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A last-ditch appeal has failed to overturn the AFL doping bans stemming from the Essendon supplements debacle.The Swiss Federal Tribunal has ruled against the 34 current and past Bombers players who launched the appeal.They were challenging the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling in February that went against the players.It meant 17 players, including 12 at Essendon, were banned from playing this season.The appeal was the last legal step in the official anti-doping process.With the appeal over, the AFL commission can now go ahead with its landmark hearing that decides whether Essendon star Jobe Watson keeps his 2012 Brownlow Medal.Watson is one of the banned players and the supplements regime at Essendon that led to the bans operated during the 2012 season.The AFL announced the hearing after the CAS verdict in February, but postponed it until the Swiss appeal verdict.The likelihood is that the commission will take the unprecedented step of stripping Watson of his Brownlow.Richmond captain Trent Cotchin and Hawthorn veteran Sam Mitchell finished joint runners-up behind Watson in the 2012 Brownlow voting.Watson was the last of the banned players to confirm he would return to playing and he is now back at Essendon.The banned players still at AFL clubs have now returned to training, with some restrictions.When he made his announcement on September 23, Watson said he was not thinking about the prospect of losing the Brownlow.If you spend your life living in that world of speculation, you miss the moment, and Ive removed myself from it and Ive just lived in moments, and that was liberating for me, he said.(The Brownlow) doesnt define me.The AFL Players Association, Essendon and the AFL were yet to comment publicly on Tuesday night about the Swiss appeal verdict.It was immediately unclear when the commission hearing about Watsons Brownlow would now go ahead.Watson has been invited to speak to the commission.In May, AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan admitted there was a collective feeling of dread about having to make the call on Watsons Brownlow.I think the people charged with the responsibility of making that decision will not have made a more difficult decision - not just in their time in football, but almost in their lives, he said.I dont want to over-dramatise it, but that will be as hard a decision as anyone on the commission has had to make, Im sure of it.Apart from Watsons Brownlow, another issue yet to be resolved from the long-running supplements saga is the banned players negotiations with Essendon over financial compensation.The Essendon supplements saga is the biggest scandal in AFL history.Bombers coach James Hird was suspended for a season because of it.He returned to the job, but was sacked late last season.The AFL banned Essendon from playing in the 2013 finals at the same time it suspended Hird.The doping bans meant the Bombers makeshift team finished last this season.An AFL anti-doping tribunal initially cleared the 34 players after an ASADA investigation.But WADA took the case to CAS and won, leading to the Swiss appeal. 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Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout.Sky Sports Paul Merson is back to look ahead to another round of Premier League fixtures, including Arsenals trip to Manchester United, Tottenham v Swansea and West Broms clash with Crystal Palace. Also on Merses radar this weekend is Southampton v Chelsea, Leicester v Norwich City, West Ham v Sunderland and Watford v Bournemouth.It proved to be a tough round of predictions last time out with the Magic Man managing just two correct scores and one correct result. Mersons last Premier League predicitions Result Merses prediction Sunderland 2-1 Man Utd 1-2 Bournemouth 1-3 Stoke 2-1 Crystal Palace 1-2 Watford 2-2 Everton 0-1 West Brom 3-0 Norwich 2-2 West Ham 2-1 Swansea 0-1 Southampton 0-1 Chelsea 5-1 Newcastle 3-0 Arsenal 2-1 Leicester 2-1 Aston Villa 0-6 Liverpool 1-0 Man City 1-2 Tottenham 1-1 Scroll on to see who Merson is tipping this week…Manchester United v Arsenal - 2.05pm, Super SundayBoth sides have had European commitments in midweek but Im not looking too much into that. Im not sure their midweek exertions will have much of an effect and I see Arsenal coming out on top. Merson thinks Olivier Giroud will score as Arsenal beat Man Utd at Old Trafford They are the favourites with the bookmakers and I can understand why when you look at the recent form of both teams. Olivier Giroud is the man Im backing to score first with Arsene Wengers side enhancing their title claims with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford.PAUL PREDICTS: 1-2 (Sky Bet Odds 17/2) Manchester United inflicted a humiliating 8-2 defeat on rivals Arsenal in 2011, with Wayne Rooney scoring a hat-trick West Brom v Crystal Palace - 5.30pm, Saturday Night FootballWest Brom got a great result at Everton but it shocked me to see them lose to Reading in the way they did. However, I dont see them going down because of the Tony Pulis factor. He knows how to keep teams in the Premier League and he will do it again this season. West Brom take on Crystal Palace on Saturday Night Football Crystal Palaces league form has been a worry but their win over Tottenham in the FA Cup would have given them a lift.dddddddddddd However, Im going for a 1-1 draw again as Pulis does not lose too many against the sides in and around him. And first goalscorer? Jonas Olsson.PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (Sky Bet Odds 9/2) Leicester City v Norwich City - 3pmThese are the games I worry about for Leicester. They are the matches that will define whether they win the league or not. Norwich will go to the King Power Stadium and sit with 10 men behind the ball. They are not going to the Leicester of last season where Norwich would have thought, We can go there and beat them. They are the league leaders. Merse is backing Leicester to beat Norwich 2-1 This is the problem Leicester will have. Can they break down sides with 10 men behind the ball? However, I do think Leicester will win this game. Norwich are on a bit of slump so I think Claudio Ranieris men will win 2-1 and I fancy Jamie Vardy to open the scoring.PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (Sky Bet Odds 7/1)Southampton v Chelsea - 3pm Fraser Forster has been a key figure for Southampton in recent weeks Chelsea took a bit of a pasting when these two sides met in the reverse fixture but theyve turned things around since then. This will be a good test to see how far theyve come. Southampton have looked solid and kept a few clean sheets in recent weeks. Its a very hard game to call as I dont see too much between the sides. Ill go for a 1-1 draw with Gary Cahill scoring the first goal.PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (Sky Bet Odds 5/1)Stoke City v Aston Villa - 3pmI cant see anything but a Stoke win. When you look at the league table and their recent results, Aston Villa look doomed. Merse has picked Marko Arnautovic to score first as Stoke play Aston Villa Mark Hughes side hit form with an excellent result at Bournemouth and I can seem them scoring three without reply against Villa. Im backing Marko Arnautovic to score the first goal.PAUL PREDICTS: 3-0 (Sky Bet Odds 10/1) Play Super 6! Theres a bumper ￡1m jackpot up for grabs in Super 6 this weekend. Enter here. Watford v Bournemouth - 3pmBournemouth are struggling at the moment. They rested a lot of players for the FA Cup tie against Everton, putting all their eggs into the Premier League basket. Sometimes I watch Bournemouth and wonder how they are down at the bottom. They play good football, create chances but maybe they are just a bit soft centered. They havent really got that destroyer type in the middle of the park, who unsettles teams. Eddie Howes Bournemouth are in action against Watford It could be a nice time to play Watford. Theyve got the FA Cup to focus on and they are pretty much safe. They might look at it and think one more win would make them safe but it would take a massive dip from them to send them down. For this one Im going with a 1-1 draw with Matt Ritchie scoring the first goal.PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (Sky Bet Odds 5/1)West Ham v Sunderland - 12.45pm Dimitri Payet has been in outstanding form of late for West Ham It will be a tough return to Upton Park for Sam Allardyce. Sunderland have dug in in recent weeks and got some very good results but West Ham are a very good side. Dimitri Payet is in outstanding form and firing on all cylinders for Slaven Bilics side. I think Sunderland will struggle to cope with him so Im backing him to score the first goal and West Ham to win 3-1.PAUL PREDICTS: 3-1 (Sky Bet Odds 14/1)Tottenham v Swansea City - 2.05pm, SundayI worry for Swansea because I dont think they are defensively very good. Francesco Guidolin has come in and is having to adapt to the Premier League. He started off alright but now they are on a bit of a slippery slope towards the relegation zone. Harry Kane is set to be back for Tottenham against Swansea On the other hand, Spurs are flying in the league and they can pick up another three points in front of their home fans with a 2-0 win. Im backing Harry Kane for the opener.PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 (Sky Bet Odds 9/2)Play £1million Super 6!Theres a massive £1million up for grabs in the Soccer Saturday Super 6 game. All you have to do is predict the scores of six selected matches from the Premier League and Sky Bet Championship. Its free to play so get your entry in before 3pm for the chance to win. ENTER HERE... Take on Merse Think you know better than Merse? Take him on at Super 6 for the chance to win ￡1million Also See: Fixtures Table Live on Sky Get Sky Sports ' ' '