JAMES Hird’s father has labelled the World Anti-Doping Agency’s appeal of the Essendon drugs case a “direct attack on Australian sport and our system of government’’.
Allan Hird, who was speaking independently, said the decision by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority not to appeal the AFL’s tribunal decision and instead urge WADA to act, was “an act of a coward’’.
Last week Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon said he was appalled WADA would appeal the decision, which will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport later this year.
WADA TO LODGE BOMBERS APPEAL
Mr Hird, who has been previously outspoken about the joint ASADA/AFL investigation, has written to the Federal Minister of Sport Sussan Ley with his concerns.
In his letter to Ms Ley, Mr Hird states his opinion that ASADA and its chief executive Ben McDevitt should be called to account.
Mr Hird argued that ASADA did not exhaust the legal options available to it and thought that Mr McDevitt flew to the Montreal headquarters of WADA to urge it do the “dirty work’’ for ASADA.
“WADA after the CEO’s lobbying then did a ‘Pontius Pilate’ and asked the other national anti-doping bodies their views,’’ Mr Hird wrote
James Hird remains under intense pressure following the WADA appeal.
“So here we have ASADA taking a domestic Australian sporting matter it lacks the courage to pursue in Australia to WADA ...”
“ASADA has continued to dud the Essendon players since 2012.
“It has allowed their rights to confidentiality ... to be abrogated, it connived with the previous government and the AFL to present a distorted and untrue picture of events that resulted in their being denied the right ... to participate in the 2013 AFL finals.
“And now it has contrived to have the international anti-doping community pursue the vendetta it itself is too cowardly to pursue.”
Mr Hird was dumbfounded that the players’ future could be “determined by a foreign body, based on a case run by another foreign body’’.
“Those 34 Australians (Essendon players) will not have the same appeal rights afforded other Australians,” Mr Hird wrote.
“What is the Parliament and the Government going to do to protect these 34 Australian and restore their rights?’’
James Hird was alerted to his father’s letter last night, but refused to comment.