THE TRUTH surrounding Essendon’s 2012 supplement program will never be known, former Essendon stand-in coach Mark Thompson says.
On the day that Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority decided not to appeal the AFL anti-doping Tribunal's findings against 34 Essendon players, Thompson also defended James Hird’s innocence.
Thompson was Hird's main assistant coach in 2012 when Stephen Dank ran the supplements program at the club.
Thompson criticised the anti-doping body and said the authorities involved in the two-year investigation had tried to divide the playing group.
"I think deep down after three years … that they (ASADA) really didn't have anything, that they were just hoping," Thompson told Fox Footy on Monday night.
"They'd throw that many lines out to try and hook the players, and I think they were impressed by their resilience and their strength as one.
"Not one (of the players) broke from the pack and I think they were waiting for it to happen."
Thompson also praised Jobe Watson's character after the Brownlow medallist revealed in 2013 that he had been injected with the WADA-banned, anti-obesity drug AOD-9604.
"The thing he said that night was the truth; he thought he was injected with AOD," he said.
"He answered it truthfully. We went into every interview with ASADA and answered everything truthfully.
"For him to say that, he's got every right to say that because, at the time, they'd been told by everybody that AOD was not prohibited, it was legal and wasn't detrimental to their health."
But Thompson said Watson did not receive adequate support following his public revelations.
"For some reason, someone didn't support Jobe," he said.
"Someone should've said, 'Well, what he said was right, it's OK, we want the truth, don't we?'
"We still haven't got the truth."
When asked if the truth will ever come out, Thompson said: "I don't think it will."
However, Thompson remained insistent the program was not illegal, saying it was ethically questionable.
"It's grey - should systematic injection programs be put in place at clubs? No," Thompson said.
"But were there rules against it? No.
"So ethically wrong to have it? Yes.
"Broken rules? No.
"Anything illegal taken? No.
"Was he (Hird) totally responsible for that? When you think about the law, he's not - he's not even in the top 20, believe it or not ... responsibility for compliance and governance."
Asked who he thought was the biggest victim in the supplements saga, Thompson replied "Hirdy".
Thompson also partially defended Dank, but added the sports scientist put too much faith in his own methods.
"He's a likeable guy, he believes in what he does - he's passionate about his industry," Thompson said.
"He's not the devil - he's not a devil of a man - I think he just believes in his products a bit too much and was able to convince people ... he's a salesman."
In August 2013, the AFL hit Essendon with heavy penalties over the supplements saga.
Those included a $30,000 fine for Thompson and he did little to hide his bitterness.
"The night before the charges came out, I wasn't charged," he said.
"My solicitor all along said I shouldn't have anything to worry about.
"(Former Essendon chairman) David Evans told me that may not even interview (Thompson).
"In the end, they needed to get a scalp and my head probably matched up perfectly."
Thompson was caretaker coach at Essendon last year as Hird served his 12-month AFL suspension.
Thompson left the club at the end of the season in strained circumstances.
