The Herald Sun in Melbourne released the full 1,294-page transcript from its 17-day hearing from November 2014 to March 2015.
The transcript is the first time the public has been offered full access into what is becoming the biggest crisis the AFL has ever faced.
According to the Herald Sun, the document reveals a number of significant details about the infamous supplements regime at the Bombers from as early as 2011.
The document reveals:
“Players suffered painful side-effects from sports scientist Stephen Dank’s program, including aching buttocks throughout the 2012 season.
“Geelong has been formally linked to Dank.
“ASADA relies on a witness, ‘Person A’, whose identity remains hidden.
“Evidence from one star Bombers player was dismissed by ASADA lawyers as ‘unusual’.
“ASADA questioned if players ‘turned a blind eye’, and were not duped.
“Tribunal chairman David Jones joked he could use ‘Dr Dank’ to treat his infected leg.
“Essendon coach James Hird barely rates a mention in proceedings.”
While the Herald Sun stopped short of identifying players, they did highlight that 45 players were interviewed by ASADA, and detailed the anti-doping body of the pain and confusion during the program at Windy Hill throughout 2011 and 2012.
Players said that they suffered hot flushes, numb backsides (where the injections were administered), intense pain and severe confusion throughout the injection regime.
The document reveals that Dank had told some players he was injecting them with Thymosin, others with AOD, others with amino acids and others with vitamins and flu boosters.
Throughout ASADA’s interviewing of players, the responses were varied however some common threads of information were evident.
“Received a hot flush after one of the injections, presumably the melatonin,” one player said.
“Dank’s office was disorganised. His office was a mess,” a senior player commented.
“If Dank missed you and didn’t come and see you then you basically didn’t get one,” another Bombers player said.
One player recalled that: “Danksy would say, ‘Come and get your vitamins. Gives your immune system a boost.”