ESSENDON has received the interim ASADA report into the club's supplements use but AFL deputy chief executive Gillon McLachlan conceded the matter could spill into the finals.
In a statement released just before the ball was bounced at the MCG for the game between Essendon and Collingwood, the Bombers said they would review the report and respond in due course.
McLachlan said earlier on Sunday there were no guarantees the saga would be resolved before September.
The AFL on Friday received ASADA's interim report of their investigation into the Bombers' supplement use last season.
McLachlan returned to Melbourne on Sunday from a trip to the United States, where he, AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou and several club officials were exploring ways to close the gap between rich and poor AFL clubs.
In a surprising development, Demetriou has remained in the United States to fulfill his commitment to speak at a global sports conference. He will return on Wednesday.
McLachlan said he would be reading the ASADA report on Sunday afternoon but was not sure whether an outcome would be reached before the finals.
"I don't know. We'll see where the report takes us," McLachlan told the Nine Network at Melbourne Airport.
Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon, who was on the trip to the US, defended Demetriou and McLachlan's absence over the past week.
"People who are actually involved in business know that the 21st century business person's office is everywhere," Gordon said. "There was clearly a lot going on back here. They had real time access to all of it, they work pretty long hours and I don't think that the conduct of that Essendon matter, the ASADA matter was prejudiced."
The report is expected to be forwarded to the Bombers and the AFL Commission early this week, with the commission to use it to make a decision on what penalties will be handed to the club, if any.
The Bombers have expressed confidence they will be allowed to play in this year's finals.
