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Cornes: Why leaked Essendon illicit drugs story has backfired
Kane Cornes • October 7th, 2025 2:55 pm
I want to start with the report which would have been triggering for Essendon fans when they saw the headlines “concerns raised by Essendon players over illicit drugs meeting”.
The report was interesting timing. The meeting was way back in June, so it’s interesting that it was broken on a day that Essendon said they will not under any circumstances be entertaining a trade for Zach Merrett.
You can make of that what you will.
It was obviously designed to be leaked to reflect poorly on the Essendon Football Club. I think it’s done the exact opposite.
I think it reflects pretty positively on the club and the CEO Craig Vozzo for taking an issue which is a big one in the game and society extremely seriously.
If you are a club that is not holding these meeting with your players – particularly at a vulnerable time of year like prior to a weekend off or players going on leave, that’s the danger period when it comes to things like this - then you’re negligent as a footy club.
To actually sit your players down, have the discussion around it, is the right thing to be doing. You’re never going to keep 45 players happy; they’re from different walks of life, different ages, some have families, some don’t, some mix in different circles.
You’re never going to keep them all happy. But if you’re not having this meeting as a footy club, you’re negligent.
For players to then run to the AFLPA and sook and whinge and dob and complain about the tone of a meeting just goes to show how sensitive the modern player can be and how fragile they are.
They would know the AFLPA has been the softest organisation on illicit drugs perhaps in world sport, so they know they will get a sympathetic ear. They know the association will address it with the club. But how embarrassing. How embarrassing that a group of players have taken the tone of a meeting on a serious issue and run to the players association.
What was broken as a story designed to reflect poorly on Essendon at a time that everyone is treading on that club, it’s done the opposite.
If I’m an Essendon supporter right now I’m thinking good on the club for taking this issue seriously and addressing what is a major issue in the game.
I’ve sat in these meetings; they happen all the time and not just on drugs. They happen on alcohol, respect to women, racial vilification and issues like that. Players have these meetings monthly at a club and I cannot believe a group of Essendon players ran to the Players Association and had a sook and a cry.
