Jezza wrote:http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/new-push-to-dump-james-hird-from-essendon-could-see-him-sacked-before-christmas/story-fni0fiyv-1227065167570
This was published two days ago in the Herald Sun but I think Hird's dead man walking!
Essendon would be crazy to appeal the decision of the Federal Court and their biggest mistake in all of this was re-signing the golden boy when he was banned for 12 months from the game last year in August. They should have cut their losses with him as soon as he was suspended rather than sticking by him because he's a revered club legend.
100% correct Jezza every legal opinion I've heard is they are at very long odds of having any success in an appeal.
So this leaves them with very few options in realality.
The players have come out through the AFLPA and said they won't deal under any circumstances. So there won't be a discount on any penalty. My belief is the players have been brain washed by Hird and Essendon that they did nothing wrong.
Well apparently ASADA don't agree at all and the soon to issued infraction notices will be the icing on this dung heap of a mess.
If the players continually walk this path they are on a very slippery slope.
Firstly the players need to prove unequivocally they didn't take any substance that was illicit. Secondly with Essendon admitting and been proven they don't know what the players were given the players have nil chance of being able to prove this.
Finally ASADA in the sharks case had similar evidence and stated that no player can definitely prove they weren't given any illicit substance hence the offer of reduced sentences and them being back dated.
Surely with the players not being able to absolutely prove they never received an illicit substance (especially after Jobe Watson admitted on national TV he had) they should be exploring all avenues to get the same style deal the sharks in the NRL got.
But no Hird and Little have the players believing they are completely safe which is a huge gamble on the players future.
I 100% believe the players never knowingly took any substance they believed to be illicit. They mistakingly followed the messiah down the path.
For Hird's part he wanted every advantage he could garner from pushing the boundaries with blind and reckless abandon and faith in Dank.
Now the only person who knows exactly what was given was Dank and he has remained completely silent. If he had absolute proof they never received any illicit substance he could easily produce the evidence and finalize this matter and at the same time clear his name.
As he has never produced evidence to dispelled these allegations and as refused to be interviewed one would assume he doesn't have any proof of the substances being legal.
So with this all said and done the players are gambling there careers on the basis of Hird's word and without any defining proof of there innocence.
I believe the players do believe they didn't cheat and that's fair but any fair minded legal opinion has said without definitive proof to the contrary they can't win.
As for the other elephant in the room Hird's coaching career.
There is 0% chance he can coach bummers next year. There is obviously a ego that has remained unchecked throughout his career and now that ego has risked the careers of any players just so he can feel justified in what he authorized.
His position is completely untenable as stated in many articles.
No wonder Essendon are desperate to keep bomber Thompson around they know full well once the players are issued with infraction notices and can't prove there complete innocence they will have to sack him.
He won't fall on his own sword his ego won't allow it. He won't admit there is the possibility that because of his negligence allowing Dank to completely run a systematically programmed peptide program that he failed the players at every turn.
Watsons admission on TV is enough to give credence to believe ASADA have the smoking gun or a suspicion that it exists. Now the players have been left to prove they didn't.
Good luck Essendon players I hope they all don't cop 2yrs out of this blind faith in Hird and the board.
