As you all know, we have been circumspect about what we have said in the media, and at times it has been very hard to watch all that is being said without fighting back and defending our players.
I would love to be standing here this afternoon giving a full account of what happened and how, and certainly I would love nothing more that to be correcting some of the more wild accusations and speculations.
But I ask you again for your patience while we let the AFL and ASADA investigation take its course.
I promise you this – every decision – I repeat every decision the Board has made since that day in early February has been to put our players best interests at heart – to get them through this investigation – to give them all the support that we can, and to continue to give them our strongest encouragement and confidence.
I want to thank Andrew Demetriou for his support of our club yesterday when he warned other clubs against what he called scurrilous innuendo that our players have some kind of advantage.
And I can also promise you this, whatever happened last year with what I have conceded were irregular practices – there is no advantage to our players and this will be proven.
What our players are showing this year is what wonderful and mature young men they are. We know some of them are real characters – but what we have seen this year is real character – grace under pressure, strength under fire, and a commitment to the collective – to each other and to the name of the Essendon Football Club. The older players are supporting the younger ones, the leaders are stepping up, the group is really looking after itself.
It is truly great to watch, and out of this very painful experience for our club, we can at least take some heart – that these young men are utter professionals who are doing their duty.
To do them justice, and to do our club justice, we too must be utterly professional and do our duty - and for the time being, that means cooperating with the investigation.
Thanks very much for your ongoing support.
