AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan hopes the Essendon doping saga will conclude before Round 1. Pic: David Clark Source: News Corp Australia
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan says he remains hopeful the Essendon doping saga will be put to bed before Round 1.
The league is working to a timetable that will see a tribunal verdict in mid-to-late March, with the season proper to kick off on April 2.
BOMBERS CONFIRM FIRST FIVE TOP-UPS
McLachlan said on Tuesday the football public now accepted the possibility Essendon would be forced to field a team that included top-up players in premiership matches.
He said the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal — which adjourned on Tuesday night — had advised that it would need at least a month to deliberate on the case against 34 current and former Essendon players charged with using a banned peptide.
The AFL Commission on Monday signed off on measures that would enable Essendon to top up its list while players are provisionally suspended and in the event the tribunal handed out bans.
"We've got a timetable that is established now that says it will be somewhere in the mid- to second half of March," McLachlan said.
"The final submissions are today (Tuesday) and then I think the tribunal has said they need at least a month.
"All we can do is work to that timetable — there are sort of variations after that but we're hopeful of a conclusion before the start of the season."
Should any or all of the players be found guilty of using Thymosin Beta-4, they are entitled to individual sanction hearings, which would add further delays to any final resolution to the case.
All parties also have appeal rights.
Essendon, which is set to play St Kilda in a NAB Challenge match on March 7, opens its season with a string of high-profile matches against grand finalists Sydney and Hawthorn before traditional blockbusters against Carlton and Collingwood, on Anzac Day.
Tribunal chairman David Jones adjourned the hearing after the closing submission from players' lawyers on Tuesday and said in a statement the panel would "deliver its determination as to whether or not there has been a breach of the AFL Anti-Doping Code in due course".
The players' camp is understood to be satisfied that they received a fair hearing at the tribunal.
Former Essendon sports scientist Stephen Dank also faced a range of charges, but did not attend the tribunal.
McLachlan said AFL fans understood the need to implement the contingency plans and he believed it would not cause undue harm to the NAB Challenge.
"Our supporters are incredibly well educated, and they know what is going on," McLachlan said.
"They understand the situation here.
"The reality is there is a possibility that players being out and Essendon fielding different players may apply to the home and away (season).
"I think people will see it for what it is — they understand what is going on."
McLachlan said the AFL now had "a good dialogue going with Essendon.
"They like us have got the players as the priority.
"I think we need to work together to bring this to an end.
"Whatever the outcome is, it will be. We will work through that when it happens and get Essendon and playing group back to where they need to be playing unencumbered strong football."
He would not entertain speculation that the possible inclusion of top-up players would lead to one-sided matches in the premiership season.
He did not think the lingering scandal would affect impending negotiations for the next broadcast rights deal, with the current arrangement finishing at the end of next season.
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