Editing James Hird (section)

== Supplements controversy ==
{{see also|Essendon Football Club supplements saga}}
In April 2013, Hird, as coach, was accused of being personally injected with supplements in 2011 and 2012 that would be deemed performance enhancing if he were a player. Essendon players from 2011 and 2012 were also accused of ingesting performance enhancing supplements. As head coach, Hird was subsequently implicated.<ref name=AUS1>{{cite web|last=Greg Denham, Courtney Walsh|title=James Hird's 'green light to supplements'|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/afl/james-hirds-green-light-to-supplements/story-fnca0u4y-1226618605790|work=The Australian|access-date=12 April 2013}}</ref>

Following months of rumours and investigations, on 13 August 2013, Hird, along with the Essendon Football Club, senior assistant coach [[Mark Thompson (footballer)|Mark Thompson]], football manager [[Danny Corcoran (sports administrator)|Danny Corcoran]] and club doctor [[Bruce Reid (doctor)|Bruce Reid]], was charged by the AFL with bringing the game into disrepute in relation to the poor governance of the supplements program at the club in 2011 and 2012. The club was given 14 days to consider the charges and faced an AFL Commission hearing on 26 August 2013.<ref name="age-suppssaga-story">{{cite news | url=http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/essendon-supplements-saga-the-story-so-far-20130811-2rq1t.html | title=Essendon supplements saga: The story so far | work=The Age | date=13 August 2013 | access-date=10 September 2014 | archive-date=19 August 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819203904/http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/essendon-supplements-saga-the-story-so-far-20130811-2rq1t.html | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="age-afl-statement">{{cite news | url=http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afls-statement-20130813-2rudo.html | title=AFL's statement | work=The Age | date=13 August 2013 | access-date=10 September 2014 }}</ref>

On 27 August 2013, following much negotiation, Hird accepted charges that he had brought the game into disrepute and abandoned possible Supreme Court action against the AFL and its chief executive, Andrew Demetriou. He maintained that he did little wrong, but said he should have known more about the club's supplements program. He was banned from working at any AFL club in any capacity for twelve months commencing from 25 August 2013.<ref name="Return">{{cite news | url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/essendon-booted-from-finals-fined-2-million-james-hird-banned-for-12-months/story-fni5ezdm-1226704614233 | title=Essendon booted from finals, fined $2 million, James Hird banned for 12 months | work=Herald Sun |publisher=Herald and Weekly Times| date=28 August 2013 | agency=Australian Associated Press | access-date=4 September 2014 | last1=Minear|first1=Tom|last2=Ralph|first2=Jon}}</ref> Hird was allowed to attend Essendon matches as a spectator during this period.<ref name="Return"/> However, despite not being allowed to pay him for working as a coach during 2014, the club paid Hird $1 million in advance for 2014 in December 2013.<ref name="heraldsun-1-million">{{cite news | url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/james-hird-will-be-paid-his-1-million-annual-salary-in-a-lump-sum/story-fni5f6kv-1226782811551 | title=James Hird will be paid his $1 million annual salary in a lump sum | work=Herald Sun | date=13 December 2013 | access-date=4 September 2014 | last1=Warner|first1=Michael|last2=Crawford|first2=Carly | publisher=Herald and Weekly Times}}</ref>

A media report on 3 October 2013 said that Hird denied pleading guilty for a reduced charge as alleged by Demetriou. Hird's lawyer, Steven Amendola, asserted that the AFL withdrew all charges against Hird under the deeds of settlement that he and the club signed with the AFL. At the time of the media report, Hird was considering legal action against both the AFL and Demetriou.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/afl/james-hird-eyes-action-over-andrew-demetriou-guilt-claim/story-fnca0u4y-1226731908835?from=public_rss&net_sub_uid=44933799# | title=James Hird eyes action over Andrew Demetriou guilt claim | date=3 October 2013 | access-date=3 October 2013 | author=Adam Shand | newspaper=The Australian}}</ref>

Essendon chairman Paul Little said that Hird would be wanted as the senior coach once his suspension was served and that he had been offered a two-year extension from 2015, which would have seen him coaching until the end of the 2016 season.<ref name="Return" /> However, Hird resigned after round 20 in August 2015, near the end of the season, with the team near the bottom of the ladder.