to hold hird up to blame for everything seeks to absolve everyone and the club culture... it absolves Ian Collins and Wayne Jackson at affal house in the 90s. You really think that footscray's cheat justin charles was the only player to test positive? there were dozens who were complicit at windy hill* and dozems complicit in the industry and affal wideI mean, it seems pretty obvious the AFL was out to get Hird.
My question is - was it without reason? I think not. The AFL did see him as the man to get, but for good reason I think.
Anyway, he's long gone, Essendon fans should concentrate on the fantastic coaching of Worsfold and forgot about the s**t Hird (partly) put the club through.
I would think there would be upwards of dozens of athletes in the 90s and 2000s and 2010 decade that have had positive drug tests covered up. over a dozen, p'raps not more than 25 which would be dozens... but, lots.
And this still presumes that dope testing is equivalent to IQ testing, you can drive a B-double articulated highway train thru the testing protocols... so if there were circa 25 athletes who have had their positives covered up, within this testing paradigm and drug half live(s) and masking and diuretics. only idjits test positive. hence. iq testing.
*not a j'accuse. PEDs are part and parcel of professional sport (professional entertainment)... and go hand in hand like milk and honey.