Nightmare. A miscarriage of justice. Shocked. Manifestly unfair. A tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. A Pandora’s box.

The reaction to this morning’s news that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has overturned the AFL tribunal’s acquittal of 34 current and former Essendon players has sent shockwaves though the sporting world. The ruling transcends a sport confined in the most part to just one country, Australia, its repercussions setting a precedent for professional sport worldwide.