AFL internal review into Essendon investigation leaves biggest questions unanswered, says Mark Robinson

THE AFL’s internal review has given the AFL a huge tick in its handling of the Essendon investigation. But the biggest questions remain unanswered, says MARK ROBINSON.

Essendon chiefs Ian Robson, David Evans and James Hird.

KNOCK us all down with a feather.

The AFL’s internal review — written by a bunch of highly-paid AFL executives — has given the AFL a huge tick in its handling of the Essendon investigation.

It sounds like the report was treated like the office birthday card — say something nice and pass it on, thanks champ.

The AFL on Tuesday couldn’t even tell us the names of the number of authors of the report, but want us to fully accept its findings.

We take it Andrew Dillon was involved. And Gillon McLachlan. And Travis Auld. And probably the tea lady, the intern and the after-hours cleaner.

We’re being smart arses because how else can we react?

Because what’s the odds of tabling a fair and transparent assessment of the AFL’s conduct into the biggest scandal in football history when it’s the same people writing the report who were involved in the investigation?

As one club official said: “They won their own intraclub match.’’

The AFL must think regular footy folk are stupid and mindless.

At least in the Eagles investigation into infamous drug-taking decade, and revealed recently in the Herald Sun, the AFL hired a retired Supreme Court justice to do its investigation.

That the AFL didn’t any action against Eagles officials is another story, but there was a level independence to it

Not a lot, if any, independence in this latest offering.

It was flimsy as well.

The investigation was launched more than 1200 days ago and club chief executives and presidents received a copy of the eight-page summary at 6.30pm on Monday night.

A copy must have been sent to its favourite news organisation as well, for The Australian got the leak and wrote a piece which lacked any real critical analysis.

Essendon’s Ian Robson, David Evans and James Hird face the media on February 5, 2013.

Anyway, there was eight pages all-up. At the height of this saga, the Herald Sun would run eight pages daily about the conduct of both Essendon and the AFL.

The report itself is big-picture stuff, the most important item being the CEO overseeing future investigations must be part of the decisions of the commission and that no commission member can be part of deal-making.

Surely that’s a subtle admission — or a gross omission — from the AFL that the role of Andrew Demetriou was compromised because he was both prosecutor and executioner, while also running a PR campaign against James Hird and Essendon.

It’s also an subtle admission _ or a gross omission _ that commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick’s drafting in of good mate and Australian Sports Commission chairman John Wylie to help strike a deal with then Essendon chairman Paul Little was wrong.

The summary doesn’t mention:

THE events surrounding ASADA’s interim report could not be used by the AFL to help lay governance charges.

THE inducements offered to Hird, such as a study trip to Europe and Hird being paid while suspended.

ACCUSATIONS levelled at the AFL about the AFL wanting to “take bits out’’ of the interim report “that might compromise what we need’’.

The findings clearly do not address the intricacies of the AFL’s conduct.

Arguably, it’s a wishy-washy whitewash.

You wonder if former Essendon chairman David Evans — who was in the Bombers rooms post-match on Saturday night — was interviewed for the review.

He was talking and working with Demetriou from the outset, although Evans was adamant that Demetriou didn’t tip him off that Essendon was the club at the centre of doping claims.

History will tell us Evans self-reported, as acknowledged by the AFL in its summary.

“I am confident that when the history of doping in sport in Australia is written, our competition can say that the Essendon Football Club stood up and reported voluntarily, and the AFL acted swiftly to protect the integrity of the game and the health and welfare of the players,’’ Fitzpatrick wrote.

Now that Evans is back at the club in an unofficial capacity, and his health has seemingly improved, it’s time for Evans tell all Essendon supporters what really happened in those early days.

He has never spoken publicly about it, which adds to the mystique and propaganda surrounding this entire saga.

Here’s the first question:

What really happened in the days leading up to and on the Night of Crisis, February 4, 2013, when you took a late-night phone call from Demetriou?

You self-reported the next day, apparently of your own doing, starting a four-year circus.

The fans have a right to know.

Originally published as AFL internal review into Essendon investigation leaves biggest questions unanswered, says Mark Robinson