Advertisement

AFL could penalise Essendon today

Aug 26, 2013
Essendon players enjoy their win over Carlton

Essendon players enjoy their win over Carlton

The AFL Commission could strip Essendon of their premiership points and ban coach James Hird today over the club’s supplements scandal.

Although Hird’s Supreme Court writ against the league is still alive, there’s widespread speculation that the commission will hear the Bombers charges as scheduled.

Hird and the Bombers admit they face some sort of punishment over last year’s supplements program at the club, but they’re determined not to be labelled as drug cheats.

Bombers’ chairman Paul Little released a statement to members on the club’s website on Friday apologising for mistakes made concerning governance issues and hinting the matter could be resolved very soon.

Little repeated the position in media interviews on Saturday night in the lead up to the club’s emotion win against Carlton.

Essendon coach James Hird and three other club officials have been charged with bringing the league into disrepute.

Little, who spoke so aggressively on Wednesday, is now saying the Bombers know sanctions are coming.

“At yesterday’s meeting of AFL Club chairmen and presidents, I stressed we wanted matters resolved but also that matters need to be concluded in a fair manner with charges and penalties that reflect the club’s actual failings and the evidence,” Little said on the essendonfc.com.au site.

“We have made mistakes in terms of governance and people management, and we apologise for them.

“We also accept there will be AFL sanctions as a consequence but the evidence does not extend to drug cheating, and we’re working to ensure that the charges and ultimate penalties reflect this.

“We will keep you updated with any developments over the coming days.”

Little said the Bombers had taken on board the fact their members had urged the club to quickly resolve the charges laid against the Bombers.

“We share your view,” Little said.

“The ongoing controversy is harmful to our players and their families, our officials, the club, other AFL clubs and the AFL itself.

“Despite the events of recent days, we believe these matters can be resolved before too long.”

At his post-match press conference, Hird said there could be circumstances under which he would accept an AFL suspension, but his first priority is to prove he’s innocent of most allegations against him.

“I’d love to do it along with the club,” he told reporters after guiding the Bombers to a comeback win over Carlton.

“Everything I’ve done has been along with the club, I’d love to finish it with the club.

“That will play out and we’ll wait and see.

“The club and myself obviously I see as one entity.

“But I haven’t sat down with anyone and had that conversation yet.

“If that does happen in the next day or so then we’ll be able to tell you.”

But Hird said if he was to take a ban, it would be under certain conditions.

“If it meant the club didn’t lose premiership points and they didn’t lose draft picks and the players were cleared, there would be definitely a situation,” he said.

“If that was what the best thing for the club was, yes.

“But I don’t know how that looks.”

Hird said it would be a “tragedy” if the Bombers missed the finals and he regarded the stripping of premiership points as a penalty for cheating, something he doesn’t believe the Bombers are guilty of.

Asked how he would handle a suspension, he said his chief aim was to clear his reputation.

“First of all I want to prove I’m innocent of a lot or 99 per cent of those charges,” Hird, who launched Supreme Court action against the AFL on Thursday, said.

“I look at those charges and they make me sick that they’re out there and that people would believe that is the truth about me.

“I’m determined to clear that up.

“Then we’ll go from there about suspension or not suspension.”

Asked whether he believed he personally deserved a punishment, Hird said he was responsible for certain things that occurred at the club last year but it was up to others to decide whether they warranted a sanction.

Asked whether he regretted undertaking the supplements program, he described that as an “interesting question”.

“I certainly regret what’s happened in 2012, some certain aspects of what’s happened in 2012. I think the whole club does,” Hird said.

Earlier, Little said if Hird was suspended, it would be the Bombers’ preference that he returns as coach after serving his ban.

 

Local News Matters
Advertisement
Copyright © 2024 InDaily.
All rights reserved.