Essendon Scandal: James Hird Demands Measures to Ensure Impartial Hearing
With reputations tarnished along with the risk of losing a nation's trust, people who are associated with Essendon Football Club want nothing more than a swift resolution of the scandal brought about by the ASADA report.
While the matter is already set to be heard on Aug 26 by a Commission constituted by the AFL, the drama of ongoing developments cannot be ignored.
The Sydney Morning Herald, citing a Fairfax Media Report, indicated that James Hird, through his counsels, made demands to the AFL stating that: 1. The hearing of the Essendon supplement case must be open and public, not heard by the AFL Commission behind closed doors; 2. The hearing should not take place until at least two weeks after the AFL finals series; 3. An independent tribunal should be established to hear the case, in place of the AFL Commission. The AFL Commission, specifically the "conflicted" league chief executive Andrew Demetriou, should excuse itself from hearing the case.
He also indicated an ultimatum for the demand to be acted upon. Otherwise, he may resort to other remedies, such as, applying for an injunction with the Victorian Supreme Court to enjoin the Commission from hearing the case.
Impartiality or the lack thereof is Hird's main concern as the AFL Commissioners' inclination, particularly Demetriou who has publicly declared that he does not share the same view as Hird's, may work to the prejudice of the Hird's interest because they were furnished with and were able to scrutinise the ASADA interim report.
Hird claims his right to be heard was impaired because of the fact that he was deprived of the opportunity to object to certain allegations in the report. After his one-day interview with ASADA in April, he was never summoned again and the report was forwarded to the AFL on Aug 2.