AFL's behind-the-scenes tactics in Essendon punishment talks exposed Michael Warner and Mark Robinson
From: Herald Sun
December 03, 2013 9:00PMSECRET documents and a bombshell email have lifted the lid on behind-the-scenes inducements offered to Essendon and James Hird as the AFL worked frantically to pressure him to accept drugs scandal penalties.
The Herald Sun can reveal that days before the August 26-27 AFL Commission hearing was due to consider penalties, deals were being proposed by Australia's top government-appointed sports official, John Wylie.
A document emailed by Wylie to Essendon chairman Paul Little on the night of August 23 outlined potential settlement terms as the crisis threatened to spill into the Supreme Court.
Wylie, the Australian Sports Commission chairman, suggests: "Hird as senior coach takes responsibility for the inadequate governance and oversight within the club's football department that gave rise to this situation.
"It is however acknowledged …. to the best of the AFL's knowledge and belief, Hird did not promote or encourage an unethical environment within the club; Hird has not brought the game into disrepute.
"In the totality of the circumstances, the AFL will impose, and Hird will accept, a 12-month suspension from all coaching duties."
In a separate document presented to Hird on August 23, amid negotiations between Wylie and Little, the Essendon coach is offered "an outstanding career development opportunity" in return for dropping his legal action against the AFL.
Offers of "no player sanctions'' and "no double jeopardy'' despite an ASADA investigation are discussed.
Wylie said last night: "I was requested by both Paul Little and (AFL Commission chairman) Mike Fitzpatrick, in the first instance by Paul, to assist in communications between the AFL and Essendon at a time when direct communication between them was difficult."
League spokesman James Tonkin said last night: "Numerous discussions took place at different levels in a bid to resolve the matter as quickly and appropriately as possible."
An offer to allow Hird to receive a full salary while serving a 12-month ban was also discussed.
The document presented to the Essendon coach reads: "Charge of bringing game into disrepute dropped. 12 months suspension starting now.''
It states Hird could also keep his place in the AFL Hall of Fame and be "acknowledged by the AFL as a legend of the game".
In exchange for the offers, the document says Hird therefore "withdraws all legal action immediately".
A string of revelations to be published in the Herald Sun and The Australian over the coming days raises major perception issues surrounding the integrity and the outcome of both the drugs probe and the AFL Commission hearing.
AFL chief Andrew Demetriou said on August 7: "To suggest the AFL Commission and the people on the commission would somehow predetermine an outcome is offensive and just plain wrong."
Essendon chairman Paul Little says outgoing coach James Hird accepted the penalties for the good of the club.
It is not known if all AFL commissioners were aware of Wylie's involvement or of proposed inducements at the time they were asked to sign off on the final resolution against Essendon and its four officials on August 27.
Little last night confirmed the talks with Wylie. He said: ``John Wylie is a longstanding personal friend and we discussed possible strategies for settling the dispute.''
Hird is understood to have rebuffed the inducements put on the table on August 23, only to accept a 12-month suspension four days later under fierce pressure and fearing that he would be banished from the game and his club.
There were also discussions about sending Hird to Oxford University in England, where both Wylie and Fitzpatrick are Rhodes scholars.
Hird later independently applied to attend the exclusive Fontainebleau business school in France, passing an entrance exam in Singapore. He has just returned from his $120,000 MBA studies.
Sources have questioned why Wylie as chairman of the Sports Commission - which works with the Australian Sports and Anti-Doping Authority to fight drug cheating and which promotes integrity in sport - was drafted into pre-hearing bartering with the approval of AFL Commission chairman Fitzpatrick.
Proposed penalties for Mark Thompson, Bruce Reid and Danny Corcoran are also stated in correspondence, with Thompson cleared to coach again in 2014.
A club fine of $1.5 million and the deduction of 12 premiership points "so as to miss the finals" are also documented. The club was ultimately fined $2 million and relegated to ninth on the AFL ladder.
Hird and Fitzpatrick did not return questions from the Herald Sun.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/afls-behindthescenes-tactics-in-essendon-punishment-talks-exposed/story-fndv8gad-1226774538768#mm-breached
