JAMES Hird's major health crisis that saw him taken to hospital came "out of the blue", his father Allan says.
And he said AFL officials were "thugs" and "bullies" without "a moral compass" for their treatment of his son in the aftermath of Essendon's supplement scandal.
The former Essendon coach was admitted to Cabrini Malvern Hospital last Wednesday.
Allan Hird approached Melbourne radio station 3AW to speak about his son in a recorded interview that was aired on Tuesday morning. He said James Hird was well.
"He's fine. My daughter's been keeping me regularly informed. I'm in Brisbane and I'm coming down shortly to see him.
"I had no inkling. It was just out of the blue, but anyway, that's where it is."
Hird said his son placed too much trust in the people around him during the saga that saw 34 Essendon players suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
"He put too much trust in the club doing the right thing, he put too much trust in the AFL, he put too much trust in our system of government," Hird said.
"I think if he had his time over again, he would have done it differently."
Hird called for a top-level inquiry to look into the supplements scandal, with the people who handled the matter - including former federal government ministers and AFL and Essendon officials - giving evidence under oath.
He accused administrators of conspiring to make Hird the scapegoat for the ill-fated supplement program, protesting his son's innocence.
"Get them to tell the truth. Get the truth out there and we'll see where it lies," he said.
"A 'conspiracy' is probably the wrong word in a legal sense, but in the general public's eye, I'd say a conspiracy between the Gillard government, the AFL and elements of the Essendon board, plus the Australian Anti-Doping Authority to get a result for something to get everyone out of a hole.
"The Gillard government had got itself into a hole ... overblew that crime commission report enormously and they needed something and they did that for political reasons.
"Both his employers were gunning for him but there was nothing specific he had ever done and there still isn't."
The AFL declined to comment on Hird's interview when approached by AFL.com.au on Tuesday.
Hird was released from Cabrini last Thursday and is receiving treatment elsewhere.
His wife Tania on Friday issued a brief statement pleading for privacy.
"We wish to express our appreciation for the public support that has been given to James and our family since news of his hospitalisation became known," she said.
"At this time James and the Hird family are in need of privacy. We ask that this privacy be respected.
"We particularly ask this of the media contingent currently gathered at our house.
"James' health is our primary focus and concern."
