Ex-Essendon coach James Hird has reaffirmed the innocence of the 34 players facing year-long suspensions for doping offences.
After saying he didn’t “want to talk about or go into areas of science which I don’t understand” because “it is not my specialty,” before saying “at certain times, I believe the protocols weren’t adhered to and that didn’t happen. That was very disappointing.”
James Hird on the 2012 sport #dopingscandal at @EssendonFC
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“If no-one can say for certain what they were injected with, how can 34 men be found guilty by [The Court of Arbitration for Sport]?
I’m not sure absolution will come… the main reason I’m here tonight is I don’t want history to see these players as drug cheats, because they’re not.
These players did not take drugs, and they did nothing wrong,”