ESSENDON chairman Paul Little has called for urgent closure to the ASADA investigation, as reports circle about possible sanctions facing Bomber players.
Reports this week suggested up to 40 Essendon players could expect to receive show-cause notices for their part in the controversial supplements program operating at the club in 2012.
Little used his chairman's address prior to his club's Friday night clash with the Sydney Swans to make clear his frustration with ASADA's 15-month long investigation into the club.
"We need clarity. We need the leaks to stop. We need closure and we need it now," Little said.
Little revealed requests to meet with the Victorian Minister for Sport, Hugh Delahunty, and both outgoing ASADA chief, Aurora Andruska, and incoming boss, Ben McDevitt, had been rebuffed.
Little said the lack of communication had been disappointing.
"It's the time that it has taken to achieve closure for our club that is totally unreasonable here," Little said.
"What then should the message be that I pass on to our players, our players' families, members, supporters, sponsors and staff?
"Essendon Football Club players need to be given clarity around the future process of this investigation."
It followed a similar sentiment earlier in the week from Bombers great Tim Watson, father of Essendon captain Jobe, who also called on ASADA to wind up its probe.
"This is like death by a thousand cuts. I think everybody would just like to think that, at some point, [ASADA] will bring it to a conclusion," Watson said on SEN.
Little also moved to clear up comments he made on Anzac Day, where he suggested the club's self-reporting to ASADA had been a mistake.
Little said implications that the Bombers had used self-reporting as a ploy to cover up the 2012 events were well off the mark.
"The comments I made relating to the wisdom of our club's self-reporting were aimed at highlighting the frustration and potentially damaging influence ASADA's protracted investigation was having on and off the field," Little said.
He said the apparent leaks to the media and suggestions Essendon had engaged in sinister behaviour with the way it went about self-reporting were less than helpful.
