I was injected twice: James Hird

Admission ... Essendon coach James Hird. Source: Wayne Ludbey / News Limited

Essendon coach James Hird will reveal he received two injections from disgraced sports scientist Stephen Dank - but only for health reasons.

The Herald Sun is reporting that Hird will tell anti-doping authorities he believed the jabs - administered around March last year - were harmless and legal amino acids.

It comes as new details emerge of the discussions between the Essendon coach and Dank relating to player supplement use.

A source close to Hird said he would meet Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigators on Tuesday and tell them he took the injections because he was feeling ill.

Dank has claimed he injected Hird with Hexarelin, which was banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2004, and that Hird and other coaches took Melanotan II, which has a tanning effect and could also function as an aphrodisiac.

Hird, set to coach the Bombers in Perth on Friday night, has fiercely denied taking WADA-banned substances.

He said the claims were "obviously ... very upsetting".

"I just can't wait to get in and talk to ASADA and the AFL ... I can't wait to clear my name," Hird said.

As the multiple investigations continue into the contentious supplement program, it can be revealed the Bombers in February employed criminal lawyer Tony Hargreaves to conduct a separate investigation to the one currently being done by Ziggy Switkowski.

Essendon officials are desperately trying to insulate the players from the controversy before Friday's Fremantle clash, with captain Jobe Watson denying the club was in turmoil.
 
Hird sat in business class on the four-hour flight to Perth with chief executive Ian Robson and president David Evans but was taken through an airport side entrance to avoid the cameras.

As pressure mounted on the club, emails obtained by the Herald Sun show Hird will tell investigators he set out strong governance over the use of supplements.

The besieged Bombers coach will deny he put the welfare of the players in jeopardy, and that in fact he put strict rules in place for Dank, high-performance manager Dean Robinson and club doctor Bruce Reid.

The email says he had three conditions.

THE supplements must not harm the players.

THEY must not be illegal (according to WADA and ASADA drug guidelines).

THE club must get player consent.

Hird, who has maintained the belief players did not take performance-enhancing drugs, wanted the ASADA investigation completed before the season started.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said he was disturbed by the latest drug revelations.

"As a parent, and not just the CEO of the AFL, the issues as reported surrounding the potential use of various substances is something that is disturbing, very disturbing, particularly when we are talking about the health and welfare of young men," Mr Demetriou said.

He said coaches could be punished under the ASADA code.

"It's very clear. If any coach or official puts the duty of care of their players at risk, then they will be held accountable," he said.

"Coaches can be captured under the WADA code; the rules are very specific surrounding coaches and their influence over players in the taking of illegal substances on the WADA list.

"We need to allow investigators to complete their investigation so we can get to the bottom of all these allegations and get to the truth."

Evans said Hird would continue to coach the team.

"The board will not be making a decision about these allegations today, and it is extremely important James and others be afforded both the opportunity to talk to ASADA and the basic right to natural justice.

"James Hird is a person who has the respect of this club and the football community, and the board will not be making decisions about the next steps until the process of the ... investigation takes its course."

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Sharks injected before matches

Under fire ... the Sharks continue to train as more allegations surface. Source: Gregg Porteous / News Limited

Cronulla players were allegedly injected with the performance-enhancing peptide CJC-1295 on at least two occasions prior to matches during the 2011 season.

The development forms a major element of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority's investigation into what occurred at the Sharks during the controversial 11-week window when sports scientist Stephen Dank was at the club.

The injections were allegedly sanctioned under Cronulla's supplements program designed by ex-head trainer Trent Elkin, with players allegedly informed they were being injected with "amino acids".

News Limited has been told the injections were administered at Cronulla's captain's run at Shark Park, a traditional final hit-out most NRL teams hold 24 hours prior to a game.

Dank has repeatedly denied giving any NRL player any substance on the World Anti-Doping Authority's banned list. CJC-1295 is a synthetic substance designed to promote human growth hormone.

Crucially, it was not included on the WADA banned list by name until September 2011.

But, equally as important to the Sharks investigation, WADA rules also stipulate any substance which promotes human growth hormone is banned, meaning athletes found exploiting loopholes in the system can still face two years on the sidelines.

Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan, who was stood down by the club last Friday, maintained he was unaware of any player being injected with CJC-1295 at Sharks training sessions.

"I've got no idea about any of that, it's just another rumour" Flanagan said. "Our supplements were provided by Dank and they were all approved at the time.

"I wasn't aware of it at the time. Whether I've been naive or stupid, time will tell. Our players are still adamant they've done nothing wrong. Everything Trent Elkin told them to take was approved at the time."

News Limited has been told several Sharks players were on the cusp of accepting six-month bans 11 days ago until the players' agents were called into the crisis talks and any "substantial assistance" deals with ASADA were called off.

The players have since done their homework on clause 10.5 of the WADA code, which relates to "elimination or reduction of period of ineligibility based on exceptional circumstances".

There is a provision under clause 10.5.1 of the WADA code that allows athletes to escape sanction if they can prove "no fault or negligence".

Effectively, if the Sharks players can prove they were unaware what they were taking was banned and were merely following club orders then it acts like a get-out-of-jail-free card.

"If an athlete can prove in an individual case that he or she bears no fault of negligence for the violation, the otherwise applicable period of ineligibility shall be eliminated," the clause reads.

But if ASADA and the Australian Crime Commission have a greater dossier of evidence linking the Sharks to performance-enhancing substances, the players will still be facing two-year bans.

Ex-head Cronulla conditioner Elkin has been co-operating with ASADA's investigation and has told those close to him that he was assured all the supplements the Sharks were using were above board.

Irrespective, the players were still initially fuming when they learned Elkin's detailing of the program they were administered had them facing bans.

It was revealed last week that captain Paul Gallen, Ben Pomeroy and John Morris knocked on Elkin's front door on the same night they were made aware of his co-operation with ASADA.

Elkin, who has engaged the services of lawyer Colin Love in his dealings with ASADA, continues to work as the head conditioner at Parramatta Eels.

The developments come 24 hours after it was revealed Manly prop Josh Perry's northern beaches home was used to inject Actovegin, or calf's blood, by three Sea Eagles players. 

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