ASADA has released a statement on Essendon's failed appeal at the Swiss Federal Court.

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) today welcomed the decision of the Swiss Federal Tribunal to reject the 34 Essendon playersโ€™ final appeal.

The players lodged their appeal following the Court of Arbitration for Sportโ€™s (CAS) finding earlier this year that each of the players had used prohibited substance Thymosin Beta 4.

Despite numerous submissions, all arguments presented on behalf of the players were rejected by the Swiss Federal Tribunal. In particular, the Tribunal found that the players had agreed to the terms on which the CAS arbitration would take place, including that the matter be heard de novo.

On the decision, ASADA CEO Ben McDevitt said: โ€œYou cannot agree to the rules and then expect them to change if you donโ€™t like the outcome.โ€

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โ€œFurthermore, CAS exists for the very reason of ensuring sports matters are heard fairly and independently, so it is essential that theyย be able to review all evidence and are not limited by the findings of sports tribunals. This ensures that anti-doping rules are applied consistently between cases, which is crucial in the global fight against doping.โ€

The Swiss Federal Tribunalโ€™s ruling on the appeal means the decision of CAS, the worldโ€™s most eminent sports tribunal,ย is final.

โ€œI am pleased that this matter is now finalised and I am proud of ASADAโ€™s persistence in pursuing this case until the truth was revealed,โ€ he said.

More to come.

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