Essendon Football Club hierarchy has responded to allegations from its former sports scientist Stephen Dank that senior coach James Hird injected a WADA-blacklisted drug.

Hird made the following statement:

“These claims are horrifying to me, and are being made by a person or people who appear determined to destroy my reputation.

"I have at all times fully adhered to, and promoted the WADA code and the AFL rules, and the code of ethics of the Essendon Football Club. I would never do anything to put the players of the Essendon Football Club or the club at risk.  As I said in February, I am shocked our club is facing this situation.

"I will make no further comment at this stage as I am committed to assisting the ASADA and AFL investigation.”

Chairman David Evans made the following statement:

“The allegations today are extremely serious and very distressing.

"The Board is aware of irregular practices, and that is why we self-reported to ASADA and to the AFL.

"The ASADA investigation commenced in early February, and we were advised by ASADA investigators that the club should not be doing our own investigation into the supplements program, but to leave the investigation and interviews with staff to ASADA. We have complied with that request and encouraged all our staff to cooperate with ASADA.

"In the interim, the Board has commissioned Ziggy Switkowsky to do a full review of our governance process, as well as commissioning independent medical and pharmacological advice as issues from 2012 become apparent.

"I want to repeat that these allegations are very serious, and we want the ASADA investigation and its outcomes to be done as quickly as possible to assist us in making decisions. On behalf of the Board I want to make it clear that if any person at our club has failed in their duty of care to the players then we will make the appropriate decisions on behalf of the Essendon Football Club.”