Essendon coach James Hird leaves his home before his meeting with investigators over claims players recieved banned injections. Picture: Nicole Garmston. Source: News Limited
JAMES Hird had his "day in court" yesterday. It will continue today before the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.
All behind closed doors for a very public scandal that has drained all the colour from the Bombers coach - a contrast to this time last season when Hird had the summer's longest-lasting tan.
It is a contrast to a saga that has been played out in the public arena since February when the Essendon Football Club was forced to confess its concerns to the AFL before the media exposed the bizarre workings of the Bombers' fitness program under biochemist Stephen Dank. The drug saga that has engulfed Essendon - and its "golden boy" coach - will drag on until at least late July when ASADA will have more evidence from samples sent to Germany for testing.
This is part of three investigations: the ASADA inquiry prompted by the Australian Crime Commission report on Australian sport; former Telstra boss Ziggy Switkowski's internal report for the Essendon board and the AFL's audit of the Bombers.
And then there is the court of public opinion, the one that is confused and more intent on shooting the messenger than questioning Hird.
Such is the status of the Brownlow Medallist that - at a time when Australian football is being repeatedly stained by its heroes proving they are as morally troubled as anyone else in society - too many still want Hird to walk away from this saga untouched.
The daggers are pointed at AFL boss Andrew Demetriou for being so unsupportive of Hird.
But Demetriou - who firmly insisted there was no such thing as tanking in the AFL - has learned from the Melbourne episode to protect the game rather than individuals.
The vitriol is directed to a media that since November has been questioning Essendon's bizarre practices - and inexcusable decision to ignore the warnings and concerns of its club doctor Bruce Reid.
The cynicism is aimed at the Federal Government for putting the ACC report on Australian sport on public show as a political stunt.
Yet, the evidence that is emerging - and is still to come - suggests the initial pain from having so many sports tainted for a day is a small price to pay to protect Australian sport from drugs and corruption.
The text messages between Dank, Hird and Essendon assistant coaches, former Crows Simon Goodwin and James Byrne, may lack context and may be loaded with double meanings. But they are alarming. More so when they are met with silence rather than explanations from Hird, Goodwin and Byrne.
Certainly Hird has not been short of opportunity to put his case before a confused public.
It is reminiscent of the Adelaide Football Club promising to tell all of the Kurt Tippett saga after the AFL investigation. There are still many unanswered questions from that story.
This morning many will still be in the dark on what Hird and Essendon have done. And the majority will still see Hird's halo shining in the murkiness of Windy Hill.
Mike Rann made that mistake with Lance Armstrong.
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