Darren Glass seems the best possible choice. Its now more clear than ever just how much work the Eagles have ahead of them to restore the reputation of the club, as its announced its own inquiry into itself -
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/e ... 13605.html
Eagles warn about revelations of skeletons in closet
Coach Worsfold has admitted their reputation is in tatters -
http://news.realfooty.com.au/eagles-rep ... -193r.html
And the original whistle blower, Caro, who was on the Eagles drug culture for 2 years before the whole thing blew up (as she predicted) is still ontheir case -
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/a ... 70233.html
AFL must rid Eagles nest of bad eggs
Caroline Wilson (Age) November 11, 2007
THE incredible sadness of the AFL's delayed reaction over the crisis at West Coast is the truth that, not only has the 2006 premiership been forever tainted, but Australian rules football has, too. The tragic personal cost on the individuals involved continues to unfold. Ben Cousins' downward spiral appears bottomless, his father's ongoing deluded determination to save his son and rebuild the Brownlow medallist's football career endless, and Chris Mainwaring is dead.
Daniel Chick's career has ended in shame, his ex-wife Kimberley having retreated broken-hearted back to the US with their young son long ago, while Chad Fletcher's family must wonder at how fortunate it is to still have him alive following a drug episode gone wrong a year ago on a football trip attended by West Coast officials. An episode the club now admits it never investigated. Daniel Kerr has survived to contest another season but his betrayals — including to the club doctor, whose prescription pad Kerr took to buy drugs some years ago — linger, and you have to wonder how John Worsfold can continue to coach and hold trust in these people.
Worsfold was the Eagles' first premiership captain and second premiership coach. He turned on some of his offending players — certainly some of those linked with the illegal drug culture at the club — after the finals loss to Collingwood, and while he may have been indirectly complicit in the cover-up that continued for some years at West Coast, his leadership has never been more important than now.
We will never know why he lost Chris Judd along with Cousins but the more the parallel investigation process announced this week by the AFL and then West Coast uncovers, the more many will suspect that Judd's return to Melbourne was more than a hankering for home.
This column wrote in 2005 that parents should think twice before sending their sons to West Coast. Now the club's new chairman Mark Barnaba — who was part of the culture of the cover-up for the years leading up to this dreadful situation — has admitted that to hear parents of potential draftees utter their fears has proved the cruellest blow of all.
It is perverse that the club has chosen to investigate itself so soon after the AFL announced the William Gillard review. Both announcements have come far too late and it is fascinating that the Eagles have chosen a former politician to delve into their affairs given the West Australian government was warned long ago about West Coast's footballers and their underworld connections.
The AFL, which claims its attempts to take action have been stifled by legal constraints until now, has chosen a Queen's counsel. The AFL, in fact, has been stifled by indecision and lack of leadership. Putting aside West Coast and its years of denial, the AFL must show it is capable of acting decisively. Just because the situation at the accident-prone football club has seemingly become worse, the new Mike Fitzpatrick-led commission needs to make an emphatic statement. The only time the commission took a public stand against the Eagles was after a weekend of on- and off-field drama involving Michael Braun and Adam Selwood — two incidents that, when put in context, seem relatively harmless. The AFL considered then punishing the club by removing premiership points. But the commission was divided and all it did was summon the club's leaders to a meeting.
Rightly, it has charged Cousins with bringing the game into disrepute. Wrongly, it allowed him a hero's return back in July and sent a terrible message to the young people of this country. In fact, Fitzpatrick's commission has been slow to act on several fronts. This indecision is strange and has not until now been a feature of Andrew Demetriou's time at the top.
As has been often said, the AFL has known of the Eagles' problems and has hoped it would remain public rumour at best or disappear altogether. Now it seems the only solution is to rid the club of all those individuals who have erred in the past. This might sound harsh but should someone like Kerr continue unpunished, then clearly the Eagles will have learnt nothing. After all, West Coast is not the only club to put results ahead of its social responsibilities. St Kilda knew about the Eagles' problems but recruited Michael Gardiner saying it could help improve his life, but in truth it desperately needed a ruckman.
But the AFL runs the competition and the fact it has not acted until now — while Cousins continues to contribute to his own downfall against an international backdrop — means the game could wrongly be seen as a haven for drug abusers.
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