No end to Essendon's misery, writes Mark Robinson

THE AFL is a difficult beast to read sometimes.

Dons

THE AFL is a difficult beast to read sometimes.

Last week the league was gobsmacked Essendon skipper Jobe Watson chose to turn the slow-burning drugs scandal into an inferno, and this week they have added fuel to the fire.

Prompted, AFL football operations manager Mark Evans said the Bombers could lose premiership points this year.

It's nothing we didn't suspect, but for an organisation not wanting to pre-empt any decision, or promote any discussion for fear of rampant speculation, Evans' honesty has created headlines of his own.

Sound familiar?

For what it's worth, you can understand why the AFL would dock points this year.

If the Bombers won the flag this year, the perception of how honest they were going about it would haunt the AFL.

The majority of fans would deem it unacceptable.

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So would the AFL.

They want to end this horrible mess and move on, so a punishment stretching into the 2014 season would not be ideal.

Like Evans, Watson's honesty's on Fox Footy's On The Couch last Monday night caused massive discussion.

Should he be stood down? Should he lose his Brownlow Medal? Was he the captain of the drug cheaters?

It culminated with unsavoury booing from West Coast fans on Thursday night, post-match tears from Watson, and heartfelt words from his father Tim on Friday night's match broadcast.

The booing was expected and people should not be affronted.

If anything, Watson's resilience in a high-octane environment drew great applause.

Still, there are those who simply label him a drug cheat.

Finally recovering from a week of turmoil, the Bombers yesterday were bemused by Evans' contribution.

It's understood constant discussions between Bombers president David Evans and league heavyweights Andrew Demetriou and Gil McLachlan have not once tabled possible penalties.

Indeed, Demetriou has previously dismissed any suggestion the club could lose points this season.

"There's no suggestion at all that Essendon in 2013 are involved in any use of anything that is being investigated, so they are fine,'' Demetriou said.

Evans yesterday put it back on the agenda, saying it was a possible outcome to be decided by the AFL Commission.

The strange thing is the Bombers are expecting to be punished by the AFL for bringing the game into disrepute.

But they maintain the players will not be penalised.

And while they were disappointed with Mark Evans yesterday, it was just another day of speculation in the long search for the truth.