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James Hird’s two years of crisis

JAMES HIRD’S TWO YEARS OF HELL

2013

* 5 February – The Essendon Football Club self-report to ASADA.

* 27 February – Essendon announce an independent review to be conducted by Ziggy Switkowski.

* 16 April – James Hird is interviewed by ASADA and AFL investigators for eight hours.

* 6 May – The independent review into Essendon’s alleged use of prohibited substances is released to the public. Report concludes that the Bombers’ sports science program allowed “a pharmacologically experimental environment never adequately controlled or challenged or documented.

* 23 May – Ian Robson stands down as CEO of the Essendon Football Club.

* 27 July – David Evans stands down as Chairman of the Essendon Football Club.

* 31 July – Sacked high performance manager Dean ‘The Weapon’ Robinson accuses Hird of masterminding the club’s supplements program in 2012.

* 2 August – ASADA releases its interim report into Essendon’s supplements program to the AFL.

* 13 August – The AFL charge Essendon, Hird, club doctor Bruce Reid, senior assistant coach Mark Thompson and football operations manager Danny Corcoran with conduct likely to bring the game into disrepute.

* 22 August – Hird lodges an action with the Supreme Court of Victoria, saying that he has been denied natural justice.

* 26-27 August – Talks between the AFL and the accused parties at AFL House go for close to two full days. Bombers are eventually disqualified from 2013 finals series, fined $2 million and stripped of first and second round draft picks in the 2013 and 2014 AFL Drafts. Hird cops a 12-month ban.

* 5 December – Reports emerge that Hird is still being paid by Essendon during his ban. AFL chief Andrew Demetriou says “If there is one thing I will go to my grave on, I know 100 per cent the AFL is not paying and I know that – Essendon is not paying.”

* 13 December – AFL demand Essendon to explain why they are still paying Hird. Stalemate is resolved with an agreement in place where Hird will be paid 12 months’ salary before December 31. James Hird deal leaves AFL red-faced.

2014

* 18 March – Hird speaks of his desire to return to coaching.

* 20 March – Hird’s wife Tania repeats her allegations that Demetriou tipped off Essendon about the supplements program in an TV interview.

* 21 March – Little disappointed with Tania’s interview and for the first time doesn’t publicly back Hird.

* 23 March – Essendon refuse to guarantee suspended coach Hird will serve out his contract until the end of the 2016 AFL season.

* 25 March – Mark Thompson says Hird will return as head coach of Essendon.

* 13 June – Hird launches his own legal action against ASADA on same day the Bombers do.

* 25 August – Hird returns to Essendon after his ban ends.

* 19 September – Justice John Middleton comprehensively ruled against the Bombers and coach Hird, who had challenged the legality of last year’s joint AFL-ASADA investigation.

* 1 October – Essendon players and officials unable to convince Hird he should not appeal Federal Court ruling

* 1 October – Hird not at Bombers awards night, Thompson says in speech he would love to stay.

* 2 October – Hird confirms he will appeal Federal Court verdict, saying he is “extremely sorry for the pain this saga has caused the players of the Essendon Football Club, their families, the Essendon Football Club staff, the Essendon Football Club supporters and the football industry as a whole”.

* 2 October – The Essendon board stop short of sacking Hird for continuing with legal action, deciding instead to reconvene in the coming days to consider his position.

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