WADA apparently wants its appeal against the AFL anti-doping tribunal’s Essendon verdict heard in Switzerland.

According to The Age, the world anti-doping authority is set to make the request partly because some members of the panel hearing the appeal will be from outside Australia.

The move would further infuriate Essendon and the AFL, who had hoped WADA would not go ahead with the challenge.

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Once the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) panel is appointed, all interested parties can make submissions on where the appeal is heard.

CAS has an Oceania office in Sydney.

Lawyers for the 34 current and past Essendon players involved in the appeal are certain to argue strongly that the hearing should take place in Australia.

WADA announced on May 12 that it would appeal against the AFL anti-doping tribunal’s verdicts, handed down on March 31.

The tribunal found in favour of the players, who were charged with taking the banned substance Thymosin Beta-4.

The charges stemmed from a joint AFL-ASADA investigation into Essendon’s controversial 2011-12 supplements regime.

ASADA decided against an appeal, but WADA decided to go ahead with the CAS action.

Essendon coach James Hird said the tribunal decision was comprehensive and the Bombers were shocked by WADA’s appeal.

It will be several months before the CAS hearing goes ahead.

The players, WADA and CAS each nominate a person to sit on the appeal panel.