One of the Australian Football League's oldest clubs, Essendon, has to answer charges that it's brought Australian Rules football into disrepute, after coach James Hird and three senior club officials were embroiled in a scandal around banned substances.
The AFL has decided to lay internal charges against several of the club's officials over the scandal - the charges are not criminal or civil.
It's the latest development in a saga that started earlier this year, when Essendon announced it was to be investigated by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority and the AFL.
The crisis surrounds last year's supplements program at the club.
Essendon has admitted it's made some mistakes with its controversial injecting program that sparked an ASADA investigation back in February, but the club insists it's done nothing wrong.
"We have maintained that no player has taken a performace-enhancing substance and there has been no breach of the AFL's anti-doping code."
Essendon Chairman Paul Little says the club will vigorously defend itself against AFL charges of bringing the game into disrepute.
The charges against Bombers' coach James Hird, his senior assistant Mark Thompson, football manager Danny Corcoran and club doctor Bruce Reid were announced by AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon.
"They are all charged with engaging in conduct that is unbecoming or likely to prejudice the interests of the Australian Football League or to bring the game of football into disrepute. I have reviewed the evidence, carefully considered the matter and have come to the view that the parties charged have a case to answer."
The doping violation relates to the anti-obesity drug AOD-9604.
Andrew Dillon stated that there did not appear to be any specific doping violation relating to that drug, or to any other banned substance, and as such he says no infraction notices will be issued under the AFL anti-doping code.
Coach James Hird says that's a fact he's maintained throughout the investigation.
"We don't believe we've done anything wrong along those lines, it's about our reputation, about a football club. About the greatest football club in Australia and we want to protect its name."
Hird says Essendon approached the AFL with concerns about its supplements program and has cooperated fully with the investigation.
However, Andrew Dillon says the ASADA and AFL investigations remain open and further charges could be laid.
At this stage, ASADA has not accused any players of doping offences, and Essendon veteran Dustin Fletcher says he doesn't expect any.
"Oh I suppose we know a few things that other people don't, yeah we were always pretty confident."
But host of NITV's Marngrook Footy Show, Grant Hansen, says the players should take some responsibility for the supplements scandal.
Hansen says it's hard to believe that a player would allow himself to be injected with a substance, without asking what it is.
"When you're in a club and you've got club doctors and legal experts around you saying it's legal and it's good for you, you tend to believe the people around you. These guys are footballers not doctors, but there has to be some sort of commonsense button in your head that says 'something doesn't seem right here I might have to get a second opinion or even a third opinion just to clarify that what I'm getting is legal and above-board,' but I think some of the players neglected to do that."
Hansen also says the investigation is likely to have long-lasting effects on the reputation of coach James Hird.
Hird debuted as coach for Essendon in 2011 after 15 years of playing for the club.
Hansen says the supplements scandal is one that Hird is unlikely to live down.
"His reputation will be tarnished for the rest of his days. There will always be that innuendo of how much did he know about the course of action that was taking out at Windy Hill under his coaching regime and that's something he'll have to live with for the rest of his life. There's always going to be doubts in people's minds because now there's going to be a court process and as we often know the smartest lawyers win the court case if you're guilty or not guilty."
He says the charges are also a blight on the career of assistant coach Mark Thompson, who took the Geelong football club to two premierships in 2007 and 2009, before returning to Essendon on the coaching team.
The four accused officials face suspension if the AFL Commission finds them guilty.
But until that time Bombers chairman Paul Little says the men will remain in their appointed positions.
"To do otherwise before these matters are finalised would be to effectively impose a penalty in advance of a fair hearing and represent a denial of natural justice."
The 16 time premiers are due to front a Commission hearing on August the 26th, just days before the finals start.
The club faces the prospect of crippling penalties, including stripping premiership points, taking away draft picks and issuing heavy fines.
