Hird To Appeal ASADA Ruling

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

James Hird has defied Essendon's wishes and filed an appeal against the court's decision regarding the ASADA affair even after the club said they would not appeal. There was rampant media speculation that Hird was about to be axed at a special board meeting the day after the club's champion awards. Hird was a notable absentee at the function but still remains Essendon coach.

In a media statement, Hird said he believed the ruling against Essendon was incorrect and he wanted vindication for the club and players. He also believes all concerned at Essendon were "submitted to a compromised investigation and were treated unfairly" leaving the players "stained forever by the innuendo, misconceptions and falsities". He went on to say that as a player and coach, he was vehemently opposed to performance-enhancing drugs. He has continued to defend the players, believing that they were not given any banned substances.

Hird also took the opportunity to apologize for the pain which has been caused by the saga, acknowledging the club, players, the families and club staff who have all been affected. He included the football industry as well. He concluded "I am requesting expedition of this appeal and will not ask for a stay of the notices. The players and ASADA will be able to continue with the show cause process whilst a full court deals with the legality of the investigation. I have not taken this decision lightly. I believe this is the right course ... The short term simple approach would be to acquiesce and plead guilty to ASADA ... It would be a lie as would pleading out of the proceedings when I, my lawyers and the Essendon Football Club lawyers firmly believe that the investigation was conducted unlawfully".

In related news, the club has made an out of court settlement with sacked high-performance manager Dean Robinson, believed to be worth close to one million dollars.

Source: sen.com.au