Akermanis vs Braun

[BulldogBelle]

Well they finally meet up this week after the rigmarol and aftermath of Aker's article. Channel 7 and 3AW dished out approximately $60,000 for naming Braun as the player in Aker's article. There was talk of Aker and Braun doing a couple of promo's before the game.

So, question I pose is how will their reunion be on the field - will the Eagles target Aker? I hear the Doggies are bracing themselves for quite a fiery encounter with the Eagles. Will be interesting to see if my mail is correct and whether this scenario does eventuate.

[bornadog]

Adds to the spice of the night. Hope how blokes back Aker up if they go for him.

[GVGjr]

Well they finally meet up this week after the rigmarol and aftermath of Aker's article. Channel 7 and 3AW dished out approximately $60,000 for naming Braun as the player in Aker's article. There was talk of Aker and Braun doing a couple of promo's before the game.

So, question I pose is how will their reunion be on the field - will the Eagles target Aker? I hear the Doggies are bracing themselves for quite a fiery encounter with the Eagles. Will be interesting to see if my mail is correct and whether this scenario does eventuate.

It will be a testing encounter. The Eagles have been ladled soft after they failed to fly the flag for Staker so they will be keen to fix that perception plus they will be hell bent on giving Aker a bit of additional attention much like what our players did with McMahon and Brown.

Makes for a great night.

[Go_Dogs]

Will add another element to the match I guess. Not sure if there will be too much in it, but I'm sure the Eagles players will take any opportunity to knock Aker over.

[LostDoggy]

Is this the first meeting since the controversy?

IIRC we played WC toward the end of last season??

[BulldogBelle]

Is this the first meeting since the controversy?

IIRC we played WC toward the end of last season??

It will be the second meeting since it all unfolded - but Braun didn't play in that match.

[Sockeye Salmon]

It will be the second meeting since it all unfolded - but Braun didn't play in that match.

Akermanis and Braun both played round 6 2007.

[hujsh]

Akermanis and Braun both played round 6 2007.

But the article wouldn't have been written yet would it?

[BulldogBelle]

Akermanis and Braun both played round 6 2007.

Correct, but the article came out later in the year. So the return match Braun wasn't in the Eagles side.

[aker39]

Article in todays Australian

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23589081-5012432,00.html

Braun wasn't only name on Aker's hit list Font Size: Decrease Increase Print Page: Print Stephen Rielly | April 24, 2008
JASON AKERMANIS implicated at least six other players from four clubs when he levelled allegations of performance-enhancing drug use against a player, who was later identified as West Coast's Michael Braun, last year.

The controversial Western Bulldogs midfielder is understood to have provided a list of suspects - among them several other Eagles and a Sydney player - to the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority during an interview in the second week of August, just a few days after using his newspaper column to make public his suspicions about an opponent who, he wrote, "ran like Superman".

Braun was later identified as the player referred to in the column, although a subsequent ASADA investigation concluded that any allegation of performance-enhancing drug use against the premiership wingman could not be substantiated.

Akermanis has neither publicly named Braun nor denied that he was referring to him in the column, in which he claimed an opponent had used EPO. Braun is understood to be close to winning an out-of-court settlement against Channel Seven and Fairax media as a result of the ordeal.

But according to sources close to the investigation, Braun's name was only one of "at least seven" given to ASADA. It is understood that the other six were all later target-tested and had their test-histories reviewed before being cleared. It is unknown whether the suspects were, or are, aware of Akermanis's claims about them.

After first airing suspicions to ASADA in 2006, when still a Brisbane-listed player, Akermanis was instructed by the AFL to meet the drug-testing authority a second time last year, to provide evidence in support of his "Superman" allegations, which were published on August 1.

It was at this meeting that Akermanis unexpectedly offered his list of players, one of whom was already retired.

He was unable, however, to provide the ASADA officials present with further evidence to strengthen his claims.

An AFL medical commissioner also spoke to Akermanis, although it is unclear whether the names of any or all of his suspects were passed on in this discussion.

After Braun's name was publicly linked with the story on August 5, Akermanis was again interviewed, but this time by an AFL investigation team wanting to establish how the West Coast player's identity was leaked.

The AFL, concerned about the breach of confidentiality in its drug-testing system, threatened to charge Akermanis with bringing the game into disrepute. However, he was cleared of responsibility for the breach.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou was particularly critical of the fact that the claim was made through the media and not through the confidential channels available to players who suspect others of taking drugs.

The league's sensitivity to the disclosure of drug-test details, for both performance-enhancing or recreational drugs, was first made apparent when the names of three players, one a premiership player, who had twice tested positive to recreational drugs were suppressed through the Victorian Supreme Court in 2006.

At the time, Akermanis shared the league's concerns, and those of the AFL Players Association, about the disclosure of the players' identities. With the suppression order being challenged by media organisations seeking to publish the names, Akermanis backed then-AFLPA president Peter Bell who suggested that the players ought to reconsider their voluntary agreement to out-of-competition testing.

"Now that confidentiality has been undermined, the integrity of the system as a whole is seriously in question," Bell said.

Akermanis added: "I'm thinking maybe that we need to rethink and have a look at it, because whatever's happening it isn't working."

Western Bulldogs officials did not return telephone calls last night.

[Sockeye Salmon]

There's one sure way of making certain that no drug cheats get dobbed in, leak it to the media that someone has fingered them. I can guarantee no-one else will go down Aker's path.

The AFL are a disgrace.

The ONLY thing that matters to the AFL is public perception. At the moment the AFL can point at their PED record and only Justin Charles blots their record (Lynch was cleared, remember?).

If they hardly ever test and make certain that no-one gets dobbed in, their record will stay clean and they can spruike about how their competition is drug free.

Aker "could not provide any evidence to substantiate the allegations". Of course he couldn't, they were suspicions. Did the AFL expect Aker to provide the needle?

There are players using PED in the AFL, we can be certain of it, but the AFL don't want to know who they are.

[hujsh]

Well he was probably right about Eagles taking drugs, just the wrong kind.

[ledge]

I like PED, its funny how players can go off seriously injured then come back 5 mins later after a jab,i mean ok it killed the pain but isnt that performance enhancing? He wouldnt have got back out if he didnt have a jab, so didnt that enhance his performance?

[hujsh]

I like PED, its funny how players can go off seriously injured then come back 5 mins later after a jab,i mean ok it killed the pain but isnt that performance enhancing? He wouldnt have got back out if he didnt have a jab, so didnt that enhance his performance?

That's going a bit too far i think. Then you start banning any treatment because it enhances their performance.

They should be allowed to do whatever possible to get the best out of themselves but there is a reason why these drugs are banned.

[BulldogBelle]

Jason's article on the AFL website today....

Akermanis opens up (http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsid=58538)
AFL Website
4:59 PM Fri 25 April, 2008

Regrets are for fools, a least that is what I think. For me what you are today is a product of everything you have done in the past to lead you to now. It doesn’t mean that you wish you didn’t do stuff. I am sure there are a few people behind bars that probably agree. At least I am man enough to admit when I have made a mistake.

Last year I talked about a situation which for me was old news but relevant with my thoughts at the time. I talked about my suspicions of a player using something that was illegal. Now I have never mentioned the player’s name in public until now. When channel 7 decided to tell the world who they thought I was referring to I couldn’t have been more disappointed. Here was a player through no fault of his own being branded without any proof. How would I have felt if I were in Braun’s shoes? Well not very happy would be an understatement.

In the end it was ugly for everyone. Braun is branded, I am labelled a dobber and the media let some good people down. Braun naturally wanted his name cleared and wanted someone held responsible. A legal fight was his best answer. Defamation is a tricky thing and very hard to prove but of course I was accused of being involved. So on the 15th of January my legal team along with Channel 7 boss Ian Johnson sat opposite Braun’s legal team. For most of it the meeting was very legally based and not much interaction between myself and Braun. After about an hour of tooing and froing I asked my lawyer to ask Braun if he was interested in a private chat. Just him and me. He lawyers said I don’t think that Michael would go for that. But we said can you ask anyway. And sure enough he was happy to have a private chat. As we sat there I spoke of my disappointment for this whole affair. I also spoke about my sadness for him because in the end it was the last thing I wanted.

He spoke about the strain of having his named mentioned nearly every time the West Coast’s name was mentioned about drugs. As he was describing his work ethic to become a better runner because of his height I couldn’t help but think I made a mistake. My suspicion was probably nothing more than a bit of envy. I supposed he just work a little harder than I did at the time. After we spoke about his knee soreness because guess what, he runs a lot I knew I had pointed my finger in the wrong direction.

I wrote this article because I didn’t think it was right that this man should be branded in any way anymore. This time egg is on my face and I can live with that. It doesn’t mean we are anything more than competitors and it doesn’t mean West Coast players won’t make life tough for me when we play them next. That’s life.

To me Michael came across as a genuine man and wanted to be remembered as a hard working but fair player who got everything out of his ability. When we were finishing up I told him that he would probably have very little respect for me but I told him I respected him a great deal both as a player and person. I apologise to him without any reservations. I am truly sorry for the hurt and trouble I have caused him. I just hope one day he can forgive me for the trouble I have caused.


This article has been published pursuant to an agreement reached by Michael Braun, Jason Akermanis, Channel 7 and 3AW.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Western Bulldogs or the AFL.

[katemeehan]

wow Akers article was fantastic...