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Essendon AFL coach James Hird has been accused of injecting a WADA blacklisted drug, while his players were given an extract from pig’s brain, according to a Fairfax Media report.
Stephen Dank, the sports scientist who ran the club’s supplement program, said he injected Hird with hexarelin, which the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned in 2004, the report said.
He also told Fairfax that before and during the 2012 season, Essendon players were given the anti-obesity drug AOD9604.
Fairfax Media says information gathered by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) corroborates Mr Dank’s claims.
Mr Dank also said he gave players an extract from pig’s brain, which is used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, the first milk from a mother cow and a bark extract.
In a statement to Fairfax Media, Hird said: “These claims are horrifying to me, and are being made by a person or people who appear determined to destroy my reputation.
“I have at all times fully adhered to, and promoted the WADA code and the AFL rules, and the code of ethics of the Essendon Football Club.”
Mr Dank stressed that nothing he gave to the players was prohibited and said the supplements were safe despite not being listed as approved by regulators.
UPDATE: On Thursday morning Essendon Football Club released a statement from chairman David Evans addressing what he referred to as “extremely serious and very distressing” allegations:
“The Board is aware of irregular practices, and that is why we self-reported to ASADA and to the AFL,” Evans said in a statement.
“The ASADA investigation commenced in early February, and we were advised by ASADA investigators that the club should not be doing our own investigation into the supplements program, but to leave the investigation and interviews with staff to ASADA.
“We have complied with that request and encouraged all our staff to cooperate with ASADA.
“I want to repeat that these allegations are very serious, and we want the ASADA investigation and its outcomes to be done as quickly as possible to assist us in making decisions.
“On behalf of the Board I want to make it clear that if any person at our club has failed in their duty of care to the players then we will make the appropriate decisions on behalf of the Essendon Football Club.”
Following this statement from Evans, Hird released his own statement later in the morning:
“These claims are horrifying to me, and are being made by a person or people who appear determined to destroy my reputation,” Hird said.
“I have at all times fully adhered to, and promoted the WADA code and the AFL rules, and the code of ethics of the Essendon Football Club.
“I would never do anything to put the players of the Essendon Football Club or the club at risk. As I said in February, I am shocked our club is facing this situation.
“I will make no further comment at this stage as I am committed to assisting the ASADA and AFL investigation.”
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