James Hird has laid bare the fallout from the Essendon supplements scandal, saying the AFL club did not support himself and fellow coach Mark Thompson.
Hird said he met with Thompson on Wednesday, a day after his former Essendon teammate and fellow coach was charged with drug offences, including trafficking and possession.
The AFL suspended Hird for 12 months because of the disastrous supplements program at the club.
Thompson was caretaker coach in 2014 as Hird served his suspension.
Hird returned, but quit the role towards the end of the 2015 season.
Thompson, a two-time premiership coach at Geelong, and Hird are Essendon premiership captains.
They no longer have any direct involvement with the AFL.
Speaking on the "Crawf and Hirdy" podcast, Hird said himself, Thompson, football boss Danny Corcoran and club doctor Bruce Reid received little support at the height of the scandal
"They weren't (offering any support). The people inside the club at the time were not about supporting emotionally the people who were going through those times," Hird said.
"The president left, we had three CEOs in the space of six months, we had HR people go.
"It was really us -- myself, 'Bomber', Danny Corcoran, Bruce Reid and some other staff. We weren't equipped to deal with it.
"Hopefully, we got the players through, but 'Bomber' and myself, we didn't get through, and I know Danny has had his (tough) times as well."
Hird took an overdose of sleeping pills early last year as he struggled with depression.
He said Thompson is determined to work through his problems.
"He's pretty determined to obviously get himself in a good place again and good on him for that," Hird said.
"My issues have been well documented and now he is going through something that, hopefully, he can get through and that it doesn't go any further.
"We all thought he had a problem in that area, personally, but no one thought that it was any more than that.
"From Bomber's point of view, there is only one person who can turn his life around. A lot of people are there to help him ... but he also needs to take some responsibility himself and say: 'I am going to get myself right'."
The scandal led to 34 current and former Essendon players being suspended for anti-doping offences.
Hird was coach and Thompson was one of his assistants at the time of Essendon's supplements program.
The AFL also fined Thompson $30,000 as part of the league's raft of punishments for the supplements program.
Just over a year ago, Thompson spoke of his ongoing bitterness about the scandal and its aftermath.
"It just sits in my guts and churns and it still does and it's going to probably end up killing me because I can't let it go," he said.
"People tell me I've got to let it go, but I can't."
Australian readers seeking support and information about depression can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Share
