Essendon coach James Hird insists his relationship with Mark Thompson remains strong, despite what happened at the AFL club’s tumultuous best and fairest function.
He revealed they have not spoken since the October 1 event, where Thompson effectively put his hand up to remain as Essendon’s senior coach.
Hird said they have separately been on holidays and does not feel anything has changed between them, adding he hopes Thompson will stay at Essendon.
He fronted the media on Monday for the first time since the best and fairest night to welcome back Bombers great Mark Harvey as an assistant coach.
But Thompson’s future at the club is uncertain and he remains in negotiations with club officials.
Hird’s future at Essendon appeared up in the air on October 1, because he had just broken ranks with the club by deciding to appeal against their joint Federal Court loss the previous month.
He did not attend the best and fairest function.
Chairman Paul Little and Thompson did not mention Hird once that night in lengthy and emotional speeches.
Thompson was interim head coach this year as Hird served a 12-month AFL suspension over the club’s ongoing supplements scandal.
Also in his best and fairest speech, Thompson said he did not want to take a “step back”.
Since then, Essendon have said Hird will stay coach for the time being, as ASADA continues with its case against 34 current and past Bombers players.
Thompson is back from a fortnight overseas and Hird has also enjoyed a week off.
“I don’t think it changed them (circumstances) at all,” Hird said of what happened at the best and fairest function.
“‘Bomber’ and I have a very good relationship that goes back a long time.
“That’s still the same.”
Hird also downplayed the fact that they had not spoken for three weeks.
“It’s just been a fact of where it’s been – I only got back in the country yesterday and he was away for two weeks before that.
“We’ll catch up very soon.”
Hird was then asked if they could have spoken by telephone while they were on their overseas trips.
“It’s very expensive to call from the other side of the world.
“Surely we can, but everyone wants to put a timeline on it and hurry it up.
“Mark and I will speak very soon.”
Hird said he is happy for Thompson to stay at the club if that is what he wants.
“There’s definitely a spot for Mark Thompson at Essendon if that’s the way it goes and if that’s what he wants,” Hird said.
“Mark has been coaching for a very long time and been in football for a very long time.
“He has to be given that time to decide what he wants to do.”
Jano
Guest
My contention is this: Mark and Casper are actually planted/employed by the EFC to oppose any anti-Essendon comments on this forum. When one gets bested in an argument in any thread, refuses to answer any direct question too many times, or runs out of diversionary tactics, frequently the other chimes in. Either that or they're both utterly delusional and suffering extreme cognitive dissonance.
Col in paradise
Guest
So you are using racing horse examples to justify this and body builiding junkies as evidence..yep reputable industries for drug enhancements and steriods, PINS etc.....LOL.....and then reference Dank reckons ASADA made up the evidence...yeh Dank is a credible guy !!!!..LOL....you are a comedian or more blinkered than a horse at the trots....now if this so called Professional Coach, Professional Club and Professional Sports Medicine doctor the employed and paid were actually professional they would have records, documentation etc of not just the drugs and scheduling etc and to whom adminstered but the training and performance data afterwards to track the improvements...you know standard stuff in Sprots adminsitartion, Medicine and Coaching..actually standard management prioatcie anywhere.. but not these Guru's...Nothing - they cannottable a damn thing...at a minimum Incompetant and Negligent in their roles and responsibility and have to go...at worst they are hiding the fact they screwed up or they were cheating..thats right drug cheats..do feel sorry for the players..but Hird and Little defence of this I beleive is indefensible due to their negligence and incompetance..time to go and bad luck if some players get some time off....the club then can move on and have a future..now they have nothing...like their records...
andyl12
Guest
Dead right Bobbo7. Once Mark clears away his emotions he'll realise that sacking Hird would be good for the club and good for football.
Bobbo7
Guest
Mark, not everyone hates Essendon. All your responses start with "who do you support?" What I do support is an AFL where no one would dare drug their players with experimental drugs again. Hird has to go to send a strong message. Any other coach would have quit for a far lesser issue for the good of the club and sport by now. If Hird were to go it would also make it easier to give the players a lighter penalty. His and Essendon's defiance will force harsher penalties on those players to send a message.
pjm
Roar Rookie
Of course he is, which other assistant coach gets $650k a year?
Macca
Guest
Unite you don't mention the forged letter or the invoice to the EFC but the fact you think Dank getting confused is no big deal, and his shock thatTB4 was banned was no big deal is quite a concern. Also the fact that allEFC only ever talks about Thymosin is a concern on 2 levels, firstly it makes it unlikely they were using Thymodulin (because they would call it Thymodulin) and secondly if you knew there was a legal and an illegal form why wouldn't you make it perfectly clear which one you were using? Additionally the results they were chasing, muscle repair are only applicable to the illegal form.
Mark
Guest
Let's go through your evidence..... 1. "texts discussing Thymosin between Dank and Hird" ... CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: This has since been called into question by a detailed series of more than 100 text messages sent between Essendon coach James Hird and Stephen Dank throughout 2012. The texts refer to almost every player in Essendon's squad, 22 in all, and detail a supplements regime which included multiple IVs and injections. The texts name Essendon's biggest stars. In the texts, they discuss the use of a variety of supplements, including Uniquinone and Thymosin. (text message to Steve Dank, male voiceover): "IV start next week. And Thymosin with Uniquinone. We will start some real effects." CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: It's not clear from the text which form of Thymosin was used, but at least one form, Thymosin Beta-4, is currently banned by ASADA. 2. "the players signing off on being injected with Thymosin" Do you seriously think Essendon football club and Dank would put a banned product onto a player consent form. I know that you think Dank is stupid, but not that stupid. 3. "Dank admitting to injecting the players with Thymosin Beta 4 (before claiming he was confused and meant Thymodulin) " He admitted to this when talking about dealing with immunisation". Exactly the same as he told the ACC under oath. He made a mistake and asked for TB4 to be removed. But it was too big news to remove. The reporter went on to mention that TB4 was a banned substance. Dank questioned is it, referring to it being moved off the S0 to the named banned substances S2. 4. "Charters statement that he supplied TB4 to Dank" Dank has admitted to this, but a small quantity of it. He sells this directly to the public through a Company he has a share in. ASADA would have known about Charters illegal substances because they interviewed customs. He would say whatever they want to hear to not be charged. Please read "www.thetalkingmule.com.au" 5. "Now the latest compelling evidence, frequency of injections.." Blind Freddy can search the web to see different dosage that is significantly different to what ASADA is claiming. I would describe the evidence as underwhelming.....
Mark
Guest
Why didnt ACC just raid the Essendon sites like they do in racing and either find the evidence red handed or otherwise. It is either a positive swab or they caught you red handed.
Mark
Guest
If nobody saw the murder AR, it does require circumstantial evidence. In this case, you have all of the players at your disposal inluding Dank. You should not need to rely on circumstantial evidence. And if TB4 had have been tested locally shortly after the samples were table, the results would have been known.
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
Hird AND Thompson? What could possibly go wrong there?
Nicko
Guest
It is like watching a train wreck in slow motion...Hird is in; then he is out and Bomber is in; then Bomber is out and Hird back in with Harvey...the Club wants Bomber but they have no job for him; Bomber only wants the top job but is too precious to resign; the Club Directors are too gutless to make any hard calls, except to rack up more costs; they choose to keep a Doctor on board that turned a blind eye to a pharmacological experiment at the Club; they keep repeating the mantra that nothing illegal was taken whilst being unable to state what in fact was administered to the players; they can't answer why they self reported (if they did nothing wrong, what were they reporting); it is mess of monumental proportions...
Macca
Guest
It was reported in the Age today already Mark.
Casper
Guest
The 2013 coaching performance had nothing to do with the injections. You already said that they bombed out in 2012 because of them.
Mark
Guest
Macca, you said "Dank agrees with ASADA on the differences in regimes, so either Dank is incompetent or ASADA is correct – which is it?" So you are saying that Dank spoke with ASADA and told him that he agrees with them. Are you sure of this Macca? This is big news. Phone Caroline straight away.
andyl12
Guest
"I take it you won’t give Hird any credit for his coaching then?" There is little to give him credit for. If my boss told me injections were the only way I could get to the top in my profession, I would wonder what credible features he had as well. If Hird only agreed to the penalties because he wanted the club to keep Anzac Day then he's made a pretty dumb decision. It's not like Essendon deserve Anzac Day given their mediocre form the last 10 years, and 2013 was (however unrealistically) their best shot at a flag for some time. Plus he could've kept himself and the club in the clear if he'd fought the penalties. A big part of the reason J Middleton ruled against Hird was because he’d signed off on the penalties in 2013. If- as you allege- Hird was coerced into signing off on these penalties, you’d wonder why J Middleton didn’t give weight to this in his ruling.
Macca
Guest
Take away Anzac Day - I call massive BS. The AFL isn't going to damage one of their most successful days. The only thing that would have happenned is they would have been given stiffer penalties because they tried to fight - they were guilty of what they were accused of and they decided to cut a deal - don't pretend it was some miscarriage of justice.
Casper
Guest
Take away Anzac Day for starters. Say no when the club requests help or favours in the future. Use your imagination Macca, you know how the Lions were screwed in 2004 when they got offside with the AFL.
Macca
Guest
Oh sorry a random bodybuilder says he only injects his illegal substance once a week, well I am sure he has his degree in sports science. As I said Dank agrees with ASADA on the differences in regimes, so either Dank is incompetent or ASADA is correct - which is it?
Mark
Guest
And the bodybulder says re TB4 "I typically only pin once a week, and typically 2.5mg, or half a vial". This is more in line with racehorses This is a far cry from your 5 days a week for 10 weeks.
Macca
Guest
Also Mark - Are you now saying that Dank doesn't know more than a randomn body builder about the dosage rates of Thymodulin compared to TB4, given Dank agrees with ASADA on the differences?