Hi all,
Why was James Hird in the early days saying "when the truth comes out it will look very good for our club/players etc)? When is James going to tell this truth?? Is James Hird just full of shit or is there a reason why he hasn't said anything yet?
At the time, the AFL (via the Age) was painting a picture of rampant use of exotic drugs at Essendon, with Hird the main architect. The club was being investigated by ASADA for suspected use of Hexarelin and CJC1260, neither of which were used. AOD 9604 was all the talk in the papers. Essendon thought they had only given legal supplements, and it still may be true. Hird believed when everyone told the truth, and all the facts were known, there would be no illegal substance use at the club. He is, to this day, and even after the CAS verdict, still possibly correct. It's just that it doesn't seem that way, given the governance/supervision/record keeping shortcomings that the club has admitted, and given that the CAS decision has legitimised the assertion by ASADA that illegal TB4 was used.
James was gunning hard to say that demitriou tipped essendon off that ASADA was looking at them, like in the days before they self reported before with david evans, correct? Isn't he doing essendon a favour by doing this? Why is there so much angst toward the AFL? Why is the AFL to blame for our supplement program?
Yes Demetriou was trying to manage the fallout from the "darkest day" press conference, and yes, you could interpret his actions as being helpful in preparing the club for the storm. Thereafter, Demetrious and the AFL's plan was to go hard on the club and on club officials, Hird being the primary target, in the hope of striking an agreement with ASADA (under duress from the Minister for Sport) to spare the players, and in so doing, protect the AFL from stuffing its comp. Hird, believing he, and the club, had done no wrong, was not prepared to go along with being scapegoated, and fought back in one of the few ways available to him, by accusing Demetriou of lying about the tip off.
And the AFL isn't to blame for the program, but it is to blame for the massive PR campaign, via its leaks, which saw the club, and Hird, maligned and penalised in a way that was not justified by any evidence, or any hearing, using standover tactics and threats to both Hird and the club, in August 2013.
Really, this is very brief. You could write a book about it. And Chip Le Grand has done. You should read it if you want background to your questions.
Do you buy into the idea that we were just the only club that got caught, that other clubs had similar supplement programs?
Definitely. There is evidence that other clubs were under suspicion and ASADA had blood tests sent to Germany in 2012 from clubs other than Essendon. This came out in the Middleton hearing.
Hird said we were just trying to catch up to other clubs. I don't know what caused him to think that.
The judgement by the CAS also said that ASADA believed that TB4 use was widespread throughout the AFL in 2012, although this has not been publicised, surprise, surprise.
Geelong suddenly got bigger and stronger and more successful in the mid noughties when Robinson was there and, by his own admission, was consulting with Dank on an almost daily basis.
West Coast were renowned for being bigger and stronger in the early 90's, possible due to steroid use.
There are enough strands in the wire to make CAS more than comfortably satisfied.
In the early days I felt like essendon was almost wrongly accused, I bought into their carefully prepared words that the players were innocent, we firmly believe nothing was wrong rah rah rah, but now I'm feeling more like there should be no one to blame except the coaches and administration at the club in 2012 inclusive of james hird. I want to cry for jobe and the playing group because i feel like they were lead astray and didn't have any malicious intent, but i ams tarting feel really angry toward james and the supporting staff of 2012, interesting Tim Watson said he doesn't speak to james at all anymore on SEN...
Nothing wrong with your early days thoughts. All that has really changed from that time is the evidence of poor supervision of, and too much trust placed in, Dank and Robinson. The players are innocent. This so, despite CAS finding them guilty on the basis that a few suspicious circumstances equals proof to comfortable satisfaction. I still believe Hird did nothing wrong.
What has happened is that there has been enough consequences, and enough accusations, and now the BS guilty verdict, that have made the PR and the accusations seem like they are well founded.
What we had was a pair of rogues, Dank and Robinson, a trusting and lax supervisory group, a poor management structure that enabled Reid to be sidelined, and a campaign by the AFL that made it all seem worse than it was.
Anyway, that's my thoughts. No doubt others think more harshly of Hird and the club.
I don't want to kick off another round of debate on the subject of blame. I think we should all take the lead from Tanner when he said there is no point in pointing the finger at individuals (within the club) and that the club as a whole has to share the blame.
I still feel the need to point the finger fairly and squarely at the AFL, ASADA, WADA and CAS, as well as a compliant media, for making this the disaster it has become for us.