responsibility for the welfare of the players, but Whateley not only has never
questioned any of the above about their responsibilities but he and his mates have
refused numerous requests by me to publish and discuss Hirds responsibilities under
the Essendon organisation structure.

2. The AFL commission and the Essendon board were the joint employers and
consequently they had the most responsibility to the players. Interestingly, Dr
Harcourt stated during his Zurich, Switzerland, presentation at an anti-doping
conference that the AFL and ASADA got together to investigate some of the issues
which were apparent The real reason was that under individual contracts

all

players are contracted to the league as opposed to

clubs [my emphasis]. By definition, this means that the AFL has a duty of care
to provide a safe work place for the Essendon players.

3. Undoubtedly, the most reprehensible behaviour in this whole saga belongs to AFL
and ASADA staff. They are on record as saying that they believed that the Essendon
players were taking dangerous, banned substances in late 2011 and 2012, but yet they
did nothing to stop it. Metaphorically speaking, some AFL and ASADA officials
believed that the players may have been taking substances that could have caused
cancer but they didnt do anything for 15 months. In what must rank as gutless
journalism, neither Whateley nor his media mates has asked why the AFL and
ASADA let the players continue to take what they believed to be dangerous banned
substances.
Item (Prismall) 13: Yeah. I think Stephen dank is clearly one for me, he administered all
my injections and I see him responsible for the program.

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GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

My Comment:
1. Prismall obviously was unaware of the protocols and is therefore only partly correct.

i.

Dank was an outside consultant and reported to Dean Robinson.

ii.

Dank was required to recommend various supplements to Robinson

iii.

If Robinson agreed with Danks recommendation he had to submit it to Dr

Reid for his approval.

iv.

If Dr Reid believed that it was WADA compliant and that it would benefit the
player and that there was no chance of the substance doing any harm to the
player, the general manager football operations, Paul Hamilton, had to agree to
purchase the substance. On 2 February 2012, Hamilton sent an email to all
relevant staff stating that everything to do with the supplement program had to
come across his desk.

2. Prismall was correct in blaming Dank if Dank administered substances without Dr

Reids and Hamiltons permission.
Item (Whateley) 14: And beyond that those in the positions of authority.
My Comment:
Whateley was being too cute by half. Even the drovers dog knew that Whateley was wanting
Prismall to name Hird.
Item (Prismall) 15: Yeah being in a football club they have a right to do their research and
to make sure there is a certain level of welfare towards the playing group and clearly that
hasnt been fulfilled.
My Comment:
Whateley was clearly having trouble getting Prismall to put the knife in

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GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

Item (Whateley) 16: Where does James Hird sit in that in your mind?
My Comment:
1. If you keep pushing hard enough and put words into peoples mouths youll
eventually get what you want. Its a shame that Whateley didnt have the courage to
ask Prismall where the Essendon board and the AFL Commissioners sat in his mind.

2. If Whateley were half a decent journalist he would have studied the Victorian
Occupational Health & Safety Act, the Essendon organisation structure and Hirds job
description, and he would have realised that about 30 people had more responsibility
than Hird.
Item (Prismall) 17: Well the coach in a football club knows everything. Ultimately he
would make the decision as to whether the program would or would not run so yeah he
certainly has a level of responsibility as well.
My Comment:
1. Prismall was wrong to claim the coach knows everything. Obviously, the doctors, the
sports scientists, the physios, the nutritionists, the psychologists, the conditioners et al
know more about their respective fields of expertise than Hird.

2. In May 2011, the Essendon board, through chairman David Evans and chief executive
Ian Robson, and Paul Hamilton, Danny Corcoran, Hird and Mark Thompson agreed
to adopt a more scientific approach to nutrition, training, conditioning and recovery.
The football department Hamilton, Corcoran, Robinson, the doctors and Dank - was
given clear instructions by Hird that the supplements had to be WADA compliant; Dr
Reid had to approve their use; the players were free to opt in or opt out; and no
substance could be used if there were any chance of it causing harm the player.
3. Hird didnt need to know any more about the program other than the protocols were
being adhered to. It is ridiculous to suggest that Hird, or any coach for that matter,
needed to know the chemical breakdown of each substance.
4. Hird was no different from the senior AFL executives and AFL commissioners.

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GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

5. The AFL Commissioners trusted the senior AFL executives Demetriou, Adrian
Anderson, Gillon McLachlan and Brett Clothier - to fulfil their duty of care
responsibilities to the clubs and players.
6. Demetriou, Anderson, McLachlan and Clothier trusted each club to comply with
clause 7.4 of the AFLs anti-doping code. Since 2010, Clause 7.4 required every
player at every club to table with the club doctor prior to the start of each season a list
of every substance and medication that had been administered to the player in the
previous 12 months. Demetriou, Anderson, McLachlan and Clothier never checked
compliance even once at any club. Presumably, they didnt check with compliance
with clause 7.4 because they trusted each club to comply.
7. The AFL trusting each club to comply is no different from Hird trusting the Essendon
football department complying with his verbal and written instructions as to how the
supplement program should work.
8. Interestingly, when Hird heard the herd had transgressed he spoke up despite the fact
that he had no legal power to interfere with the football department.
Item (Whateley) 18: Did you feel very much on trial [when you appeared at the court of
arbitration for sport hearing in Sydney]?
My Comment:
If this is not the dumbest question asked by a journalist this year it certainly will get in the
grand final. Prismall was charged with taking a banned substance and was cross-examined by
a superstar barrister brought in from America so most people would have deduced that
Prismall knew he was on trial.

Towards the end of the interview, Whateley graciously gave Prismall an opportunity to
express his thoughts on how he had been treated since the story broke on 5 February 2013. It
was gut-wrenching to listen to Prismall articulate his concerns. To its lasting discredit, it
appears that the board has not looked after the players the way it should have.

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GERARD WHATELEY, A.K.A. BAMBI, HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN

Yes, the board has thrown a lot of money towards the legal costs, and it should be
complemented on such action. However, the players need more than that:
i.

Someone should have been appointed by the club to liaise and comfort all 34 players
on a daily basis if necessary.

ii.

All 34 players should have been lined up with jobs or educational courses.

iii.

The board should have taken enough interest to know whether any player had gone on
benders.

iv.

The board should have ripped into ASADA for running a corrupt investigation and it
should have smashed WADA for using tainted evidence in the CAS hearing. The
board has been given irrefutable evidence that WADA tabled changed evidence;
fabricated evidence; omitted evidence; and tabled evidence it knew to be untrue.

v.

The board should be bashing WADA every day until WADA investigates the veracity
of its evidence.

Two things came out of the interview:

1. Whateley doesnt deserve his Bambi image.

2. Prismall is a very impressive person and firms should be lining up to employ him.

Bruce Francis
3 April 2016

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