ESSENDON Coach James Hird is set to sue the AFL over the handling of the Essendon supplement scandal.
Speaking to News Limited, Hird’s lawyer, Stephen Amendola, said that Hird “will be instituting proceedings in the morning”.
It follows after the AFL yesterday released the the full list of charges that the embattled club is facing.
Fairfax Media has outlined the following points which Hird will contest from the list of charges.
■ He received a lengthy letter from club doctor Bruce Reid outlining Reid’s concerns about the injection program.
■ He received, on club premises late in 2011, vials of Melanotan II and syringes from ex-Essendon high performance coach Dean Robinson.
■ He was instructed by Robinson how to self-administer injections of Melanotan II.
■ He suffered side-effects from using Melanotan II.
■ He was warned by the AFL in August 2011 against using peptides.
■ It was his responsibility to conduct appropriate background checks on Robinson and Steven Dank before they were employed by Essendon as high performance coach and the club’s sport scientist, respectively.
■ He failed to act when alerted by a colleague that Dank was storing questionable substances in his office fridge.
Hird and Essendon Chairman Paul Little responded to the AFL charges furiously yesterday, with Little suggesting that a significant portion of the football public had lost faith in the AFL and it’s ability to handle this scandal.
“I call on the commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick to step in and take over this process, as I, along with a significant percentage of all football public have lost total confidence in the AFL executive to handle this matter,” Little said.
Meanwhile, the infamous letter penned by Essendon Doctor Bruce Reid in January 2012 has been made public.
The letter outlined that Dank was operating outside of protocols and highlighted the ethical dilemmas the supplement program presented.
A copy of the full charge sheet can be found here.
…
LEIGH MATTHEWS looks set to make a remarkable return to the Brisbane Lions as part of a ticket to overthrow the current board.
Matthews has joined a ticket along with Directors Paul Williams and Mick Power in order to remove the current board, lead by Chairman Angus Johnson, after the cataclysmic removal of Michael Voss.
Speaking to News Limited, Matthews explained that he believed Williams and Power had a better vision for Brisbane’s future.
“My jump over the cliff was when Paul and Mick said they were going to run for the chairmanship and deputy chairmanship,’’ he said. “I know these people well and believe in what they are doing.
“I’m on because of them and I believe I can help.’’
Johnson, who has been at the club for 14 years, was defiant in light of the incoming challenge, with his focus still on securing a senior coach.
“It’s not going to make it any easier. I’d be a fool to suggest that this event this morning isn’t going to have a de-stabilising impact on our club but at the end of the day I have the full support of my fellow directors – other than two of them. The management is still in place,’’ Johnson said.
The next Annual General Meeting is scheduled for early December.
…
CHANNEL 7 is set to bring back the popular football show Talking Footy, with AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou set to be a regular panellist.
To be broadcast on Mondays at 9:40pm, beginning Monday 26 August, Demetriou will be joined by host Bruce McAvaney, Western Bulldog great Luke Darcy and North Melbourne champion Wayne Carey.
Demetriou said in a statement he was excited to apart of the program.
“Channel Seven, as our free-to-air broadcaster, serves our game with wonderful broadcasts and commentary for four games per weekend and we are extremely pleased they have expanded their off-field commitment to the promotion and discussion around our game with the return of Talking Footy for the 2013 Toyota AFL finals series,” Demetriou said.
…
Follow Rhiley on Twitter for all the latest AFL news: @RhileyWentworth
