Ban disastrous for Hird: Thompson

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ESSENDON senior assistant Mark Thompson says it would be "disastrous" for James Hird's to be suspended for 12 months.

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Thompson spoke on FOX FOOTY'S AFL 360 soon after he, Hird, Danny Corcoran and club doctor Bruce Reid left AFL House after a day of intense negotiations.

"He's a young coach who is learning his way and he didn't deliberately set out to do anything wrong," Thompson said on AFL 360 following prolonged negotiations at AFL headquarters today.

"I would think that if the AFL knocked him out for 12 months he would struggle to want to get back.

"I call it the perfect storm because everybody has had some responsibility to it... not too many have more (responsibility) than others.

"It was a lot of people who probably made the wrong choices based on the current rules that are in place."

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Thompson refused to rule out walking away from the game.

"Anything's open... right here, right now is that I've been charged for being a drug cheat - and I'm not.

"I'm fighting for my reputation, my integrity and I want to clear my name."

But Thompson conceded he was ready to plead guilty as long as the AFL withdraw aspects of the charges laid against him.

"There was 80 per cent of it (charge sheet) that I want to fight...so unless it really gets serious and reflective of what I'm responsible for them we're going (legal action).

"We're trying to scrub as many off as we can, to be responsible and to be charged for what we think we are responsible for - what is fair in our eyes.

Negotiations involving Thompson, Essendon, coach James Hird, club doctor Bruce Reid and football manager Danny Corcoran would continue on Tuesday.

Essendon chairman Paul Little spoke on Saturday night of a middle ground, which meant that the AFL was prepared to drop the focus on drug cheating and instead hit the Dons with governance charges.

While the sanctions are unprecedented, attention will quickly turn to who fills the coaching void.

Thompson would be available given he will only be fined but has made it known he is not interested in a senior coaching position.

Former Bombers stars Mark Harvey and Neale Daniher have been linked to the club but a one-year secondment would not appeal if Hird was definitely returning.

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