ESSENDON and James Hird have two weeks to mount a defence to charges of bringing the game into disrepute.
The AFL announced tonight that Hird, assistant Mark Thompson, football manager Danny Corcoran and club doctor Bruce Reid had been charged over the club's 2011-12 supplements program.
The club itself is also charged with conduct likely to prejudice the reputation of the AFL.
But Essendon players have been cleared of taking performance-enhancing drugs.
After a day of marathon talks, AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon read a short statement at AFL House tonight, announcing charges against Hird, Thompson, Corcoran and Reid.
"The club and each person are all charged with engaging in conduct that is unbecoming or likely to prejudice the interests or reputation of the Australian Football League or to bring the game of football into disrepute, contrary to rule 1.6.
"I have reviewed the information collected during the course of the joint AFL-ASADA investigation, considered the matter carefully and have come to the view the parties charged have a case to answer," Dillon said.
The hearing of the charges is schedules for Monday, August 26 at AFL House.
"The AFL has also advised that in relation to Essendon players, although WADA has declared AOD-9604 a banned substance, on the information before the AFL there is no specific anti-doping violation attributed to any individual player for use of AOD-9604 or any other prohibited substance," Dillon said.
"As such, at the present time no infraction notices will be issued under the AFL anti-doping code."
Dillon said the ASADA investigation remained open, leaving open the possibility of anti-doping infractions in future if new evidence support them.
