Performance boss teetered on the brink

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Former Essendon high performance manager Dean Robinson told Channel 7 Bombers coach James Hird had been the driving force in the supplements program. Picture: Channel 7 Source:Supplied

FORMER Essendon high performance manager Dean Robinson says he considered harming himself in the wake of the drug scandal that has engulfed the club.

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Robinson said only the thought of his family had kept him alive.

Dean Robinson and James Hird. Source: Supplied

"There are days when I couldn't sleep, there are days where, numerous days where I thought about suicide," he told Channel 7.

"It's only been in those moments that I've seen my kids, my wife and my family and I've gone 'if I leave them, who is going to look after them?'."

Robinson, who resigned last Friday and was stood down by the club in February when an investigation into the supplements program was launched, said coach James Hird had been the driving force in the program and the club administration - including former chief executive Ian Robson - was fully aware what was going on.

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In the paid interview, Robinson also claimed:

HIRD had asked him to investigate a cream he believed to be a banned testosterone;

FORMER Essendon sports scientist Stephen Dank injected Hird up to 30 times with Hexarelin, a drug banned for players but not coaches;

"I can confirm that my lawyers have spoken with Steve Dank and he said that he did inject James Hird with Hexarelin on up to 30 occasions," he said.

An Essendon spokesman said the Hexarelin allegation was "an outrageous claim and will be legally challenged."

DANK had kept supplement invoices to himself and refused to say what amino acids he had purchased to account for a $60,000 bill.

ONLY one player, David Zaharakis, declined to be involved in the program;

PLAYERS came to him in early 2012 with concerns about the supplements and he initiated consent forms;

IT was him, and not Hird, who initiated protocols.

Robinson said "black ops" - referred to in Dank's job interview - meant only to push the boundaries but not stray into the territory of banned supplements.

But he said Hird was happy to explore the boundaries.

"I felt there were inferences from him (Hird) that we go down that path. I had a phone call while he was overseas telling me about a doctor he met in New York that had this undetectable substance that you could use as a cream and he came back and told me about it again, that we should investigate it," he said.

Robinson told ASADA he believed Hird was referring to testosterone cream.

"I said 'we're not going there, stay away'," he said.

Robinson said Hird had asked him to bring "bigger and stronger players to him. He felt they were being outmuscled and he specifically noted a side that he wanted to beat".

"He wanted to go after Collingwood. And he knew stuff that Collingwood were doing. He said to me that he knew they were taking supplements that were allowing them to get an advantage because he knew who was supplying them," he said.

Robinson said he first met Dank in 2004 and thought he was smart and trustworthy.

He maintained he did not believe he had been involved in any practices that contravened the WADA code, but admitted he "couldn't say what happened behind closed doors - that I wasn't privy to - I can't talk to that."

"We never did that (run it under cover of darkness). I made sure that it was open. I sent emails out with the supplements that I knew were taking place," he said.

"It's cutting edge - its safe. That's what I believe it was, that's what I was told it was.

"I followed the directive that I was given by the head coach - as long as it was within the rules.

"But the leadership group didn't have a problem with any of this, only one player out of Essendon didn't want to be involved. David Zaharakis - it was his personal choice and that was fine."

Essendon released a statement after the interview, saying: ''The club acknowledges that Dean Robinson appears to be under an extreme amount of pressure as are a number of people who are employed at the Essendon Football Club.

"However, the series of allegations made by Dean Robinson on Channel 7 tonight are totally without foundation. They are coming from a disgruntled, disaffected and discredited ex-employee.

They are outrageous in nature and the club is seeking appropriate legal advice.''

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