ESSENDON's board has thrown its full support behind chairman David Evans, refuting media reports sections of the club are divided over their chairman's handling of the ASADA-AFL investigation.
The Bombers released a statement on their club website on Friday saying Evans had always had and continued to have "the full and unanimous support" of the board.
"Throughout this entire process, David's leadership and fortitude has guided the club through one of the most difficult and challenging periods in its history," the statement said.
"David Evans, in his role as chairman, has conducted himself with the highest integrity at all times. He has been open and transparent with the media and has never attempted to dodge the issues confronting our club.
"Importantly, he has always had the best interests of the Essendon Football Club, its players, staff and members as his top priority.
"To suggest the board is anything but unanimously behind David Evans is simply untrue and is a misrepresentation of the views of the board."
The board's statement of support comes less than a day after Evans declared he had no intention of standing down as chairman despite speculation of club unrest after claims surfaced the Bombers were tipped off before self-reporting their supplement issues.
"In relation to media reports late this afternoon, I am not standing down as chairman," Evans said after a scheduled monthly board meeting at Essendon's Windy Hill headquarters on Thursday night.
"The board did not ask me to explain my version of events.
"This was a routine board meeting.
"If you don't mind, I'm going to go off to dinner and it's not a farewell dinner."
Themeeting included coach James Hird and football manager Danny Corcoranaddressing the board in a planned presentation on the footballdepartment that is delivered at each of the meetings.
Themeeting came as questions arose surrounding a call AFL chief executiveAndrew Demetriou made to Essendon chairman David Evans the night beforethe club came forward in February.
Demetrioudenied that he "tipped off" Essendon or encouraged the club toself-report its supplements program before it was exposed by theAustralian Crime Commission.
He slammed as"simply untrue" a News Limited report on Thursday that said he spokewith Evans about the Bombers' alleged use of performance enhancingdrugs, the night before the club self-reported to ASADA.
The Herald Sun reported allegations made by a witness to ASADA, stating Demetriou's call was made on February 4 during an emergency meeting between Bomber chiefs at Evans's Hawthorn home.
The allegation was subsequently refuted to ASADA, according to Demetriou, by three other witnesses.
Demetriousaid he did speak to Evans the night before the club self-reported, buthe didn't tip the club off because he did not know which club was underinvestigation.
"The AFL didn't know who theclub in question was because the ACC, who briefed us a few days earlieron the Thursday, wouldn't disclose to us who the clubs involved were,"Demetriou told 3AW on Thursday morning.
"Thereabsolutely was a discussion that I had with David, because I'd spokento him throughout the day and I did ring him that night. I was returninghis phone call.
"It wasn't tipping off David Evans that Essendon was the club, because we didn't know who the club was."
Essendon coach James Hird confirmed on Thursday that he was present when Demetriou phoned his chairman.
"I was at David's house that night," Hird said.
"Myself,Bruce (Reid), Danny (Corcoran), Ian Robson and David were all there andAndrew made a call at some stage in that meeting and the contents ofthat call were discussed.
"I've told the truth to ASADA and I know other people have as well. That will come out over time.
"
TheEssendon coach said the club, and not himself, was in a better positionto answer questions about whether the Bombers were made aware of theon-going investigation in February.
But Hird said he didn't know at that meeting the Australian Crime Commission was looking into the use of substances at a club.
"I don't think I was aware," Hird said. "I'm not sure if anyone else was aware, but I wasn't."
Hirdsaid he didn't think Demetriou had done anything wrong, and also deniedreports the club had been given a guarantee regarding possible playersanctions.
"No, we've been given no guaranteeand you'll have to talk to the AFL and ASADA about that. It's notsomething I'm aware of," he said.
Essendonasked to be investigated by ASADA and the AFL on February 5 whenquestions were raised about its supplements program.
Demetriousaid that was when he became aware "it was more than likely Essendonwas the football club" under ACC investigation.
"They accepted that explanation because I've never been asked about it by ASADA. It's not true," he said.
"Ithink it's very important that we get to the end of the investigationand all of the report is revealed so that people get the answers thatthey're looking for.
"This [Herald Sun]article today is not correct, and furthermore it has no impact on theoutcomes of the investigation."
Demetriou said he expected to receivethe ASADA report some time in August.
Speculationhas mounted that the Bombers could be stripped of its premiershippoints as part of the fallout to the ASADA inquiry, but Hird reaffirmedthe club's belief it would be playing finals.
TheBombers sit second on the ladder ahead of Friday night'stop-of-the-table clash with Hawthorn, having won 13 games and lost onlythree.
On Wednesday, North Melbourne coach Brad Scott said he would gladly accept a finals berth if Essendon was penalised.
Hird labelled Scott's comments "probably a bit premature".
"We are very confident we'll be playing in the finals and we'll leave it at that," Hird said.
