Essendon coach James Hird remains defiant amid speculation the AFL could hand down its findings in the coming hours.
Essendon coach James Hird arrives at Windy Hill. Picture: Michael Klein Source: HeraldSun
Essendon coach James Hird leaves his Toorak home this morning. Source: Getty Images
James Hird could be charged with bringing the game into disrepute. Source: Getty Images
JAMES Hird says he has not been in talks with the AFL about charges over Essendon's 2012 supplements program.
Hird arrived at Windy Hill early this afternoon as the football world waits for an announcement of charges against the Essendon coach and the club.
He said nothing had changed since he left his Toorak home this morning, despite reports the club and the league are locked away in secret talks regarding potential charges and sanctions for the Bombers and key figures including Hird.
"All I can say is what I said this morning. We're waiting to be charged, if we are charged, and don't know anything more than that," Hird said.
SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE UPDATES AND TO HAVE YOUR SAY
News+ subscribers can see the Essendon drugs story unfold LIVE here on Fox Sports News
Asked if he was involved in talks today, Hird answered: "I was was reading children's stories to my kids, now I better go and train."
Hird said he didn't know his legal options if he is charged and his side of the story would be heard "soon".
Essendon players including Dustin Fletcher during a closed training session at Windy Hill this morning. Picture: Nicole Garmston Source: HeraldSun
Earlier, Hird remained defiant over the club's supplements scandal amid speculation the AFL could hand down its findings in the coming hours.
Hird, Dr Bruce Reid and Danny Corcoran are in the sights of the AFL after ASADA handed down its interim report more than a week ago.
The key Essendon trio have been told they can expect to be charged, along with the club, over last year's supplements program run by sports scientist Stephen Dank and former high-performance manager Dean Robinson.
What was Hird reading?
Hird said outside his Toorak mansion this morning that he still found the possibility of charges "hard to believe".
Hird again denied Bombers players have taken performance enhancing drugs or have been harmed by any substances.
Matthews says Hird a 'scapegoat'
"I think we all find it hard to believe that charges can be laid on individuals or the club when none of our players have shown to take performance enhancing drugs, none of our players have been shown that they've been harmed by anything that's been given and that we're dealing with an interim report," Hird told Channel 7.
Essendon assistant coach Mark Thompson reveals just how much of a toll the ASADA investigation is taking on him and head coach James Hird.
"The report's not finalised so we're all probably sitting back staggered and shocked that any charges could possibly be laid on those points."
I don't want this on my tombstone
Hird also indicated that Essendon would strongly fight the charges.
"Our football club is the greatest football club in Australia and we're going to protect its name," he said.
It comes as senior assistant coach Mark Thompson told Fox Footy he feared he would be targeted in the penalties, that his reputation was on the line.
Why I'm standing by Hird
"I don't think anyone can really understand the pressure. I don't want my reputation tarnished by this," he said.
"It's your whole life. And not just your life, it's your kids, your family, it's going to be remembered forever."
Meanwhile, Dank said it would be "ludicrous" if Hird, Dr Reid and Corcoran were charged today.
Dank claims the coach, the club doctor and the head of football did everything to ensure the health and safety of the players throughout a supplements program Dank admitted was "cutting edge".
We'll take Bombers' finals spot
"They've done nothing disreputable, they've done nothing contrary to the WADA prohibited list, they only endeavoured to take Essendon on a cutting-edge program, a program I might add that wasn't pharmacologically experimental, might I add was far from exotic and might I say at all times had the players' welfare and wellbeing as its first and foremost consideration."
Essendon saga: The story so far
He described as "bullcrap" any suggestion Hird, Reid or Corcoran failed in their duty of care.
"The care of Reid and Hird on the players was paramount and always at the foremost of their consideration ," Dank said.
AFL 360 look at Leigh Matthews' strong views on Essendon and the weight they may carry
Asked if they should be charged, he said: "No. It's ludicrous."
Dank stressed, despite his sudden departure from the club last year and the ensuing scandal, that he loved working with the Bombers.
Last night he offered to help any individual charged by the AFL.
With the possibility of Essendon being ruled out of September, the race is on for ninth spot
The man central to the drugs scandal is yet to speak to anti-doping authorities, and likely won't as he prepares promised legal action against ASADA and the AFL.
Dank's stance flies in the face of Ziggy Switkowski's Essendon-commissioned report into the management and governance of the supplements program.
Hird admits pressure taking a toll
Switkowski wrote of: " ... the rapid diversification into exotic supplements, sharp increase in frequency of injections, the shift to treatment off-site in alternative medicine clinics, emergence of unfamiliar suppliers, marginalisation of traditional medical staff ... combine(d) to create a disturbing picture of a pharmacologically experimental environment never adequately controlled or challenged or documented within the club in the period under review."
The drugs at the centre of the saga
Dank, who was spoken to by the Australian Crime Commission in November as part of its investigation into drugs in sport, has not spoken to Hird since being moved on at the end of last season.
He claimed yesterday he had left the club with an inventory of supplements given to players during his time at Essendon.
Enter your name to join the debate below - no account needed
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
No deal with AFL, says Hird
Dengan url
http://segarasa.blogspot.com/2013/08/no-deal-with-afl-says-hird.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
No deal with AFL, says Hird
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar