Dear Ms Wilson

RE: Essendon’s blame game over Paddy Ryder another sign of a club off the rails – September 5, 2014 

I don’t think there would be anyone who wasn’t genuinely concerned for Paddy Ryder and his family and you are to be commended for expressing your concern. However, that doesn’t mean you are entitled to trash your obligations under the Australian Press Council’s Code of Conduct / Ethics. You have an obligation to be accurate, fair and balanced. The following comments are an attack on your writing, not a defence of Essendon. I don’t know enough about what has transpired in the last week to attack or defend Essendon or Ryder or his manager. 

Item 1 (Wilson): “Having wasted yet another golden opportunity to put up its hand and take responsibility for the nightmare it has inflicted upon its footballers, Essendon instead chose the predictable path on Thursday of playing the man.”

My Comment:

1. Essendon doesn’t believe its players were administered dangerous WADA banned substances. As we speak, there is no evidence to the contrary, although your columns for the last 18 months suggest you have been sitting on the evidence. It’s time you put up or shut up. If you have the evidence your articles suggest you have, it’s time you produced it.
   
   
2. In contrast to Essendon, the AFL and ASADA believed in late 2011, and all of 2012, Essendon players may have been taking dangerous, life-threatening banned substances. Surely, the AFL had a responsibility to run down to Windy Hill to tell the players to stop taking the substances. It is incomprehensible to me that not only didn’t the AFL and ASADA do anything to stop the programme but that you and your colleagues have never seen the need to question their inaction and lack of duty of care.
   
   
3. Despite having no proof of wrong-doing at Essendon, the media has generated thousands of articles over 18 months which have contributed to the players’ nightmares.
   
   
4. A balanced article would have canvassed the responsibilities of the AFL, ASADA and Essendon before apportioning blame. Whichever way you cut and slice it, the AFL’s inaction is a thousand times worse than Essendon’s.
   
   
5. A balanced article would also have said Stephen Dank appeared before the Australian Crime Commission, and under oath, stated that no WADA prohibited substances were administered at Essendon.

Item 2 (Wilson): “The club had two choices after Fairfax Media revealed that Paddy Ryder could depart the club mid-contract and move to the Brisbane Lions as a delisted free agent. One was to wrap its arms publicly and privately around Ryder and his disenchanted fiancée Jessica McDonald. The other was to point the finger at his manager.”

My Comment:

My understanding is Essendon has wrapped its arms around every player and their families to comfort them. A balanced article would have at least listed the action Essendon has taken to comfort its players.

Item 3 (Wilson): “The Bombers reverted to type and chose the blame game. It was a crazy and misguided choice. Not only did Essendon play the man, it played the wrong man.”

My Comment:

The issue here is who leaked the story that Ryder may move to Brisbane as a de-listed free agent. Essendon thinks it was Ryder’s manager. You not only claim Essendon is wrong but you know who leaked the story. Surely, to back-up your claim, you have a responsibility to name that person”

Item 4 (Wilson): “No one would have been more disappointed than Connors at the timing of the story. But Essendon misread this. “It is extremely disappointing that Paddy’s manager Paul Connors has chosen to play these matters out in the press on the eve of the club’s finals campaign,” read the club’s idiotic media statement. Could the club be now seeking the same advice as the ill-considered mentoring handed to coach James Hird in 2013?”

My Comment:

1. Using the term “idiotic” is a disgrace. If you had done psychology, you would know it was the lowest form of mental retardation – even below imbecile and moron. It just reinforces the hatred you have for Essendon.
   
   
2. A decent journalist would have given her reader a clue about what she meant by “ill-considered mentoring handed to James Hird”. From where I sit, if Hird had laid down and accepted the penalties you prescribed for him, we would not have found out that Ms Gillard, Ms Lundy, Andrew Demetriou, Gillon McLachlan and Brett Clothier tried to manipulate ASADA and the Interim Report. We now know when the new commission is appointed, McLachlan should be on his bike. We should thank Hird for that.

Item 5 (Wilson): “These actions have put unnecessary pressure on Paddy and his family,” the statement continued. Surely Essendon knows in its heart of hearts that the pressure on Ryder and his family was not caused by his manager. If only the club spent as much energy on working behind the scenes with troubled players and their families as they did on misguided damage control, they might not find themselves in this situation.”

My Comment:

1. This is factually untrue, which is another breach of the APC code. There have been thousands of pages written attacking Essendon and only a handful emanating from Essendon as damage control. 
   
   
2. Most people, who are not members of the ‘Destroy Essendon Club’, are aware that the Essendon officials have done an enormous amount of work to comfort the players and their families. A balanced article would have mentioned what the club had done.
   
   
3. This is a disingenuous comment. You know the pressure on Ryder refers to the story breaking days before the elimination final.

Item 6 (Wilson): “There are several ways the club could help Ryder and McDonald. One would be to tell them what drugs the player was given before he impregnated his fiancée. But Essendon cannot do that. The club has chosen the course of denial and delay and to this day does not know what exact substances were administered, even though chairman Paul Little continues to blindly insist his belief that nothing banned was involved.”

My Comment:

1. A balanced article written by a decent journalist would have outlined Ryder’s responsibilities as well as the club’s. Ryder had obligations under Clauses 5.3 (c) (i) to (vi) and 7.4 of the AFL’s anti-doping code to know what substances he took. 
   
   
2. Clause 7.4 says “Before the commencement of the AFL Competition each Player must advise his Club Medical Officer in writing of all substances and medications he is taking or using or has taken or used since the last Match in which the Player participated in the previous year. The Player must promptly advise his Club Medical Officer in writing of all substances and medications he subsequently takes or uses during the AFL Competition in that year. Each Club Medical Officer must maintain and keep a written record in respect of each player of all substances and medications so advised to him. Such records will be the property of the Club.”
   
   
3. If Ryder had fulfilled his obligations, he would have known what he took and there would have been no reason for him to have nightmares.
   
   
4. If the AFLPA had done its job and educated the players about Clauses 5.3 and 7.4, Ryder would have known what he took.
   
   
5. If the AFL hadn’t been so lazy and apathetic it would have checked on compliance with Clause 7.4 of the anti-doping code at every club. It would probably have discovered that no one was complying. Presumably, the AFL would have then introduced severe penalties to ensure compliance, which would have meant Ryder and every other player in the AFL would know every substance they were given. 
   
   
6. Ryder testified that he was told what substances he was given but because they had “weird names” he didn’t take it in. To comply with Clause 7.4 Ryder knew that he had to take it in and write down the name of each substance.
   
   
7. If you know Paul Little is incorrect, why not tell us which banned substances were involved? ASADA only mentions one alleged banned substance but you imply you know there are more than one. Please put up or shut up.
   
   
8. ASADA believes Thymosin Beta-4 was the only banned substance administered at Essendon. Ryder didn’t take either Thymosin Alpha or Thymosin Beta-4 so he shouldn’t have any worries.

Item 7 (Wilson): “Suggestions from the club that the Ryder bombshell, which was revealed to the Bombers in the final weeks of the season, could be financially motivated seem so insulting. This was a player moved to tears after his confronting interview in 2013 with ASADA and the AFL investigators. As reported in these pages last year, players were told that their fertility could be affected, as could the health of their unborn children.”

My Comment:

I assume that the players were told last year that if they took a banned substance “their fertility could be affected, as could the health of their unborn children”. As we speak, other than the evidence you imply you have, there doesn’t appear to be any evidence that the players took a banned substance. They therefore shouldn’t have any concerns.

Item 8 (Wilson): “A more accurate reading of the situation is that Ryder, despite his brilliant form this season, has not enjoyed the same relationship with Essendon that he enjoyed in the past. He has not enjoyed the questions about his future, his circumstances, the ongoing media attention which has resulted in the fall-out of the dangerous drugs program and more recent show-cause letters. He is seeking an environment less involved in the day-to-day dramas of the AFL.”

My Comment:

Your comments suggest that you have interviewed Ryder and you know everything he thinks about the whole saga. Your comment would be more believable if you had thrown a few quotation-marks in.

Item 9 (Wilson): “There are several acts yet to play out in the Ryder story and while other managers have publicly discussed the new breach-of-contract clause which could allow players to move to another club as delisted free agents, there is no clarity yet as to whether the clause would stand up or whether a manager would take it to its final conclusion.”

My Comment:

I knew that if I persevered, I’d eventually find a sentence of yours that made sense. I’d be surprised if any player tried to trigger the delisted free agency clause because I expect most players would agree that they contributed to the problem. The players knew they were supposed to record every substance and medication they were administered. They failed to do so. Presumably, Essendon would use this to negate any delisting free agency push.

Item 10 (Wilson): “Justice Middleton has not reached his decision regarding Essendon’s Federal Court attempt to find last year’s investigation illegal. That decision is not likely to come next week, despite speculation, but more likely the week leading into the preliminary finals. Then the position of the players facing suspensions – and Ryder is one of those – will come to the forefront. This could have happened earlier if the Bombers had truly focused upon what drugs were given to its players and not delays.” 

My Comment:

1. Ryder shouldn’t be facing suspension because he didn’t take any form of Thymosin.
   
   
2. If Essendon demanded a hearing last year rather than capitulating to intimidation by the AFL and the media, the matter would have been resolved last year.
   
   
3. Your comment “truly focussed upon what drugs were given to its players and not delays” is nonsense. Essendon doesn’t believe it took any banned substances. What delays has Essendon caused. And please don’t say they were remiss in requesting to see the evidence.

Item 11 (Wilson): “Paddy Ryder did not ask to be the player who this week has become the unfortunate symbol of Essendon’s irresponsible football program. But once he became that player, the correct behaviour by Essendon would have been to publicly state its regret that it had put him and his family in this unfortunate position.”

My Comment:

1. This week’s issue is the leaking of the story that Ryder may wish to leave Essendon. His concern about the program is not what attracted the angst this week.
   
   
2. Your comment “the correct behaviour by Essendon would have been to publicly state its regret that it had put him and his family in this unfortunate position” is reprehensible and in breach of the APC code. It implies Essendon has never apologised and has never sought to comfort Ryder and his family. That is factually untrue and an example of more unbalanced writing.

Item 12 (Wilson): “We never intended this,” the Thursday statement should have read. “And now we will do all we can to win back his trust. But we will not stand in Paddy’s way should he truly want to leave Essendon. And if we do lose Paddy then we will continue to play a role in his future health and that of his young son.” 

My Comment:

1. I assume Essendon detests having to read your garbage in the Age. I think it is extremely unlikely that Essendon will ever ask you to write for them.
   
   
2. My understanding is Essendon has been extremely helpful to all those players who were involved in 2011 and 2012, who have left the club. It is gutter journalism to imply that Essendon would not be just as caring to Ryder as to the others.

Bruce Francis