Geelong great Cameron Ling has called for the doping bans on 34 Essendon players to be re-examined.
Speaking on K rock’s Tom, Lingy and Loggy program this morning, Ling said the inclusion of 11 Chinese athletes at the Paris Olympics had set a precedent.
A total of 34 Essendon players were suspended for two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), including captain Jobe Watson, who handed back his Brownlow Medal to the league as a result.
But Ling says the case should be re-examined.
“I think potentially there is an opportunity to right what I believe is a wrong,” he said.
“We are going to have 11 athletes competing at these games that have tested positive to a banned substance.
“There were 23 swimmers who tested positive to TMZ (trimetazidine). The Chinese Anti-Doping Agency found them not guilty, with the argument they had ingested tainted food from a hotel they were staying at.
“WADA accepted that argument recommendation. Then there was an independent panel set up to work out if that process was correctly followed – they said it was.
“So basically 23 athletes were considered not guilty. We are going to have 11 of those athletes competing at these Olympics, the pinnacle of sport, including a reigning Olympic champion.”
Ling said it was highly relevant to the Essendon scandal.
“I think given that precedent has been really strongly set through WADA and this independent panel, I believe the AFL or someone within Australia needs to re-test the Essendon 34 players case and tell us why they were banned when there was no positive test.
“Through what could only be classed as I think circumstantial evidence that there was allegedly Thymosin at the club, and they then determined it was Thymosin beta-4, the banned version, that they should then be banned for two years.
“A lot of players careers were ruined, and the most high profile moment being Job handing back his Brownlow.
“I think if these athletes are allowed to keep their medals and compete at these Olympics, I would want to test the case again as to why Jobe Watson wouldn’t be able to get his Brownlow Medal back.
“I said at the time I believed the AFL would have no choice to take the medal off him. I now, looking back, regret saying that.
“It needed to be tested further. The AFL and the Australian tribunal found these players not guilty. It was then handed to the CAS – that’s how they were found guilty.
“Jobe has his Brownlow taken from him, and I think that’s unfair. I would like given what we are seeing now, for this to be tested again and Jobe perhaps be awarded his Brownlow back.
“There’s enough doubt for them to have that removed from their record, from their legacy to not have it sitting next to their name.”