Essendon coach James Hird could be banned by the AFL if found guilty using a banned substance. Picture: Daniel Wilkins Source: PerthNow
ESSENDON could be hit with massive fines, the suspension of key officials and even the loss of draft picks as the AFL becomes increasingly likely to charge the club with bringing the game into disrepute.
And while experts confirmed yesterday the AFL's own anti-drug code cannot ban James Hird for using performance-enhancing drugs, the league can still punish him through other rules.
Its code of conduct has unlimited powers to sanction players, coaches and officials for conduct unbecoming -- which likely would include the use of banned drugs by an AFL coach.
Essendon's continuing controversy over its supplements program deepened yesterday when AFL chief Andrew Demetriou revealed yet more bombshells to come under the AFL's joint investigation with anti-doping body ASADA.
In effect, he acknowledged it was possible Hird took the WADA-banned drug Hexarelin, despite Hird's ardent denials.
American prosecutors who have taken down Marion Jones and Lance Armstrong have confirmed that, despite coaches being mentioned in the AFL's anti-doping code, that reference is to the administering of substances to players by coaches. It does not cover coaches using the substances themselves.
But the AFL can sanction Hird for his personal use under its code of conduct, if not the strict parameters of the anti-doping policy.
The AFL confirmed yesterday those sanctions -- fines, suspension and even the loss of draft selections -- were all available at the AFL Commission's discretion.
First the AFL is likely to watch Essendon's response to the imminent release of former Telstra boss Ziggy Switkowski's internal report, and consider the club's own sanctions for "irregular practices".
Through its investigation with ASADA, the AFL's integrity unit has access to Essendon's investigation into possible performance-enhancing drug use.
Demetriou is regularly briefed by his integrity team on developments, so his comments that there were more issues to be unearthed would have sent a chill down the spine of Essendon officials.
"You can't help but be disappointed as you find out more and understand more of what was going on," Demetriou said.
"You would appreciate I have briefings which are probably more advanced than what is in the public domain. There are other things which are still yet to be determined, more substantive things about people and individuals.
"All of it is disappointing because young people being subjected to injections of the nature that has been disclosed is horrifying."
Demetriou confirmed Hird's alleged personal use of non-WADA compliant drugs was not governed by AFL rules, but it does not mean the AFL cannot act with its own sanctions over and above the drugs code.
"The AFL and the commission will have a view on whether people or individuals or the club need to be held accountable," he said.
"We will wait until we get the final report from ASADA, unless I would be speculating.
"(Essendon) are going to give (the Switkowski report) to the AFL and if it is proven that people abrogated (their) responsibility and duty of care, they will be held accountable."
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