Bombers dismiss WADA test report

Essendon chief executive Xavier Campbell says the World Anti-Doping Agency doesn’t understand test results of samples from their AFL players.

Fairfax have reported that the frozen urine samples of two players from 2012 showed abnormally high levels of the banned substance thymosin beta 4 (TB4) when tested in Germany.

The tests were commissioned by WADA, who will reportedly point to the results as proof that the players were administered with doses of TB4 by sports scientist Stephen Dank.

However Bombers chief executive Xavier Campbell has dismissed the significance of the test results.

“It is clear that WADA does not know what the results mean,” Campbell said on the club website.

“There were no supporting documents or evidence in the WADA brief and there are real doubts as to the significance of these claims.”

Campbell said he maintained complete belief in the players’ innocence.

“Nothing that has come from the submission has altered my view or confidence in the players’ position,” Campbell said.

“WADA claims there are apparently results which show a level of TB4 which is higher than they might have expected would be present naturally in the human body.”

The AFL’s anti-doping tribunal cleared the 34 current and past Essendon players of having received the substance, which is found naturally in small amounts within the body.

WADA is set to appeal against the AFL tribunal’s verdict in November at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Sydney.

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