Scandal at Essendon Bombers take on a new spin after shock admission.
Reigning Brownlow Medalist Jobe Watson has made the starting admission he was injected several times with illegal drugs, as part of Essendon’s supplement program.
The Bombers skipper said he agreed to the injections as he was told they legal and were administered by the club doctor Bruce Reid.
However, Watson beleives he has not done anything wrong in taking the anti-obesity drug AOD-9604, which has become key to the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority’s (ASADA) case in performance enhancing drugs in all football codes.
“I signed that consent form and my understanding, after it being given through (club doctor) Bruce Reid and the club, that I was receiving AOD,” Watson said.
The World Anti-Doping Authority has released a statement recently saying AOD-9604 is on their banned list, a fact which surprised the Essendon captain.
“It did, because the understanding we had through the advice we got and through the medical doctor at the football club, that it was a legal substance,” he said.
Watson and several players from the Bombers have been interviewed by ASADA offcials about their possible involvement with the club’s supplement program last year.
Despite the admission of being injected with the illegal drug, Watson said he was confident of his innocence and wanted the chance to clear his name of any malicious wrongdoing.
“I don’t have a feeling of guilt and I don’t believe I’ve done anything wrong,” he said.
“So all I want is the truth to come out.
It’s not impacting on me, because … it’s not a cloud hanging over me. I don’t care how long it takes.”
Despite the on-going saga surrounding the ASADA investigation, Essendon have continued to perform well on the field as they find themselves currently in fourth place.
The star on-baller said when news the club was in the middle of the investigation, it actually brought them closer and focused their energy more to continue to win in spite of being under the microscope.
“There were some flat patches, probably around the investigation when players’ interviews were being conducted,” Watson said.
“We could only lean on each other and we spoke on numerous occasions that the only people who knew what we were going through were the other people sitting next to you. That solidarity has held us in good stead so far.”
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