Essendon are not expected to sack any club officials in the wake of their internal investigation into irregular practices at the club last season.
James Hird and the Essendon Bombers are today expected to receive the key findings from the investigation into the club's alleged illegal practices. Source: Getty Images
Essendon chairman David Evans speaks to the media. Source: Herald Sun
ESSENDON chairman David Evans has apologised for a breakdown of controls that allowed an "arms race" in experimental drugs at the club.
The Bombers today released a report into "irregular practices" at the club during the 2012 supplements program that have resulted in investigations into the possible use of performance-enhancing drugs.
The report, prepared by former Telstra chief Ziggy Switkowski, slammed "the rapid diversification into exotic supplements, sharp increase in frequency of injections, the shift to treatment offsite in alternative medicine clinics, emergence of unfamiliar suppliers, marginalization of traditional medical staff etc (that) combine to create a disturbing picture of a pharmacologically experimental environment never adequately controlled or challenged or documented within the club in the period under review."
Evans said the club would now fiercely pursue a "zero tolerance" policy towards the use of supplements.
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While he could not detail all the substances used on players last season, Evans said pharmacalogical experts had been advising the club for the past three months "and we are getting more and more comfortable about the fact ... there was nothing banned that was given."
"I want to apologise to our players and their families, to our members and supporters, to the AFL community, about what has happened at Essendon," Evans said.
"I want people to focus on Dr Ziggy Switkowski's first recommendation and that is that the pioneering work of supplements should be left to the Australian sports commission.
"An arms race for the most sophisticated molecules must be prohibited.
"I am deeply sorry this has happned on my watch ... I will fight to ensure there is zero tolerance to risky procedures at our club."
Read the full text of the Essendon report here
Evans said sports scientist Stephen Dank, who was in charge of the supplement program, and conditioning coach Dean Robinson were not interviewed by Dr Switkowski.
No figures will lose their jobs as a result of the report, with Evans declaring he will stand for election again in November.
"I'm not promising anything, the club has been through a tumultuous time and changes will have to be made, but at the moment I'm standing by our people.
"Action and change will occur but it comes to the board when we have all the facts.
"One thing I will say about my position is the buck does stop with me, I am chairman of the board and this has happened under my watch."
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Evans revealed the club had dobbed itself into Medicare after external doctors placed a claim for blood tests on players.
He could not explain why a letter from club doctor Bruce Reid, written early last year and raising concerns about the supplements program, did not reach the club board.
"Bruce did write a letter and one of the confusing things here is we're confused as to where that letter went and clearly that letter didn't go where it should have and that goes to the heart of this report."
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Coach James Hird said this morning players were focused on this weekend's game and said he did not know what to expect.
"I am not sure, we will have to wait and see. It (the report) is due in the next few hours and we will wait and see then," he told reporters at Windy Hill.
Essendon coach James Hird watches his players at training. Picture: Jake Nowakowski Source: Herald Sun
Switkowski wouldn't comment yesterday on what percentage of the report would be revealed, nor what it would recommend.
But club great Tim Watson, the father of club captain Jobe, said no Bombers official would be told to resign.
"I don't think there's going to be recommendations for anyone to be sacked. I don't think there's going to be blood on the floor tomorrow post this meeting, if that's in fact when it takes place," Watson told Channel 7.
"I think this is about the governance, so what they're looking to do is make sure that any of the errors of judgment along the way in terms of their supplement program won't be made again."
The review of the club's governance, processes and supervision followed revelations the Bombers were embroiled in an Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigation into their supplements program run by sports scientist Stephen Dank.
Essendon players train at Windy Hill today. Picture: Jake Nowakowski Source: Herald Sun
The release of its findings comes as Dank continued to insist Essendon had nothing to fear.
Dank told Sydney-based media at the weekend that his correspondence with the World Anti-Doping Agency and ASADA proved he could use anti-obesity drug AOD-9604 on players because it did not contravene category S2, which lists specific substances.
But Dank was not drawn on the fact AOD-9604 was prohibited under category S0, which states substances not approved for human use are prohibited.
ASADA is this week expected to start interviewing Essendon players.
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Bombers sorry for drugs 'experiment'
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Bombers sorry for drugs 'experiment'
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