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ESSENDON chairman Paul Little will front a media conference at 4.30pm (AEST) on Friday afternoon to respond to the show-cause notices that players have received from the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.

Little addressed the issue in a letter to Essendon members on Thursday, before news broke of the ASADA action.

"Our players are still carrying the heavy burden of continued speculation in the media with no concrete timetable for the ASADA process to conclude - this has been incredibly frustrating for us all," he wrote.

"However, I can confirm we are exploring all legal options for our players in the unlikely event they receive show-cause letters from ASADA."

ASADA chief executive officer Ben McDevitt said his decision to issue notices was based on a considerable body of evidence collected throughout their investigation.

"Following the conclusion of joint interviews with the AFL in mid-2013, ASADA continued to accumulate evidence to establish a possible violation," he said in a statement issued early on Friday morning.

He also told ABC radio: "I am satisfied that a potential violation or possible violation of our anti-doping code has occurred.

On Thursday night Tim Watson, the father of Essendon captain Jobe, said the players were in "real shock" and suggested the process was still two or three years from a conclusion.