Mr Bruce Francis, a former Test cricketer who has been campaigning for the Essendon players to be exonerated, responded to an opinion article written by Andrew Webster, Chief Sports Writer, Sydney Morning Herald dated May 27, 2022.

"Dear Andrew

My assessment is that you take the high morale ground more than any other journalist. Therefore, I was shocked that you denigrated James Hird today from a position of complete ignorance.

You know nothing about the Essendon saga. In contrast, I have about 30,000 pages in my files. I have spent over 20,000 hours on the saga and written about two million words.

Inter alia, I have gleaned:

For some inexplicable reason, Hird and his three assistant coaches were on a different branch of the organisation chart from the football department.
 

Although Hird had no power to interfere in the football department, on three occasions, he said in writing that all substances had to be WADA permitted; Dr Reid had to approve their use; the players were free to opt in or out of the programme; and if there were any evidence in the world that a substance had caused harm, it couldn’t be used.
 

According to my interpretation of the Victorian Occupation, Health and Safety Act, at least 30 people at the AFL and Essendon had more responsibility than Hird for the health and safety of the players.
 

On 2 February 2012, head of the Football Department Paul Hamilton sent an email to all relevant staff stating that everything to do with the supplementation programme had to come across his desk.
 

In the evidence, ASADA corruptly changed the word Thymosin to Thymosin Beta 4 on 18 occasions. As you would know, tampering with evidence carries up to a ten-year custodial sentence
 

The lead ASADA investigator tabled evidence that there was no evidence either Stephen Dank or Essendon ever took possession of Thymosin Beta-4.
 

Compounding pharmacist Nima Alavi, who was antagonistic towards Dank, gave ASADA access to all his purchases and sales records. There was no record of Alavi supplying Dank with any variety of Thymosin in 2011 or 2012. Res ipsa loquitur, if Dank didn’t take possession of Thymosin or Thymosin Beta-4, he could not have administered it to the players.
 

Your smart arsed comment that Hird wouldn’t be wanted because people said he couldn’t coach (he had a 48% coaching record over four years) had no validity without names of the critics. Relying on Hird’s 2015 record to besmirch him was ridiculous. They lost players and were banned from the draft.

As it transpires, Hird’s record for the first three years of his coaching was superior to super coaches Alastair Clarkson and Mark Thompson – despite those two having had the benefit of years as assistant coaches.

In his first three years, Hird secured 36 and a half wins and made the eight twice. Thompson secured 32 and a half wins and made the eight once. Clarkson secured 27 wins and made the eight once.

Andrew, Hird probably won’t get a head coaching job – not because he can’t coach, but because ignorant people such as you denigrate him.

Regards

Bruce Francis"

Justice for the 34 renews its call for an Independent inquiry into anti-doping with wide ranging terms of reference which allow all sporting bodies, all athletes, and all interested parties to make representations.
This is in the national interest, and it will help all athletes, not just the Essendon 34.
Please support our petition, facebook page "Justice for the 34" and an independent inquiry to sort this mess out.

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