The poor rabbit has been falsely accused.

The rabbit terrine, which was blamed for giving 30 corporate lunch diners gastro and sending seven of them to hospital from the MCG on Anzac Day, might not have been the culprit.

Some people who attended the Essendon-AFL Anzac Day function were struck down by illness at the same time. Credit:John Donegan

In fact, the Melbourne Cricket Club still has no idea what caused so many people to almost simultaneously begin fainting, keeling over, vomiting and becoming seriously ill in the Olympic Room at the official Essendon-AFL function that afternoon.

People were, as Collingwood president Eddie McGuire said afterwards, "dropping like flies". A situation room needed to be set up to help the overwhelmed paramedics.