Queries ... Sydney Swans president Richard Colless has questions over the Dons' drugs inquiry. Source: News Limited
Football's longest-serving club official says he is confused by the Essendon drug saga.
Outgoing Sydney chairman Richard Colless told the Herald Sun the peptide scandal and Bomber captain Jobe Watson's on-air confession had left him uncertain for the first time in his footballing life.
"I have to tell you, that in the 25 years I have been involved with West Coast and Sydney, there was no issue that I've been unable to get a handle on like this one," Colless said.
"From day one I've been totally confused."
Watson shocked the football world on Monday when he admitted to taking banned substance AOD-9604 on FOX FOOTY's On The Couch.
But unlike many professional sports around the world, he has been allowed to play on - and almost single-handedly lifted Essendon over West Coast at Patersons Stadium on Thursday night.
The AFL has been mute on Watson's revelation. The league has confirmed chief executive Andrew Demetriou is on an overseas holiday with his family.
Carlton coach Mick Malthouse described the lack of clarity from league headquarters as "disturbing".
It is known a growing number of clubs are privately accusing Essendon of gaining a residual and unfair advantage from last year's supplement program, particularly in the wake of several late-game comebacks.
Colless said: "I'm intimately involved in the industry and I talk to people all the time, yet I still don't understand much of the decision-making process and how the penalties are meted out and so on.
"I just take the view it will find its own level and I hope it happens sooner rather than later. I think it would be really unfortunate if, in early September, it was still dragging on."
Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon said the AFL was at the behest of an ASADA investigation, which he criticised for dragging on.
"I read Mick Malthouse's comments and I share his frustration as to the delay, particularly in circumstances where an internal report has been done, in circumstances where the CEO (Ian Robson) has resigned and in circumstances where Jobe Watson has made admissions," Gordon said.
"If other sporting competitions are anything to go by, the amount of time does seem unduly long."
Richmond president Gary March said clubs didn't have enough information to criticise.
"We're not close enough. We don't know what the AFL know or Essendon know," March said.
"It's disturbing for the competition, but at the end of the day it will be what it will be and hopefully they make the right decisions."
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