Essendon Football Club would like to make the following statement in relation to an article in The Age newspaper today and comments made by journalist Caroline Wilson in the media recently.
There has been a disturbing amount of inappropriate and factually incorrect information being reported regarding senior coach James Hird and the ASADA/AFL investigation at the Essendon Football Club.
At all times, Essendon players, staff, officials and coaches have fully cooperated with the ASADA/AFL investigation and the Club has repeatedly stated that the ASADA investigators must be allowed to complete their investigation.
As requested by ASADA investigators, Essendon coach James Hird has agreed not to disclose matters discussed at his interview until the completion of the investigation.
Today, The Age reported that “sources close to the joint investigation by ASADA and the AFL” have provided information to The Age.
Representatives from the Club have requested all parties to the investigation to guarantee confidentiality and to afford natural justice. Breaching this confidentiality directly undermines the trust in the process and selective disclosure of information relating to the investigation appears to be deliberately threatening the integrity of this process.
For the reputation and integrity of senior coach James Hird to be questioned without the right to due process, is extremely disturbing and inappropriate in the circumstances.
Today, The Age reported that James Hird received a ‘warning’ after he had been ‘investigating the anti-doping status of certain peptides.’
This is factually incorrect. Until the ASADA investigation is completed the full context of this particular meeting should not be the subject of innuendo.
On Monday night on Channel 9’s Footy Classified program and on Tuesday night on 3AW’s Sports Today program, Caroline Wilson, referring to the Club’s supplements regime falsely asserted that James Hird was the “main architect.” This is just factually wrong. ?
Ms Wilson also asserted that James Hird was Mr Dank’s initial champion. This is also factually wrong. Mr Dank was brought to the club at the insistence of Dean Robinson with whom he had worked previously.
Essendon Football Club has been limited in what we can comment on, and more than anything else, we want the ASADA investigation to be completed.
Despite the extraordinary media commentary and speculation, the Club has maintained its commitment to this process.
However, the Club will not continue to allow the reputation of its players, coaches, staff and the Club itself to be questioned by factual inaccuracies.
