A decade on, the Essendon drugs saga won’t go away – because it’s unresolved. Anti-doping ASADA are again fighting NewsCorp’s demand for release of documents under Freedom of Information. In 2019 the Administrative Appeals Tribunal refused disclosure under grounds of a confidentiality agreement. By taking action against 34 players, the AFL deems that culprits have received retribution. In 2013 the Medical Board fined the experiment’s architect Dr Willcourt (in absentia) $7000 for unprofessional conduct, essentially finding that there had been inadequate patient consultation regarding the Essendon supplements. AHPRA withdrew allegation 1D … ” that Dr Willcourt participated in the study and research program without ensuring that the program was approved by a Human Research Ethics Committee and/or acted in accordance with an approved research protocol.” VCAT had decided that since Dr Willcourt had already skipped the country, further sanction or conditions upon practising would result in a ‘mockery’ of such disciplinary action. Willcourt’s practice was just across Chapel st from HyperMed, and their meds are sourced from Nima Alavi’s Compounding around the corner – from which $80,000 worth of growth hormones and steroids were stolen by another artful dodger of AHPRA rules. But who brought the players to HyperMed for injection?

ABC 4Corners report ‘Whatever it Takes’ interviewed spokesperson Graeme Little at HyperMed, where he revealed that supposed villain Stephen Danks simply turned up on the doorstep. At the time, brother Paul Little was Essendon chairman, which weighs against sheer happenstance.

Players obey the coach, and James Hird obeys the orders of club Chairman. There’s hearsay that Hird met Danks at a Thai beach resort, but damned solid evidence the Little family are connected. Well connected. Paul now runs private terminal Melbourne Jet Base, which is also contracted for RAAF VIP aircraft, so used by PM Morrison in 2018 before official opening. In 2020 Paul was appointed to Morrison’s coronavirus economic taskforce, chaired by the CEO of Fortescue Mining (who’s been delaying Court over a quarantine breach). Best we not let this matter rest.