Jobe Watson says players ‘devastated’, pursuing legal avenues

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The 34 current and former Essendon players banned for the 2016 season are devastated and maintain their innocence, according a statement by Jobe Watson on behalf of the players posted on the Essendon website.

Watson said the players’ legal team ‘is conducting a thorough review of the decision and will explore any avenues available to us’.

He thanked family, friends, supporters and the AFL Players Association.

Full statement by Jobe Watson on behalf of the 34 players:

The decision announced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to uphold WADA’s appeal is devastating.

We are struggling to come to terms with this decision, and feel it does not support the players’ firm belief that we are innocent.

Our legal team is conducting a thorough review of the decision and will explore any avenues available to us.

The players would like to thank our families, our friends, our members and supporters for their unwavering support.

We would also like to thank the AFLPA for their ongoing support throughout the last three years.

We will not be making any further comment and ask the media to please respect our privacy during this extremely challenging period.