After explosive comments made by Dean Robinson in a tell all media interview, James Hird responds outside his home. Source: Sunrise Seven Network
ESSENDON has lashed out at former high performance manager Dean Robinson as it steps up its defence of besieged coach James Hird.
New Bombers chairman Paul Little labelled Robinson's interview with Channel 7 last night an "unjustified personal attack" on the coach.
Robinson, who resigned last Friday and was stood down by the club in February when an investigation into the supplements program was launched, said Hird had been the driving force in the program and the club administration - including former chief executive Ian Robson - was fully aware what was going on.
Little said the interview was "full of mistruths and distortions".
"Clearly visible to me was a man who was stressed, frustrated and tired. There is no doubt this ordeal is extracting a huge personal toll on everyone involved," Little said in a statement released by Essendon this afternoon.
"Notwithstanding this, I cannot let what was claimed last night go unchallenged, as much of it was patently false or distorted.
"What went to air – largely unchallenged by Channel 7 – was a series of uncorroborated allegations by a disgruntled, disaffected and discredited ex-employee.
"The inaccuracies in the interview are too many to work through one-by-one, and we are seeking legal advice on a number of these matters," Little said.
Disputing some of Robinson's key claims, Little declared:
Dean Robinson revealed he considered harming himself in the wake of the Bombers' drug saga. Picture: Channel 7
HIRD'S house had never been raided by police.
HIRD had not maintained a relationship with Shane Charter and had no contact with him since 2004 "other than when he unexpectedly ran into him some seven years later."
Charter told the Herald Sun last month he twice discussed peptides with Hird and sports scientist Stephen Dank by the pool of a Gold Coast hotel in December 2011.
HIRD did not have a personal program of weekly or bi-weekly injections from Dank. Hird told the Herald Sun in April he received two injections -- both for health reasons. Little described suggestions Hird had received up to 30 jabs as "slanderous".
HIRD never held the view that Collingwood, Hawthorn or West Coast were using illegal substances.
"Overall, this interview was an unjustified personal attack on one man which deeply offends the Essendon Football Club, its staff and its players," Little said.
Mud sticking to Teflon Hird
Hird called the shots: Robinson
Essendon high performance manager Dean Robinson with coach James Hird. Picture: Wayne Ludbey
Views split on Robinson tell-all
How Dank, Robinson spun the truth
Former Essendon high-performance manager Dean Robinson has given his version of events that led to the Bombers coming under investigation by ASADA and the AFL in a tell-all TV interview.
Earlier today, Hird denied claims he asked Robinson to investigate a cream he believed to be a banned testosterone.
Hird also denied Robinson's claim in a paid 45-minute interview with Channel 7 last night that he had met a doctor in New York "that had this undetectable substance".
"I've never spoken to a New York doctor," Hird told media outside his Toorak mansion this morning.
Hird also said that his home had "definitely not" been raided by Australian Federal Police over his relationship with biochemist Shane Charter, who had been his trainer.
But Hird admitted watching some of the interview.
Robinson told Channel 7 that "black ops" - referred to in former Essendon sports scientist Stephen Dank's job interview - meant only to push the boundaries but not stray into the territory of banned supplements.
Essendon coach James Hird has been forced to defend himself again amid claims he was in on a discussion that suggested the Bombers' supplements program by a "black op".
Robinson said that Hird was happy to explore the boundaries.
"I felt there were inferences from him (Hird) that we go down that path. I had a phone call while he was overseas telling me about a doctor he met in New York that had this undetectable substance that you could use as a cream and he came back and told me about it again, that we should investigate it," Robinson said in the interview.
Robinson claimed Hird "came back and told me about (the cream) again, that we should investigate it".
Robinson told ASADA he believed Hird was referring to testosterone cream.
"I said 'we're not going there, stay away'," he said.
Robinson said he considered harming himself in the wake of the drug scandal that has engulfed the club.
He said only the thought of his family had kept him alive.
"There are days when I couldn't sleep, there are days where, numerous days where I thought about suicide," he told Channel 7.
"It's only been in those moments that I've seen my kids, my wife and my family and I've gone 'if I leave them, who is going to look after them?'."
In the paid interview, Robinson also claimed:
Dank injected Hird up to 30 times with Hexarelin, a drug banned for players but not coaches;
"I can confirm that my lawyers have spoken with Steve Dank and he said that he did inject James Hird with Hexarelin on up to 30 occasions," he said.
An Essendon spokesman said the Hexarelin allegation was "an outrageous claim and will be legally challenged."
DANK had kept supplement invoices to himself and refused to say what amino acids he had purchased to account for a $60,000 bill.
ONLY one player, David Zaharakis, declined to be involved in the program;
PLAYERS came to him in early 2012 with concerns about the supplements and he initiated consent forms;
IT was him, and not Hird, who initiated protocols.
Hird targeted rival clubs
What next in Dons drug probe?
Robinson said Hird had asked him to bring "bigger and stronger players to him. He felt they were being outmuscled and he specifically noted a side that he wanted to beat".
"He wanted to go after Collingwood. And he knew stuff that Collingwood were doing. He said to me that he knew they were taking supplements that were allowing them to get an advantage because he knew who was supplying them," he said.
Essendon released a statement after the interview, saying: ''The club acknowledges that Dean Robinson appears to be under an extreme amount of pressure as are a number of people who are employed at the Essendon Football Club.
''However, the series of allegations made by Dean Robinson on Channel 7 tonight are totally without foundation. They are coming from a disgruntled, disaffected and discredited ex-employee.
''They are outrageous in nature and the club is seeking appropriate legal advice."
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, who is in New York with a travelling party of AFL heavyweights including AFL boss Andrew Demetriou and Hawthorn president Andrew Newbold, said he didn't want "to buy in to this whole Essendon thing".
"Collingwood Football Club has never heard of anything of this," he told Triple M today.
"The AFL ... have made it very clear to me that if there were any issues with the Collingwood Footbal Club we would know about it and well and truly know about it by now.
"We're not going to buy into heresy or almost like bar-room talk amongst blokes cranking themselves up on their own program. The allegations as aired last night have been denied to me by James Hird."
Herald Sun Fox Footy Fans Survey
The Magpies also released a statement: "The Collingwood Football Club dismisses as totally false any suggestion that it has ever used any illegal substances in the training or recovery of its players.
"As such, the club will not pass any further comment on baseless speculation to the contrary."
Demetriou said he did not know if there would be more questions after the ASADA findings were handed down.
"It wouldn't be unusual if we were given a report and they continued to conduct an investigation," he said.
"They've been recently given new powers and they may seek to use those powers."
Newbold said he was disappointed Hawthorn had been swept up in some of the allegations.
"I think there's a point in time where clubs need to concentrate on getting their own house in order rather than commenting on other clubs, that's pretty disappointing from our point of view but I think enough's been said about it," he said.
In last night's interview, Robinson said he first met Dank in 2004 and thought he was smart and trustworthy.
He maintained he did not believe he had been involved in any practices that contravened the WADA code, but admitted he "couldn't say what happened behind closed doors - that I wasn't privy to - I can't talk to that."
"We never did that (run it under cover of darkness). I made sure that it was open. I sent emails out with the supplements that I knew were taking place," he said.
"It's cutting edge - its safe. That's what I believe it was, that's what I was told it was.
"I followed the directive that I was given by the head coach - as long as it was within the rules.
"But the leadership group didn't have a problem with any of this, only one player out of Essendon didn't want to be involved. David Zaharakis - it was his personal choice and that was fine."
If you need help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au
- with Russell Gould
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