Essendon captain Jobe Watson admits he believes he took a banned drug, Watson's belief, sighting confidential information he had been made privy to, follows his son,after recovering from a knee injury, Jobe's revelations on Fox Footy last night. The Essendon captain said he took a drug he believed to be AOD-9604 - a substance since confirmed as banned under anti-doping rules. But Watson hinted there was more to the investigation - in favour of the Dons - than what has already been made public. "They were given this as part of their supplement program... but they (Essendon) and the players are certain that they haven't taken a banned substance,You know what," Watson told SEN this morning.
"I guess the contentious thing here will be whether or not it's a banned substance and whether or not the information they were given at the time about it being a banned substance and the properties of AOD. "I'm not prepared to go into the absolute detail of every component of this that I know because that would be wrong of me to do that... I would be breaking the confidence and the trust of other people I have spoken to. "The reason why Jobe would've spoken so confidently and openly and honestly last night is because of what they're being told... it will be revealed in time." The Brownlow medallist said he signed a consent form outlining how he would be administered with the drug. The form was co-signed by sacked sports scientist Stephen Dank, Watson said. Watson said he believed he took the anti-obesity drug last year. Watson said he had no reason to feel guilty about his part in Essendon's supplements program, which was described by club-appointed investigator Ziggy Switkowski in May as a "pharmacologically experimental environment never adequately controlled or challenged or documented". "I signed that consent form," Watson said.
"My understanding after it being given through (Essendon doctor) Bruce Reid and the club (was) that I was receiving AOD. (I believed) that it was legal at the time and that's what I was told I was being given." The World Anti-Doping Agency stated AOD-9604," he said. "He was taken into custody really without incident., which is not approved for human use,You know what, is banned for athletes. The understanding that we had through the advice that we'd got was it was a legal substance, Watson said. I still to this day believe that we've done nothing wrong. Watson said the number of injections administered at Windy Hill last year was a new frontier for us. �� having that many injections was something I had not experienced in AFL football before,Bruce Reid and the club, Watson told Fox Footy's On The Couch.
The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority is 4 months into its investigation into Essendon's supplements program in 2012. Players are liable for bans of up to two years if charged under the World Anti-Doping Agency code and found guilty by the AFL tribunal. The AFL has the power to impose separate penalties on players and the club if it finds the game has been brought into disrepute. Watson said he had a different take to his ASADA interview than former Bomber Mark McVeigh. There are things that you hear in this interview that you know nothing about and you've never heard before and they are quite alarming, McVeigh said after his grilling. When I say alarming,‘Don't feel bad, I mean things that people may have done who are no longer at the club that no one knew about. Watson said he believed Dank was very knowledgeable.
He had an extensive background in professional sport in Australia and (I understood) that he had a great understanding of the supplement field, Watson said. In my talking with him that's the impression I got. THE Federal Government has moved a step closer to forcing Dank to answer questions in an official ASADA interview. Sports Minister Kate Lundy said legislation passed by the Senate would strengthen ASADA's investigative powers. Under the bill, which the Government hopes to fast-track through the House of Representatives this week, ASADA can summon individuals using the threat of non-compliance fines of up to $5100 a day.