AUSTRALIAN Sports Anti-Doping Authority did not interview AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou about the phone conversation he had with Bombers chairman David Evans the night before Essendon opened up the club to a joint AFL-ASADA investigation.
 
Demetriou says ASADA has accepted evidence that he did not tell Evans any details of a confidential Australian Crime Commission briefing he had received the previous week.
 
The conversation took place between the two men as the Bombers chairman met key Bomber officials amid concerns about its controversial 2012 supplement program.
 
Speaking on ABC radio, Demetriou said he could not have passed on such information to Evans anyway because he was not aware of the club referred to in the ACC Drugs in Sport report released in February.
 
"I couldn't have told him [Evans] about the investigation because I didn't know. There was no way that I knew. I wasn't privy to that information," Demetriou said.
 
He said that after being questioned by Herald Sun reporter Mark Robinson earlier this week about the phone call, he sought advice from AFL investigator Brett Clothier about the alleged testimony.
 
As joint investigator with ASADA, the AFL investigation team has every transcript of evidence.
 
Demetriou said he was told the investigation had accepted that Demetriou had not breached confidentiality.
 
In an ACC media statement, chief John Lawler confirmed Demetriou had done nothing wrong.

The stament said: The ACC has no information to support the assertion that any information about Project Aperio and the links between drugs in sport and organised crime was unlawfully disclosed. Further, the ACC does not have any information to support the assertion that representatives of the Australian Football League (AFL) failed to honour their written undertakings given to the ACC in accordance with the Australian Crime Commission Act 200, to protect the content of the confidential briefing they received. ...  Importantly, the ACC has never confirmed publically (sic) which clubs are involved in Project Aperio.

Demetriou said he had every right to check what had been tendered as evidence when his reputation was at stake.
 
"Being accused of tipping off Essendon and breaking the law because I signed a confidentiality agreement with the ACC – not withstanding that they didn't actually disclose to me this club, I take those matters seriously," Demetriou said.

"I will defend my reputation and clear the air to make sure the truth is told. In my world it is very easy to sell the truth. I learned that a long time ago."