Dank AFL appeal to revive Bombers saga

Controversial sports scientist Stephen Dank's appeal against his lifetime ban is set to bring the Essendon supplements saga back into the spotlight.

The Essendon supplements saga will return to the spotlight when controversial sports scientist Stephen Dank fronts the AFL appeals board on Monday.

Dank, the architect of Essendon's ill-fated 2012 supplements program, was found guilty of 10 breaches of the AFL's anti-doping code in April last year.

He was subsequently banned for life from working in any sport in Australia or overseas by the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal.

Dank will attempt to have the ban overturned at an open hearing held by the AFL appeals board.

The appeal will be heard at AFL House on Monday and is expected to go for three days.

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Dank will be allowed to call witnesses and plead his case directly to the board, should he choose to take the stand.

The appeals board issued a statement on Friday to clarify Dank's rights at the open hearing after a Fairfax Media report stated only written submissions would be allowed.

"The statement contained in the article that oral submissions (and by inference that oral evidence) would not be allowed at the hearing of Mr Dank's appeal is totally incorrect," the statement from board members Peter O'Callaghan QC, Murray Kellam AO and Geoff Giudice AO read.

"All parties shall be entitled to call and rely upon such oral or written evidence as is relevant and make such oral or written submissions as they consider appropriate."

Thirty-four past and present Essendon players missed the 2016 season after they were banned in January for anti-doping code violations arising from the supplements program Dank oversaw.

Ten players remain at Essendon, while another six have changed clubs and the rest have either retired or been delisted.

All 16 active players have been allowed to join their clubs for pre-season training and many have expressed a desire to move on from the supplements saga.

But it has rarely been away from the headlines, with the AFL's decision on Tuesday to strip Jobe Watson of his 2012 Brownlow Medal causing a furore.


2 min read

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Source: AAP



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