All 34 Essendon players set to appeal to Swiss court

All 34 current and former Essendon players hit with 12 month doping bans are likely to appeal their bans at a Swiss court.

Speaking on ABC Radio on Wednesday, Bombers' chief executive Lindsay Tanner says he is of the understanding that every affected player had joined the appeal to challenge the ruling made by the Court of Arbitration of Sport last month.

However, he admitted that even if the players were cleared, it is unlikely they will partake in the 2016 season.

“I understand it is expected the Swiss proceedings could take some months,” Tanner said.

“So even if we do get the ideal outcome, that the Court of Arbitration for Sport decision is reversed and there are no further proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, so in other words the players are free to play, by the time that came about it is hard to see how they would play this season.

“Maybe it might happen by June/July but given that they won’t have done the usual pre-season … who knows.

“It is theoretically possible that they could succeed in these proceedings and be available to play and play before the end of the 2016 season, but it sounds to me that is an unlikely picture.”

Tanner also took the opportunity the again criticise the ruling handed down by CAS.

“What these players now face is having a slur on their name, an extremely unfair slur,” he said.

“(There were) a set of assumptions and shall we say giant intellectual leaps made in that Court of Arbitration for Sport decision.

“The players have not sought an injunction. What they are seeking to do is to clear their names.”