M/s Wilson,

RE: In AFL's scheme of things, Hird was not such a big deal, The Age
August 21, 2015
I am writing a book with a working title of The Taming of the Shrew. Disappointingly, my
publisher said some hack had already used that title. Essendon supporters have suggested I
call it The Shaming of the Shrew or The Shaming of the Truth, and I wondered whether
you thought they were acceptable alternatives.
Unfortunately, my attempts to help you, appear to have gone through to the keeper. It seems
only big defamation law suits from Hird and Dank are your last chance to see sense. Todays
article is so vile I have decided to only dissect the more obnoxious comments.
Item (Wilson) 1: League chiefs Mike Fitzpatrick and Gillon McLachlan sat flanked between
Rupert Murdoch and Kerry Stokes only hours after Hird, delusional until the end, had
declared his love for his club and his players and spoke not of his club's scandal but the
"ASADA scandal".
My Comment:
1. So there was Gillon sitting between Stokes and Murdoch. Of course he might have been
there to make sure they didnt biff each other since Stokes sued the pants off News
Limited over the demise of C7, a story which shows yet again the sort of shifty stuff that
K.R. Murdochs companies are renowned for. So Id have to say that much-married
Kerry and phone-hacking Rupert are not the sort of people my mum would have approved
me mixing with. I also suspect that the Hird home would be too classy to welcome either.
2. I think, in various ways over the years, the Fairfax Media have been at great pains to
point out many of the perceived wrong-doings of News Limited. To have you now
champion Rupert as a person you need to be seen sitting beside, well it means the Janus
Award has well and truly been won in 2015. I am sure you know about Janus but as some
of the kids and journeymen who work at your rag may not have heard of Janus, a little
enlightenment. Hes a figure in Roman mythology, the bloke they named January after.
He was also thought to represent time because he could see into the past with one face
and into the future with the other. Having two faces has also led to the invoking of his
name becoming an insult. If a person is a two-faced Janus, it means they are either a
hypocrite, a liar, a shifty, no good, dirty scoundrel. Or perhaps a journalist at The Age.
Item (Wilson) 2: Later, McLachlan said he had spent a total seven seconds thinking
about Hird that day.
My Comment:

Apart from being vile you are as dumb as xxxx xxxx. You are a sycophant, and no matter
the strength of the evidence, you wont accept that McLachlan can do wrong. It appears
McLachlan has a different version for each audience. He told you that he had spent a total of
seven seconds thinking about Hird. Lets not beat around the bush here. McLachlan was
implying that he couldnt give a shit about Hirds final destruction. However, according to
your stable mate (no pun intended) Claire Siracusa, McLachlan said: It comes as McLachlan
said he considered reaching out to Hird after he sensationally left his post as Bombers coach
yesterday, but admits he was conscious of how it may read. Ill be brutally honest here I
thought about (making contact) last night, he said on 3AW today. But I havent I was
conscious of how it might look. Hes had a very tough period and it was Id imagine a very
sad day for him yesterday. I feel for him, but I thought it could have been
misinterpreted. By definition, if McLachlan were brutally honest with 3AW he was bull
shitting you and treating you like a mushroom. And to think I never thought Id be envious of
McLachlan!
Item (Wilson) 3: Before the six-year, $2.5 billion announcement, journalists were told the
AFL would not be taking questions on Essendon and only Murdoch's worldwide lieutenant
Robert Thomson, a mentor to the disgraced coach and lifelong Bombers fan, had a
good word to say about Hird.
My Comment:
1. If Thompson thought it was an appropriate setting to comment, surely the AFL could
have taken advantage of the same opportunity.
2. Given, Hird has probably been the biggest continuous media story in our sporting history,
I am shocked that you werent able to find out when the AFL intended commenting on
Hirds sacking.
3. You have gone on and on like a hectoring fishwife about Hird being a disgraced coach
but I am unaware of you trying to make the case. You have never mentioned:
i.

The Essendon organisation structure and the fact that Hird was on a different
branch of the organisation structure from Paul Hamilton, Danny Corcoran, Dean
Robinson, Stephen Dank and Dr Reid.

ii.

Hirds job description.

iii.

Hirds responsibilities under the Victorian OH&S Act.

iv.

The Essendon board and the AFL commissioners responsibilities under the
Victorian OH&S Act and their responsibilities under the tripartite agreement
between the AFL, Essendon and each player.

v.

Hamilton notifying everyone by email on 2 February 2012 that he was in charge

of the supplements programme.

vi.

Dr Reid notifying the AFL on 19 October 2011 that Robinson had given the
players peptides and that he (Reid) had been marginalised. And the AFL did
nothing.

vii.

You were so sycophantic that on 17 July 2013 you published a fake story given to
you by the AFL where you claimed incorrectly that Clothier had warned Hird 713
days earlier (5 August 2011) that all peptides were banned.

viii.

That you were the beneficiary of more leaks than the MCG urinals on Boxing
Day.

ix.

The fact that David Evans and Ian Robson, and hence the board, agreed in May
2011 to pursue the sports science route in order to improve speed, strength, size,
and injury recovery time. If Evans and Robson had said no it would not have
happened.

x.

McLachlan decided before the first witness to the investigation was interviewed
that the commissioners, the Essendon board and players would be exonerated; and
that Essendon and Hird would be found guilty and penalised.

xi.

The conspiracy between the AFL, the federal government, ASADA, Evans and
the Essendon board he chaired, to not only fined Essendon and Hird guilty, but to
stop Essendon playing in the final series and to stop Hird coaching for a number
of months.

I could go on forever about facts you have refused to mention but I think you get
the picture.

Item (Wilson) 4: Now that he has gone after a disastrous on-field year and having extracted
another small fortune from the club Hird was paid for six seasons but coached for less
than four the club legend had another case in court on Friday.
My Comment:
1. You are too smug by half to suggest Hird didnt coach for four seasons.

2. Hird missed two seasons at the request / demand of the Essendon board and was entitled
to be paid for those two seasons because he was doing the board a favour as the board had
no grounds to sack him.
3. Are you really implying that if Fairfax terminated your contract two years early you
wouldnt seek payment for those two years? You are dumber than I thought you were.
4. I am not sure what Hirds court cases have to do with anything. I hope you are not
suggesting that Fairfax has never been involved in litigation.
Item (Wilson) 5: Hird has unsuccessfully sued the Australian Anti-Doping Authority and
lost a subsequent appeal. Now he is suing his insurance company and who knows who will be
next.
My Comment:
1. As stated above, what has Hirds litigation got to do with anything?
2. I suspect that there are millions of people hoping you are the next one to be sued.
Item (Wilson) 6: In fact the party Hird should be suing is the team who advised him
throughout this ugly business from the time he turned against his friend and president David
Evans and the AFL.
My Comment:
1. Stating that Hird should sue the team who advised him highlights what a grub you are.
You have no idea who advised Hird. You have no idea what advice Hird received. You
have no idea what advice Hird acted upon.
2. Stating emphatically that Hird turned against his friend David Evans is outrageous and
says a lot about your principles or lack of. Hird testified to ASADA on 16 April 2013
about what he claims Evans said after a conversation with Andrew Demetriou.
Amazingly, in his testimony Evans couldnt recall speaking to Demetriou or McLachlan
on 1 February 2013 or 4 February 2013. Even Demetriou recalled speaking to Evans on
many occasions on both days.
3. Hird lived in a world few media people understand, and decided to tell the truth. He
thought it was more important to tell the truth than to lie to protect Evans. You found that
unacceptable, which indicates what type of person you are.
4. Hird had nothing to gain by claiming Demetriou told Evans to self-report but had a lot to
lose. As soon as Hird testified to that effect, it negated any chance Essendon had of
obtaining discounts on penalties if found guilty.
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5. To make matters worse you attacked Hird for not changing his version of what happened
when he appeared before Justice Middleton. Its beyond my comprehension why your
editor didnt sack you on the spot for implying Hird should have lied under oath.
6. I have been around a lot longer than you and have worked for key officials in cricket and
rugby (in both Australia and South Africa); tennis and the Olympic movement and I cant
remember worse behaviour by an official than that by Evans:
i.

Evans represented the Essendon board at a meeting in Canberra on Saturday 9

February 2013 in which McLachlan not only decided to exonerate the AFL
commissioners; the Essendon board members; and, the Essendon players, but
decided to find Essendon and the support staff [namely Hird] guilty. No witnesses
had even been interviewed at that stage. Unconscionably, instead of declaring the
investigation corrupt, Evans supported the decision on behalf of the Essendon
board. You would have to go a long way to find a president and board that was
prepared to sacrifice an all-time great just to save themselves from scrutiny.

ii.

Time doesnt enable me to describe all Evanss transgressors on behalf of the

Essendon board. Inter alia, he tried to persuade Hird to resign; he agreed to Hird
being found guilty and being suspended; and he agreed to Essendon losing points
and being excluded from the final series.

iii.

And lets not forget that Evans agreed to Liz Lukins request to commission the
Switkowski Report. Unbelievably, the Terms of Reference didnt require
Switkowski to canvass the Essendon boards responsibilities nor the AFL
commissioners responsibilities. The report was a flawed joke, which was not
surprising given Switkowski wasnt qualified to undertake such an investigation.
The report was obviously an insurance policy for the AFL and Evans to bury Hird
in the unlikelihood the players werent found to have taken banned substances.

iv.

If commissioning a flawed report werent bad enough the Essendon board in

mind-blowing stupidity, gave the report to the AFL to use against the club and
Hird. I am advised that the members could have sued the board members for a
breach of their fiduciary duty. Hopefully, its not too late.

7. And you have the hide to slam Hird for turning against Evans. In my view, Evans and his
board should have been driven out of the country.
Item (Wilson) 7: It is difficult to think of worse public relations and legal support than that
delivered to Hird who could have shown leadership and ended so much of the bloodshed
more than two years ago.
My Comment:
5

1. It is impossible to comment on Hirds public relations campaign for three reasons:

i.

The media was beholden to the AFL through their various commercial
relationships, and consequently, acted as branch offices of the AFL. At least 10
million words were written against Essendon and Hird and only a handful were
written in support.

ii.

People of your ilk were continually leaked information, which caused Hird great
damage. No PR machine could counter yor venom and untruths.

iii.

As the Essendon board backed Evanss support for the AFL, Hird received little if
any support from the club.

2. You revel so much in trash talk you should cover the NBA.
3. Like Lady Macbeth you are fixated on spilt blood.
4. The ACC, the Gillard Government, the media, the AFL, ASADA and Evans and the
Essendon board are responsible for the bloodshed:
i.

The ACC and Ms Gillards ministers shouted their mouths off prematurely when
they only had information, not evidence

ii.

The sycophants Demetriou and McLachlan chose to ingratiate themselves with the
Gillard government and that required finding Hird guilty.

iii.

Evans was relieved that the AFL was prepared to ignore the Essendon boards
obligations, and the evidence suggests he threw in his and the boards lot with the
AFL and was prepared to sacrifice Hird.

iv.

Members of the media have rarely had the balls to take on the AFL in Melbourne
and were prepared to lie down on their backs and let McLachlan and Demetriou
tickle their tummies.

v.

If you had got your way the players would have pleaded guilty to being
administered banned substances. And that would have been a bloodbath because
they are not guilty. Its incomprehensible that you cry for the players yet you
wanted them to plead guilty to something they claim they didnt do.

vi.

ASADA had no idea what to do other than say Yes Sir No Sir to the AFL. It
knew if the AFL were happy the Prime Minister would be happy. Consequently,
ASADA embraced the anything goes policy.

Item (Wilson) 8: If only he had not put himself ahead of the club then and agreed to step
aside, admitting his gross errors of judgment and welfare against the players for whom he
proclaims to prioritise.
My Comment:
1. You have never attempted to put the case that Hird made gross errors of judgement. Its
time you put up or shut up. Please write a column that attempts to substantiate the errors
you claim Hird made.
2. As we speak, the players have been found not guilty of taking banned substances. Despite
millions of words having been written denigrating Hird, I doubt whether anyone could list
anything he did wrong when the Essendon organisation structure, Hirds job description
and the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act are taken into consideration.
3. Hird only made three major mistakes. He did recognise McLachlan as a Trojan Horse. He
capitulated to Liz Lukins demands in February 2013 and he capitulated to the AFL and
the Essendon boards bullying in August 2013. If Hird had been smart enough to know
that the AFL and the Essendon board had agreed on his guilt months before, he would
have defended the vexatious charge in August 2013 and would have been cleared.
Item (Wilson) 9: To think that so many directors, including Little and his deputy
Paul Brasher, remain at the club having ruled during the injecting program that began with
Hird's approval in late of 2011.
My Comment:
I agree all Evanss directors should have been kicked out. Inter alia, they failed to fulfil their
obligations under the Victorian OH&S Act and the tripartite AFL, Essendon and Player
agreements. Furthermore, the board conspired with the AFL to find Essendon and Hird
guilty. And to make matters worse the board agreed to Hird being suspended and Essendon
being prevented from playing in the final series.
Item (Wilson) 10: To think that Bruce Reid is still a key medico at the club.
Your disgusting attacks on Bruce Reid are contemptuous and beyond the pale. Its hard to
imagine that there has ever been a more malicious person in the media than you. Dr Reid did
everything possible to care for the players:
1. On the first day of the 2012 pre-season, 19 October 2011, Dr Reid self-reported the
club. He told the AFL that Essendon players had been given peptides without his
position. Dr Reid obviously spoke to the wrong person. He spoke to the AFLs
number 1 medico. If he had spoken to Brett Clothier, he, unlike Dr Harcourt, would
have done something because Clothier claimed he told Hird 75 days earlier (5 August
2011) that all peptides were WADA banned. Dr Reid also claimed he had been
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marginalised. Given Demetrious antagonism towards sport scientists, the AFL should
have ordered an immediate OH&S investigation of Essendon. The AFL did nothing. I
am sure if you polled everyone in Australia they would agree that Dr Reid reacted
perfectly and if the AFL had shown any care the whole saga would not have occurred.
2. Each time Dr Reid became aware of a transgression he acted instantly. His responses
were seemingly so appropriate the AFL withdrew all charges against him.
3. Instead of besmirching Dr Reid you should be attacking the AFL. The AFL believed
for 15 months that the Essendon players were taking dangerous banned substances
and yet, did nothing to stop them. If any of the players have health issues down the
track, you can bet the AFL commissioners will be named as defendants.
Item (Wilson) 11: Just how Little allowed Hird to stand over him and sign away a twoyear contract remains one of the great mysteries of this story.
My Comment:
1. In my university days psychologists used the Binet scale to measure and classify IQs.
0 25 were classified as idiots; 26 50 imbeciles; and, 51 to 70 as morons. If you
dont understand why Little extended Hirds contract then your IQ must fall within
one of those categories. As I have only communicated with Essendon supporters it
would be unfair of me to indicate, which category I thought you belonged.
2. Just one last time. Hird initiated action in the Supreme Court against the AFL.
Everyone knows the AFL commissioners, senior staff and the Essendon board
couldnt afford to appear in court because they would have been smashed. Hird had to
be persuaded at whatever cost to abandon his case. When the bullying and blackmail
failed the AFL had to offer a little sugar. As it transpires, it was the best deal in AFL
history. If the two-year extension hadnt been offered to Hird the commissioners,
McLachlan, Clothier, Dillon and the Essendon board would not have survived.
3. Ask someone to read Chip Le Grands book to you.
Item (Wilson) 12: The AFL might have failed to adequately handle the aftermath of
the drugs scandal but it washed its hands of Hird and the Essendon he represented long ago.
On Tuesday the removed coach attempted to imply there were more grenades to throw the
way of AFL chiefs but they were too consumed with their powerful newly signed media
partners to pay even scant attention.
My Comment:
1. I may have missed something. What do mean by drugs scandal? I was under the
impression that the players were found not guilty of taking a banned substance. There was
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no drug scandal at Essendon, only in the poison computers at News Limited, the Age and
the AFLs equivalent of Pravda.
2. To my knowledge, there were only three scandals. One, ASADA and the AFL ran a
corrupt investigation. Two, the media prostituted itself and not only ran shotgun for the
AFL but trashed its reputation irreparably by refusing to publish wrong-doings by
ASADA, the AFL and the Essendon board. Three, ASADA inflated and fabricated drug
taking so that idiots in the media would help the corrupt investigation. One example
should suffice. ASADA claimed Dank intended administering 1102 AOD-9604
injections. My spreadsheet indicates he administered 40 AOD-9604 injections.
Item (Wilson) 13: On Gillon McLachlan's biggest day since taking on the job, James
Hird finished up the steak knives.
My Comment:
I have never used the expression bitch in my life but after pouring through the dictionary I
couldnt find a more appropriate expression to describe you. Most of us know that steak
knives are thrown in as a useless add on to a significant purchase. Id be surprised if even
the ignorant Hird haters would stoop so low, and be so vile as to describe Hird in that way.
We can only hope that you get your just desserts. Sadly, it appears most of the editorially
staff at Fairfax are brain-dead so we cant rely on Fairfax Media for Karma.
Sadly, relying on the now equally AFL-compliant News Limited isnt going to do us any
good either. It is utterly dispiriting that instead of being a place for finding fair-minded
information, that Fairfax Media, as you so love to call yourselves, is just a PR arm of the
AFL.
Over the last 50 years I have known many brilliant sports writers, men and women of
independent mind, who wrote and said what they believed to be the truth in the most evenhanded way. The very idea of kow-towing to the governing bodies of whatever sport they
were covering was anathema to them.
The ones who are still with us would be devastated at the way Fairfax Media has covered this
story, merely repeating the words whispered to it from inside AFL House.
The ones who are no longer with us would be turning in their graves.
The truth is out there, but in 2015, as a once great newspaper thrashed in its death throes, you
wont find it in The Age.