Bombers findings to be revealed

Waiting game ... James Hird and the Essendon players. Source:News Limited

Former Telstra chief Ziggy Switkowski expects the key findings of his investigation into "irregular practices" at Essendon to be made public on Monday afternoon.

The Bombers will release an edited version of Switkowski's report, which had initially been delayed by a legal challenge from suspended conditioning coach Dean Robinson.

Bombers chairman David Evans will front a media conference at the club's Windy Hill headquarters at noon (EST).

"When (Essendon chairman) David Evans set up this review he promised to publish the recommendations, unedited, and there will be some narrative around that, I expect," said Switkowski.

"But let's see what the club releases."

Essendon officials were tight lipped about what would be revealed.

Coach James Hird said players were focused on this weekend's game and said he did not know what to expect.

"I am not sure, we will have to wait and see. It (the report) is due in the next few hours and we will wait and see then," he said on Monday morning.

Switkowski wouldn't comment on what percentage of the report would be revealed, nor what it would recommend.

But club great Tim Watson, the father of club captain Jobe, said no Bombers official would be told to resign.

"I don't think there's going to be recommendations for anyone to be sacked. I don't think there's going to be blood on the floor tomorrow post this meeting, if that's in fact when it takes place," said Watson.

"I think this is about the governance, so what they're looking to do is make sure that any of the errors of judgment along the way in terms of their supplement program won't be made again."

The review of the club's governance, processes and supervision followed revelations the Bombers were embroiled in an Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigation into their supplements program run by sports scientist Stephen Dank.

View the original article here

Revealed: Hird's emotional speech

Emotional ... James Hird embraces Brent Stanton and Jobe Watson. Source: Alex Coppel / News Limited

Essendon coach James Hird delivered an emotional speech to his players in the Subiaco rooms last Friday night, in which he thanked them and told of his pride after their win over Fremantle.

On FOX FOOTY's The Hangar on Wednesday night, Hird's post-match speech to his players following the win was shown.

In it, Hird - who this week met with ASADA investigators - told his players just how much the win meant to him and the club.

"Anything is possible if you continue to play with that hunger and train with that hunger," Hird said.

"I'm so proud of you, I thank you so much. I personally...just thank you, thank you."

---

Watch the emotional video at the top of the page or read James Hird's full speech to his players at the bottom of the page.

---

Inspirational skipper Jobe Watson was not to be outdone, jumping in following Hird's speech to declare his solid support for the club.

"From a player's perspective, the way the club is handling it and the people around it, it's comforting to come to the club and see these people here," he said.

"Because you know the people inside the football club care about you and they're the people you can lean on.

"So, I'm saying it now - I know when I get around the club that we'll be OK.

"It's special because of the people in this room."

Hird's full speech to the players in the rooms following the win:

"Let's talk about pressure and the way you handled that pressure. We didn't handle it well early, did we?

"They were much better than us early. You're going to have to handle more pressure than that - finals are big games.

"But to come from five goals or six goals down at Subiaco and beat a very, very good team and run them off their legs, it's an incredible effort.

"And I think Jobe you said it at the start of the game, let's coach ourselves out on the ground.

"That's what leadership is all about - coaching yourself when things aren't going right. Well done to everyone in this footy club, tonight was an amazing effort. Everything has been incredible - we just have to keep it going, alright?

"You've got to enjoy your win, get to bed when you get to bed, wake up the next morning in the hotel (laughs) and let's go after St Kilda.

"Anything is possible if you continue to play with that hunger and train with that hunger. I'm so proud of you, I thank you so much. I personally...just thank you, thank you."

View the original article here

Hird-Dank text boasts revealed

Allegations ... James Hird is again under fire. Source: Chris Scott / News Limited

UPDATE: Leaked text messages allegedly reveal James Hird and Stephen Dank boasting about Essendon's drugs supplement program.

The text messages, shown on Channel 9, have not been verified, but appear to show a close relationship between the Bombers coach and the sports scientist at the centre of the club's controversial injections program.

Hird has declared he will coach Essendon against Fremantle on Friday night and the club stood by him after claims emerged he had been injected by Dank with a substance banned for use by players.

Channel 9 says it has six months' worth of text messages between Hird and Dank, including the following exchanges:

Hird: Good work today mate. The boys were up and about. We have lots to work with.

Dank: IV start next week. And Thymosin and Ubiquinone. We will start to see some real effects.

Dank: Is (player) in your best 22?

Hird: At his best, yes. Why?

Dank: I am just working out his injections for the year. As an older leaner body I might infuse him more particularly for the recovery. I often IV the older bodies.

Dank: I also know that they (a rival club) are trying everything they can in supplements and recovery modes to win this premiership.

Hird: But not as good as us in that area!!!

Earlier, AFL boss Andrew Demetriou said the drug allegations levelled at James Hird were as serious as allegations get but he won't be stood down.

Demetiou fronted the media in Sydney on Thursday, saying the report that Hird had been injected with a banned substance was "very disturbing."

"These are very serious allegations, in fact, I can't think of anymore serious," he said.

"The issues surrounding the alleged use of banned substances is very distrubing, particularly when we are talking about the health and welfare of young men.

"There is an investigation ongoing and that investigation needs to continue. We do not conclude investigations on the basis of newspaper reports."

There is no suggestion that the drug is illegal or that Hird would be in breach of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) rules if it is proved he took the drugs.

Sports scientist Stephen Dank has claimed he injected Hird with a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Hird said on Thursday morning that the allegation was "very upsetting".

A sombre Hird was met by a media pack at 7.30am as he left his Toorak home for Essendon's training session at Windy Hill.

"It's hard to make comment ... but I will make comment to these upsetting claims," Hird said from his driveway.

"But at present, I can't because of the AFL/ASADA investigation, and once my part of that's finished I will respond to these very upsetting claims.

"That's all."

James Hird ... leaving his home. Source: News Limited

Demetriou praised Hird's standing in the game and his legacy at Essendon.

"James Hird is one of the finest players to play the game, he is one of thes finiest contributors to the Essendon Football Club in its long and proud history," he said.

"I'm sure, at this moment, he is feeling very disturbed at these allegations."

However, he made it clear that any coach or official who was found to have had a hand in illegal substances would be punished.

"Any coach or official puts the duty of care of their players at risk, then they will held accountable," Demetriou said.

A former head of ASADA said coaches are not asked to comply with the same rules as their players when it comes to banned substances.

While not commenting directly on the allegations, Richard Ings told 3AW radio the substances in question were not banned for coaches.

“These substances are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency code for players. If coaches are using such a banned substance it is not banned under the World Anti-Doping Agency code or the AFL anti-doping policy," Mr Ings said.

A club source told the Herald Sun: "James will fight this ... this is not true. James is an honorable person, these people are disreputable and the club will not rest until his name is fully cleared. This is an outrageous allegation."

It is also claimed that Hird was aware of the entire supplements program at Essendon, which included taking players off site for injections, and that the players signed consent forms listing the type of supplements they'd be taking.

It's been reported a number of players took a form of pig's brain peptides, and an anti-obesity drug.

It's believed investigations by the club and ASADA will see the Bombers admit to not doing due diligence on the employment of staff, and "irregular practices".

Dank, who is at the centre of allegations about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in rugby league, made the latest claims in an interview with Fairfax Media.

The Herald Sun can reveal Hird had three stringent rules forming the basis of the supplement program:

THE players' welfare was the No.1 priority.

ALL supplements were to be ticked off by ASADA.

EVERYTHING was to be ticked off by the club doctor. It's understood the third rule was not always adhered to.

Dank continues to maintain none of the substances he gave players was in breach of the world anti-doping code or AFL rules.

"Before I've done anything in any forum, we have always had conversations with WADA or ASADA - or in some cases both," he said.

"They were always well informed of anything we were about to use. Nothing was ever used without asking them first and, in some cases, both parties were asked.

"Never once was anything indicated to me that we would have issues in terms of anything we used."

But he said Hird knew of the supplements program.

"Look, to be perfectly honest, a couple of coaches were using supplements that were a little bit outside the WADA code, but again they were entitled to (do) it, and nothing illegal in those."

Essendon have growing confidence players will be cleared of any link to performance-enhancing drugs.

The club's internal review into "irregular practices" is due in coming weeks.

View the original article here

Secret Dank injecting house revealed

Stephen Dank ... used to inject NRL players at a house in Bankstown. Source: James Croucher / News Limited

Tucked away in a quiet Bankstown back street was the building NRL players visited to receive private treatments from Stephen Dank.

Dank - the sports scientist at the centre of ASADA's doping inquiry - met certain players at a room within the recently demolished Eldridge Rd premises to inject them with supplements.

There is no suggestion the supplements were prohibited and Dank has repeatedly denied the use of any substances that contravene the WADA code, such as illicit peptides.

However, his private relationship with certain players away from their clubs is a primary focus of the explosive ACC report and subsequent ASADA investigation.

In one-hour briefings conducted at Sydney clubs this week, ASADA officers have mentioned Dank's name to players after the former Manly and Essendon sports scientist last week revealed he was one of 33 people questioned by the ACC.

They've also been informed about telephone recordings that were collected over the course of the commission's one-year investigation.

For a period of his tenure at Manly, which extended from 2004 to 2010, Dank was living in Bankstown and used the nearby building to treat players off-site.

The building was once the headquarters of Workcare Medical, a workplace injury prevention firm, and has since been demolished.

Only a vacant lot remains. A senior employee - no longer working at the company - gave Dank access to a room within the building to conduct his treatment of players.

It's not clear how many were treated off-site, but The Daily Telegraph has been told Dank attempted to establish private contact with players from another club he briefly consulted for in early 2011.

Dank was studying for his pharmacology PhD at the time.

Dank did not respond to phone or text inquiries on Thursday. His barrister, Gregory Stanton, also didn't respond to a list of questions about Dank's treatment of players inside the Bankstown building.

Workcare Medical also failed to respond to similar inquiries about the company's connection to Dank.

ASADA officers have briefed Penrith, Manly and Canberra players and staff over the past week.

The clubs were strongly reminded about the points discount on offer for confessing or providing information that assists ASADA.

Players were also warned that ASADA would soon begin to interview individuals of interest, with around 150 people across both codes believed to be on the hitlist.

Cronulla players are yet to be briefed, but the club has held internal meetings with those who've been at Sharks Stadium since Dank left in early 2011.

Coach Shane Flanagan this week told Fox Sports News the drama had taken a mental toll.

"Before this ASADA and ACC stuff came out there was great excitement around the Shire and this team," he said. "It's been dampened a little."

View the original article here