Hird-Dank text boasts revealed

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Allegations ... James Hird is again under fire. Source: Chris Scott / News Limited

UPDATE: Leaked text messages allegedly reveal James Hird and Stephen Dank boasting about Essendon's drugs supplement program.

The text messages, shown on Channel 9, have not been verified, but appear to show a close relationship between the Bombers coach and the sports scientist at the centre of the club's controversial injections program.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Hird has declared he will coach Essendon against Fremantle on Friday night and the club stood by him after claims emerged he had been injected by Dank with a substance banned for use by players.

Channel 9 says it has six months' worth of text messages between Hird and Dank, including the following exchanges:

Hird: Good work today mate. The boys were up and about. We have lots to work with.

Dank: IV start next week. And Thymosin and Ubiquinone. We will start to see some real effects.

Dank: Is (player) in your best 22?

Hird: At his best, yes. Why?

Dank: I am just working out his injections for the year. As an older leaner body I might infuse him more particularly for the recovery. I often IV the older bodies.

Dank: I also know that they (a rival club) are trying everything they can in supplements and recovery modes to win this premiership.

Hird: But not as good as us in that area!!!

Earlier, AFL boss Andrew Demetriou said the drug allegations levelled at James Hird were as serious as allegations get but he won't be stood down.

Demetiou fronted the media in Sydney on Thursday, saying the report that Hird had been injected with a banned substance was "very disturbing."

"These are very serious allegations, in fact, I can't think of anymore serious," he said.

"The issues surrounding the alleged use of banned substances is very distrubing, particularly when we are talking about the health and welfare of young men.

"There is an investigation ongoing and that investigation needs to continue. We do not conclude investigations on the basis of newspaper reports."

There is no suggestion that the drug is illegal or that Hird would be in breach of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) rules if it is proved he took the drugs.

Sports scientist Stephen Dank has claimed he injected Hird with a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Hird said on Thursday morning that the allegation was "very upsetting".

A sombre Hird was met by a media pack at 7.30am as he left his Toorak home for Essendon's training session at Windy Hill.

"It's hard to make comment ... but I will make comment to these upsetting claims," Hird said from his driveway.

"But at present, I can't because of the AFL/ASADA investigation, and once my part of that's finished I will respond to these very upsetting claims.

"That's all."

James Hird ... leaving his home. Source: News Limited

Demetriou praised Hird's standing in the game and his legacy at Essendon.

"James Hird is one of the finest players to play the game, he is one of thes finiest contributors to the Essendon Football Club in its long and proud history," he said.

"I'm sure, at this moment, he is feeling very disturbed at these allegations."

However, he made it clear that any coach or official who was found to have had a hand in illegal substances would be punished.

"Any coach or official puts the duty of care of their players at risk, then they will held accountable," Demetriou said.

A former head of ASADA said coaches are not asked to comply with the same rules as their players when it comes to banned substances.

While not commenting directly on the allegations, Richard Ings told 3AW radio the substances in question were not banned for coaches.

"These substances are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency code for players. If coaches are using such a banned substance it is not banned under the World Anti-Doping Agency code or the AFL anti-doping policy," Mr Ings said.

A club source told the Herald Sun: "James will fight this ... this is not true. James is an honorable person, these people are disreputable and the club will not rest until his name is fully cleared. This is an outrageous allegation."

It is also claimed that Hird was aware of the entire supplements program at Essendon, which included taking players off site for injections, and that the players signed consent forms listing the type of supplements they'd be taking.

It's been reported a number of players took a form of pig's brain peptides, and an anti-obesity drug.

It's believed investigations by the club and ASADA will see the Bombers admit to not doing due diligence on the employment of staff, and "irregular practices".

Dank, who is at the centre of allegations about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in rugby league, made the latest claims in an interview with Fairfax Media.

The Herald Sun can reveal Hird had three stringent rules forming the basis of the supplement program:

THE players' welfare was the No.1 priority.

ALL supplements were to be ticked off by ASADA.

EVERYTHING was to be ticked off by the club doctor. It's understood the third rule was not always adhered to.

Dank continues to maintain none of the substances he gave players was in breach of the world anti-doping code or AFL rules.

"Before I've done anything in any forum, we have always had conversations with WADA or ASADA - or in some cases both," he said.

"They were always well informed of anything we were about to use. Nothing was ever used without asking them first and, in some cases, both parties were asked.

"Never once was anything indicated to me that we would have issues in terms of anything we used."

But he said Hird knew of the supplements program.

"Look, to be perfectly honest, a couple of coaches were using supplements that were a little bit outside the WADA code, but again they were entitled to (do) it, and nothing illegal in those."

Essendon have growing confidence players will be cleared of any link to performance-enhancing drugs.

The club's internal review into "irregular practices" is due in coming weeks.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Hird-Dank text boasts revealed

Dengan url

http://sportifoclube.blogspot.com/2013/04/hird-dank-text-boasts-revealed.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Hird-Dank text boasts revealed

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Hird-Dank text boasts revealed

sebagai sumbernya