NEW ESSENDON chairman Paul Little has blasted Channel Seven's interview with fitness coach Dean Robinson as an unfounded personal attack on Bombers senior coach James Hird.
Little told essendonfc.com.au that the paid interview on Wednesday night was "full of mistruths and distortions".
While he had some sympathy for Robinson, saying the former Essendon fitness boss was clearly tired, frustrated and stressed, Little said he could not let the allegations go unchallenged.
"Much of it was patently false or distorted," Little said.
"What went to air - largely unchallenged by Channel Seven - was a series of uncorroborated allegations by a disgruntled, disaffected and discredited ex-employee.
"The inaccuracies in the interview are too many to work through one-by-one, and we are seeking legal advice on a number of these matters.
"Overall, this interview was an unjustified personal attack on one man which deeply offends Essendon, its staff and its players."
Little added he had spoken to Hird.
The Bombers chairman said federal police had never raided Hird's home as alleged and the Essendon senior coach had not asked Robinson to investigate an undetectable cream.
Little added that except for "unexpectedly" running into Shane Charter, Hird has had no contact with the convicted drug dealer since 2003-04.
"(Hird) categorically denies a personal program of weekly or bi-weekly injections," the Bombers chairman said.
Finally, Little also hit back at allegations made in the past two days that Hird had been suspicious about what Collingwood, Hawthorn and West Coast were doing to improve the fitness of their players.
"Contrary to what was claimed, James Hird and Essendon have never held the view that Collingwood, West Coast or Hawthorn have been involved with illegal or prohibited supplements," Little said.
"The suggestion James Hird has or had knowledge of the supply of such substances to Collingwood is both damaging and incorrect."
Robinson's lawyer, David Galbally QC, stood by his client's tell-all interview and said it was an accurate reflection of his story.
"I have been acting for Dean since late March, early April," Galbally told 3AW on Thursday.
"What you saw last night is exactly what he's always said and that's it.
"It was a fair airing of what he's always said."
Galbally was not surprised by Essendon's response.
"They've had five months of putting material into the media, leaking, denigrating Dean's reputation," Galbally said.
"It's pretty obvious that that would happen. Blind Freddie could've told you that would be the response.
"I wish they'd tell us why he has been discredited."
Collingwood CEO Gary Pert also revealed on 3AW that Essendon coach James Hird had contacted him during Robinson's television interview to refute his former colleague's claims that Hird had suspected Collingwood oftaking growth hormone supplements.
"Before the show had finished we had already been contacted by Hirdy who said it was all rubbish and he hadn't made any comments and the AFL had backed that up," Pert said.
