David Evans remains Essendon chairman and AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou insists he did not tip off the Bombers about their doping crisis.
There is widespread speculation about a strained relationship between Evans and Essendon coach James Hird as the investigations into the club's 2012 supplements program continues.
In another day of drama surrounding Essendon, the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) also released a statement saying it had no evidence to suggest the club received advanced word that they were under investigation.
ACC chief executive John Lawler made a statement to Fairfax Media, saying: "The ACC does not have any information to support the assertion that representatives of the AFL failed to honour their written undertakings given to the ACC in accordance with the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002, to protect the content of the confidential briefing they received."
There had also been speculation that Evans might resign at a Thursday night club board meeting.
But he emerged from the meeting to say it was routine.
"I want to make this really clear - tonight was a regular and scheduled monthly board meeting," Evans said outside Essendon's Windy Hill headquarters.
"In relation to media reports late this afternoon, I am not standing down as chairman.
"The board did not ask me to explain my version of events."
Earlier on Thursday, Hird said he thought Demetriou had done nothing wrong by calling senior Essendon officials the day before the club went public with concerns its players may have used performance-enhancing substances.
Demetriou has acknowledged speaking to Bombers president David Evans on February 4, but says he didn't tip off Essendon as he didn't know which club was under investigation by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA).
Hird was at a meeting at Evans' home, along with Essendon's club doctor Bruce Reid, football boss Danny Corcoran and former CEO Ian Robson, when Evans took a phone call from Demetriou.
"Andrew made a call at some stage in that meeting and the contents of that call was discussed," Hird said.
"I was at the meeting, the phone call was made and the truth's been told to ASADA about what was said in that conversation, what we were told about the conversation."
Hird said he'd prefer that Bombers management responded to questions about whether they had been tipped off, but felt Demetriou hadn't done anything wrong.
Demetriou said he couldn't have tipped off Essendon because he didn't know which club was in ASADA's sights.
He said both the AFL and Essendon had been receiving calls from the media speculating about the use of supplements.
Demetriou said Evans was "disturbed" after his own investigations into the matter and the pair exchanged phone calls.
"He rang me to see if I knew any more and I said `I don't know any more David, I don't know who the club is'," Demetriou told radio station 3AW.
"I returned his phone call at 9pm that night ... and I said I'm not aware of the club.
"To say that I rang David Evans that night and said 'By the way David, I'm tipping you off that ASADA's about to investigate you' - it simply didn't happen because we weren't aware of it."
Conflicting versions of what was said in the February 4 call have been detailed to ASADA, News Limited's Herald Sun has reported.
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