ESSENDON coach James Hird has acknowledged his relationship with his players faced a stern test during the lengthy investigation into the club's 2012 supplements program.

But Hird said he would not be coaching Essendon if the player-coach bond was damaged beyond repair.

"Certainly it's been challenged. There's no doubt it's been challenged because of media speculation and stories that were written," Hird told Melbourne radio station SEN on Friday.

Since the supplements story broke, the Bombers lost star ruckman Patrick Ryder to Port Adelaide while veteran midfielder Jason Winderlich announced his retirement before weighing up an offer to return and play at Richmond.

But Essendon's decision to re-instate Hird swayed Winderlich to play on with the Bombers instead.

"I wanted a bit more security from the footy club as to who was going to coach," Winderlich said in December last year. 

"They made a strong stance that Hirdy was going to be the coach, that's the way I wanted it."

Hird said he was assured he had not lost the confidence of his players.

"I think the one thing that I was confident and always had confidence in is that the players and myself have a good relationship," Hird said.

"I think if there wasn't a good relationship between myself and the Essendon players, I wouldn't be coach. I'm pretty confident that's the case."

The 34 past and present Essendon players were cleared by the AFL's Anti-Doping Tribunal last week, while Hird served a 12-month suspension for his role in the saga.

Hird served a 12-month AFL suspension as part of governance penalties handed down in August two years ago.

At the height of the saga, media were regularly camped outside his home.

"Certainly, there's a smile on my face every morning when I walk out the door and see there are not 15 people out there," he said.

"I was just thinking it this morning, to be honest ... how good it is to walk out in your jocks and pick up the paper and walk back inside."

- with AAP