Dear Patrick

RE: Mark McVeigh still confused on Hird attendance 4 April 2015

Item (Smith) 1: Of course, it is Easter but former Essendon hard nugget Mark McVeigh
must think it is Christmas. He has been delivered a present that he has been wishing for since
2012. Dear Santa ...
My Comment:
I dont know what season McVeigh thinks it is but I do know all my Christmases and Easters
have come at once. I have no doubt I am about to drive the last nail into your coffin. And if
your editor has any respect for his readers and the profession, you wont be getting out
tomorrow.
Item (Smith) 2: McVeigh, now an assistant coach with GWS, has long been confused about
just which players or officials were at the pivotal February 8 meeting three years ago where
the crude peptide consent forms were distributed among the clubs playing list.
My Comment:
1. Page 138 of ASADAs interim Report says:

McVeigh like the

majority of players [my emphasis] interviewed was unsure of which

coaches,

if any [my emphasis], were present during the presentation. ASADAs

statement was based upon McVeighs testimony, which one would assume was the
most accurate.

2. As ASADA did not quote one player naming any coaches being present, I suggest
ASADA would have been more accurate, and more honest, to say, McVeigh, like
ALL players, was unsure if any coaches were present.
Item (Smith) 3: The findings of the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal will now put McVeighs
mind to rest and stop the sleepless nights as he scans and X-rays his memory for the slightest
clue as to which club officials discussed the controversial consent forms. You will remember
there had remained until now bewildering confusion about which senior officials were
present at the crucial meeting when concerned Essendon footballers were told what peptide
and injection program lay ahead of them under the pairing of performance managers
Stephen Dank and Dean Robinson, who liked to be called The Weapon. It would be these
peptides that would kick off the ASADA inquiry before specifically settling on Thymosin Beta4.

My Comment:
It is disingenuous for you to claim You will remember there had remained until now
bewildering confusion about which senior officials were present at the crucial meeting.
There was no confusion. No single player could recall an official besides Robinson and Dank
being present at the meeting. Robinson claims Hird attended the meeting but he made so
many negative unsubstantiated allegations against Hird his claim was dismissed by ASADA.
Page 139 of the interim report says: Although most players recall Robinson and Dank being
present at the briefing, Hirds attendance has not been established with any degree of
certainty.
Item (Smith) 4: More than two years later, the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal would find the
players did not receive the banned form of Thymosin.
My Comment:
Congratulations, you got something right.
Item (Smith) 5: So which Essendon officials did convince 34 Bomber footballers to sign the
forms that would see them become participants in a dangerous medical experiment?
My Comment:
This is gutter journalism. Your question is the same as asking someone if he had stopped
beating his wife. First, I am unaware anyone had established that the players were
participants in a dangerous medical experiment? I was under the impression none of the
substances was banned. Second, it is irrelevant who convinced the players to sign because all
four substances werent banned. As you would know, but have conveniently forgotten, the
interim report names two players who helped persuade the other players to sign.
Item (Smith) 6: We got our first peek of what Essendon were concocting under Dank and
Robinson when former Essendon player Kyle Reimers told Melbourne media in early 2013
the players were briefed that the program of drugs and peptides was was right on the
borderline (of being legal).
My Comment:
My understanding is the four substances discussed with the players were ASADA permitted.
I cant fathom how that is border line. If you are doing 59kph in a 60kph zone it is legal. If
you are doing 61kph it is illegal.
Item (Smith) 7: When this broke, it appeared that McVeigh, a veteran Essendon defender
and good mate of coach James Hird, was sent out as the clubs first responder.

My Comment:
This is the sort of unsubstantiated garbage McDevitt took to the tribunal. Appeared to
whom? Sent out by whom? Ive told you a hundred times you and Carowhine Wilson dont
count. At least the Age uses an unnamed source when making such fanciful allegations. You
used nothing to substantiate your nonsense.
Item (Smith) 8: So quickly did McVeigh rally to the cause he might not have been properly
instructed.
My Comment:
Instructed by whom? You should have shared your incredible forensic work with your
readers.
Item (Smith) 9: I knew 100 per cent that it was within the WADA and the AFL doping
regulations, McVeigh said on Melbourne radio. Players got (consent and confidentiality)
forms in front of the doctors Dr Bruce Reid who has been at the club for 30 years, coaches
and everyone knew that this had been ticked off. The doctor had told us it was fine, we
trust (him) with everything, and James Hird, who we trust, we signed it, then that would give
them consent (for us) to be able to have these tablets. That response by McVeigh would
clearly indicate Hird and Reid were at the meeting. Though not specifically stated by
McVeigh, Dank and Robinson would have had to be at the meeting as well.
My Comment:
1. Your statement That response by McVeigh would clearly indicate Hird and Reid
were at the meeting is nonsense. Page 138 of ASADAs interim Report says:

McVeigh like the majority of players

interviewed was unsure of which coaches,

[my emphasis]

if any [my emphasis], were present

during the presentation. ASADAs statement was based upon McVeighs testimony. I
suspect McVeighs memory was better in May 2013 than March 2015.

2. Dr Reid testified that he didnt consent to Thymosin, Colostrum and Tribulus being
administered, so McVeighs memory is not perfect.
3. According to ASADA, From the evidence given by players a number of general
themes have been identified, namely

Dank and Robinson addressed the meeting

A powerpoint presentation was delivered by Dank

The players were assured the propose supplements were approved by

WADA/ASADA

The players were provided with the informed consent forms during the
meeting, and the majority signed the forms at the time based on the
information communicated during the meeting

The less senior players felt under an obligation to sign up to the program even
though it was described as optional

Item (Smith) 10: McVeigh would dispute the presence of Hird and Reid at the meeting
months later when he appeared on a Seven Network panel which discussed revelations by
Robinson. Essendon had sacked the high-performance chief in February of that year. By now
McVeigh was emphatic that neither Hird nor Reid was present at this meeting in which the
Essendon supplements regime was described to the players for the first time. He said he
thought Reid might have been at his private practice away from the club. He said nothing
about Hirds whereabouts.
My Comment:
1. At the time of writing the interim report, ASADA accepted that neither Hird nor Dr
Reid were at the meeting. You have absolutely no proof to the contrary but you were
so determined to make a fool of yourself you claim they were.
2. ASADA interviewed the 45 players, Hird and Dr Reid, and none claimed Hird and
Reid were there. But you listened to McVeigh on Melbourne radio over two years
later and deduced that they were there. Good one Pat.
Item (Smith) 11: When The Weekend Australian sought clarity from the club about which
officials were at the meeting, so critical to determining the extent of knowledge Hird and Reid
might have had of the program, Essendon closed down. The club has provided and
disclosed all relevant information regarding the 2012 season to ASADA and the AFL as part
of their investigation. Until the findings are handed down, the club is not in a position to
comment any further, a club spokesman said. And that was that for the club.
My Comment:
Why the club ever talks to you, Carowhine and McLachlan is beyond my comprehension.
Did you ever think it may have been more fruitful to ask the 45 players who attended the
meeting whether Hird and Reid were there? Why ask officials, who dislike you, and werent
there?
Item (Smith) 12: If Hird and Reid were not at the drug briefing then it would be easier for
Essendon to paint Dank and Robinson as rogue operators. But if Reid and Hird were at the
meeting as McVeigh initially contended then it puts the club coach and doctor with
first-hand knowledge of the supplements program.

My Comment:
1. Hird and Reid werent at the meeting, so it is kind of you, after denigrating Hird and
Reid for two years, to imply not only were you a pompous fool, but that you had
breached News and the press councils codes many times.
2. I may have missed something here. For over two years you and Carowhine have
written that the Essendon players were administered dangerous, banned supplements.
The tribunal ruled you were wrong. I thought that was the main story of the week or
last two years, not whether Hird and Reid knew about the legal supplement program.
3. As it transpires, Hird believed Dr Reid had consented to the players receiving AOD9604, Colostrum, Thymosin and Tribulus. On that basis there was nothing sinister
about Hird knowing. Hird was unaware that players were administered substances
which Reid hadnt consented to.
Item (Smith) 13: The Weekend Australian has a copy of the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunals
findings and they point directly to Hird being at the meeting in February where the consent
forms were discussed.
My Comment:
1. I am surprised you would boast about having a document which is tantamount to a
stolen document. My understanding is all 34 players had to agree to the document
becoming public before you were entitled to see a copy.
2. Dr Peter Brady, aka Mike Fitzpatrick, hasnt given a stuff over leaked documents
during this whole process so you may not be required to spend a stint in the slammer.
Shame.
3. I am tired of saying this but I should be surprised if many people trust what you and
Carowhine write. Its not enough to say the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunals findings
and they point directly to Hird being at the meeting in February. You are required to
quote directly from the report before most people will believe you.
4. If the report did say what you claim, ASADA must have presented untrue information
or the tribunal made a mistake with respect to this issue.
Item (Smith)14: One player told the ASADA investigators that he could remember Hird
telling the meeting that the new regime would be pushing the boundaries but it would be
completely legal and state of the art. The tribunal accepted that Reid was not present at the
meeting. The findings also identify that Hird, Robinson and Dank addressed the February
meeting. Hird continues to deny he was present.
My Comment:
1. The only quote in the interim report in which the term pushing the boundaries was
used was by Benita Lalor, who said (on page 84): In addition, Lalor recalled another

occasion when Robinson indicated his intention of pushing the boundaries in

respect to the supplementation program.
2. My copy of the interim report doesnt mention the term state of the art. As you
obviously have a different copy from mine, would you please publish the quote and
page number it appears on?
3. If a player had made this comment to ASADA, ASADA would have accepted Hird
attended the 8 February 2012 meeting. But ASADA doesnt accept he did. ASADA
said Hirds attendance has not been established with any degree of certainty.
Item (Smith) 15: The findings also demonstrate that McVeigh was one of the senior players
who, less than a month before the players were asked to sign consent forms, had forcefully
sought assurances from Hird, Robinson and Dank about the appropriateness of the injection
program. Thus the consent forms. So in reality McVeigh must consider this Easter and not
Christmas. No better time to feel a bunny than now.
My Comment:
I dont understand the relevance of this comment. It doesnt throw any light on whether Hird
attended the 8 February 2012 meeting. It doesnt throw any light on whether the players were
administered Thymosin Beta-4. Concerns were formally raised by players during a
Leadership Group meeting on 16 January 2012. According to the minutes, the meeting was
attended by Hird, Performance Psychologist Mr Jonah Oliver and several senior players: Jobe
Watson, Heath Hocking, Michael Hurley, Brent Stanton, Mark McVeigh and David
Zaharakis.
Recorded in the minutes under the heading Supplements were the following comments:
Summary of Discussion
Some players concerned that they are not sufficiently informed about the nature of the
supplements being offered
Conclusion:
Consensus that greater information is required to enable true informed consent to be
obtained.
Action items:
Follow up with Steve Danks (sic)

Jonah Oliver recalled the circumstances of this meeting as follows:

6

I met with the [leadership group] on 16 January 2012 and, amongst other topics, a
couple of players [predominantly raised by Mark McVeigh] said they would love to
obtain some greater clarity around the scope of what supplements were being offered
because, you know, [Dank] how can I put this very charismatic, speaks a lot, had a
lot of terminology, and I had concerns as well that some of the language probably
wasnt at a level that the players could truly have informed consent. So I spent about
10 minutes at the leadership meeting talking about the difference between consent and
informed consent because the players, actually, you know, were trusting that were all
professionals doing our job and understand ASADA and there was no concern around
that. It was more, Look, were fine. We know that, you know, hes meant to be an
expert in that area but we, sort of, just dont really know whats being offered. I spent
about 10 minutes talking about the difference between consent and informed consent
because the players were trusting that were all professionals doing our job and
understand ASADA and there was no concern around that. It was more, Look, were
fine. We know that, you know, hes meant to be an expert in that area but we, sort of,
just dont really know whats being offered.
From the interviews conducted with the leadership group, it seems that the person who was
most concerned was Mark McVeigh:
McVeigh: I was probably one of the ones that asked for [the meeting]. I think round
when the supplements started arriving and players were starting to get administered
stuff, my I suppose I had a bit of a funny heeling that players locker room
discussion was, gee, I hope this is okay, and my ears pricked up, and I was
concerned straight away. I took myself back as a 17-year-old kid and thought, would
I just take this, or as a kid, and if Jobe Watson was taking it, because I see him do
it, or whatever it was, and I just thought, Nah, Im going to jump on this. So I spoke
to Jobe [Watson] and we went up and we asked Jonah [Oliver] to come and take the
minutes and said, [James] Hird, I reckon its important that we have a
presentation, that (1) clearly defines what were taking; (2) [confirms that] its
approved by ASADA and WADA and that everythings above board, and the reasons
why you might be given a supplement, And [James Hird] said, Yes, thats very
important; lets get that done. That was done within two days, and a presentation
was provided to us in the auditorium. And thats when the discussion of the consent
forms were discussed in that meeting.

Patrick, I have never understood why you think you and your journo mates are entitled to
moralise about someone elses ethics. The last time I saw some research on the subject,
journalists were only above ladies of the night; second hand car dealers and politicians on the
job respect totem pole. There is no doubt that after the Essendon saga, as Ward Pally Austin
used to say, journalists are at the bottom with a bullet.

Bruce Francis
4 April 2015
Cc The media & blogs