Suspended coach James Hird has forced a humiliating backdown from the AFL and its chief executive Andrew Demetriou and will be fully paid while he sits out next season.
But much bigger problems loom for Essendon.
Former World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president John Fahey said it is only a matter of time before the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) issues infraction notices over Essendon’s supplements scandal.
“I expect there will be several charges by ASADA. It’s only a matter of when,” Fahey said.
It is the first time an anti-doping official has confirmed publicly that charges are likely over the scandal.
In an interview with the Australian Financial Review published on Friday, Fahey did not indicate who was likely to be charged.
Late on Friday, Essendon and the AFL announced an astonishing settlement that represented a major win for Hird.
At issue was whether the club could pay Hird during his 12-month suspension for his involvement in Essendon’s supplements program.
Essendon president Paul Little said it was only implied in the club’s agreement with the AFL that Hird could not be paid next year.
So Essendon will not pay him any money in 2014, but will pay him his reported $1 million salary in advance before December 31.
The AFL said it accepted this arrangement.
But Demetriou was adamant last week that Essendon was not paying Hird while he is suspended.
“He is not permitted to be paid by the Essendon Football Club,” Demetriou told Radio station 3AW.
It quickly emerged that was not the case.
Hird’s camp had threatened legal action if the AFL forced Essendon to stop paying him.
It put the club in the middle of an increasingly bitter war between the Hird camp and the AFL, especially Demetriou.
“Whilst it is acknowledged that James Hird’s pay wasn’t dealt with in the formal deed of settlement between Essendon and the AFL, complex discussions relating to James Hird’s legally enforceable employment contract have continued between the parties,” Essendon president Paul Little said in a statement.
“It has been very difficult to have this matter adequately resolved whilst being played out in the public arena.
“To settle this impasse, Essendon has resolved that it will pay James Hird in advance to cover the 2014 year consistent with Hird’s employment contract obligations.
“This also meets the implied terms of the deed of settlement.
“The implied terms of the AFL sanction indicate that James Hird cannot be paid for a 12 month period, therefore he will not be paid during the calendar period January 1 – December 31, 2014.”
The AFL released a short statement confirming the agreement, in stark contrast to a lengthy media release on Thursday where Demetriou had threatened to withhold money from Essendon.
“The AFL has accepted Essendon’s position that James Hird will not be paid in 2014, and equally the AFL have accepted that Essendon has the right to make payments to James Hird in the 2013 year as it sees fit,” the league said.
Fahey also savaged Essendon in his media interview, saying WorkSafe Victoria should investigate the club over the supplements controversy and questioned how Hird can return as coach once his suspension ends.
He also derided the AFL as “a sacred cow”.
Essendon have been under ASADA investigation since February, when the anti-doping body and the AFL announced a joint probe into the club’s 2011-12 supplements program.
The AFL’s investigation ended in late August, days before before the finals, with a range of severe penalties that included a 12-month suspension for Hird.
But ASADA have given no indication on when they will make their findings.
Jason Stevens
Guest
If anyone's found a box full of infraction notices, please return to Essendon Football Club
Graham Ford
Guest
Anyone know what Hirdy bought himself for Christmas?
c
Guest
one of the best articles I have seen in the afl in 2013
Peter Bryant
Guest
The AFL Comission and ASADA are simply trying to "distance" the whole Essendon scandal..... Thankfully if (this site is any guide) a significant portion of the football public are intent on seeing justice done and won't simply forget in time.
JR
Guest
And AD said there was no way Essendon was paying James Hird. Can't take anything as gospel.
David
Guest
Stavros We will all just have to wait to find out the final out come however if it was run as a business they would be putting big contingencies for future outcomes. I am not hoping this causes the end of the Essendon Football Club however in the worse case this could be the outcome when you inject young men with substances not approved for human consumption. Hirds action have cost the club a lot of money and probably plenty more in the future. That the club paid him out $1,000,000 to him is a major embarrassment for the club and Hird. ASADA has refuted reports it advised parties to the Essendon supplements investigation that anti-obesity drug AOD-9604 was not a banned substance. In written advice to the AFL on Wednesday, ASADA CEO Aurora Andruska said AOD-9604 was a banned substance under the WADA code and reiterated that ASADA had never advised any party otherwise. "AOD-9604 is not approved for human use and logically it couldn't be considered safe to use," Andruska said. "ASADA reiterates that at no point has it advised any party that AOD-9604 was permitted in sport, and our advice to the sporting community has always been consistent with WADA."
BetterRedThanDead
Guest
But how / why would a club pay a suspended coach full pay when he has accepted a sanction? Its not as if a deceision is pending and he is being paid until a determination is made. More proof that AFL is too powerful, the clubs too corrupt and the administration of the game out of step with what is morally acceptable in the rest of society. An utter disgrace on a great game.
macca
Guest
Franko - I am with you - do you remember how long the announcement was delayed becuase the legal teams were going over the contract and yet we are to beleive no one thought to put the word "unpaid" in?
Franko
Guest
I am too cynical to believe they 'forgot' to put it in, I think it was a don't ask don't tell situation which James seems to be more than familiar with.
macca
Guest
.
Penster
Guest
Very funny!
Kev
Guest
I wonder if this saga will finally force the AFL to introduce mandatory qualifications for AFL coaches instead of this amateur and adhoc process that sees popular ex-player's appointed off the back of their playing performance and perceived marketing value. So far as I can tell, Essendon's board appointed Hird as senior coach on a hefty $1 million a year salary simply because he wanted the job despite having absolutely no coaching experience and the result with Hird in charge so far has been a highly questionable supplements scandal that has seen the club fined heavily, excluded from the finals and could still result in player sanctions from ASADA and yet the Essendon board not only choose to defend him, but they recklessly believe that he is fit to coach the side again once he has served his punishment. On what planet does that make any sense.
macca
Guest
Gee The AFL really showed Hird, he can't be paid next year ut he can get all his pay for next year tomorrow! At least they held strong and stopped him going to the Christmas party!! The only thing we need now is for the AFL to give Essendon a $2m grant to cover the fine and the farce will be complete!
jax
Guest
+1 Hird chose money above his legacy and the club is bleeding over it is now hitting up its members for cash while James chills out in Toorak.
jax
Guest
Hird has most likely lost more respect in the general footy community with this decision. He has chosen money over his legacy. His wife was a lawyer and legally and financially they won this battle but that doesn't mean it's moral or the right thing to do for the footy club. Its a continuation of his camp and the club refusing to take enough responsibility for his actions or lack there of. Hird continues to receive poor PR advice. I am not saying Hird is solely responsible but he must take some of the blame for the poor governance at least and with that in mind why would you pay a manager a $1 million bonus after this happened on his watch? It's not like he needs the money and I thought his legacy might have been more important to him. It's a long way back from here to win back the respect of the footy community James but good luck. I want the whole story to come out in an independent investigation so that we can learn from this. Too many backroom deals, leaks and the subsequent trial by media, these forums etc. It needs to stop for the good of the game. Dees non-tanking, Crows draft tampering, it has a bad smell about it.
jax
Guest
Semantics, the ANZ stadium deal plus the Dees non-tanking, Crows Tippet affair, Dons ASADA fiasco, media leaks from AFL house especially with the Dons, Hird etc is more than enough reason to warrant an independent enquiry. I stand corrected on Docklands.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
purely trying to bring some balance thats all.
John Wilkins
Guest
I'm sensing a lot more defence than offence from you Wookie. You wouldn't happen to be holding an "AFL drinks card" that you're not sharing around by any chance?
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Fitzpatricks family trust was never involved in Docklands. It is a major part of ANZ Infrastructure which manages ANZ Stadium. Just a touch of an over reaction.
Stavros
Guest
Yep, so if they don't mind, then why do fans of other clubs?