Essendon coach James Hird has given his full backing to captain Jobe Watson, despite the player publicly admitting he took a banned substance.
On Monday night, the Bombers' star onballerconfessed he took the banned substance AOD-9604, an anti-obesity drug, after being given it by club doctor Bruce Reid.
Watson was adamant he did nothing wrong as he was told the drug "was legal at the time and that was actually what I was told I was being given."
Hird fronted the media today to lend his full support to Watson saying he did not believe the player's Brownlow Medal for the AFL's fairest and best player last season had been tainted nor put in doubt.
"I haven't talked to Jobe about why he said it," Hird said.
"I'm not concerned for Jobe.
"If you put integrity on the table, Jobe is right up there. [He's] a man of the highest integrity, highest character, a great person for our footy club."
Matt Finnis of the AFL Players Association also said it would be premature and unfair to suggest Watson should be stripped of his Brownlow Medal.
"Any calls or commentary around players being stood down or having awards being stripped of them are at the very best premature but I think they're also very unfair to the players," Finnis said.
Hird also warned the issues surrounding the investigation were complex, and looked forward to the probe being completed so all at the club could talk freely.
"We have confidence in ASADA and the investigation that the truth will come out," he continued.
"This investigation's been going on for five months and we can't wait to talk openly and freely about what will come of it, but it is so complicated and sensitive so we want to wait until all the facts are out on the table.
"We have guaranteed AFL and ASADA we will keep things to ourselves as it is an important part of the process."
Essendon is under Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) and AFL investigations for last year's supplement program.
The AFL hopes ASADA will announce its findings in early August and was confident on the weekend that the probe would be wrapped up by finals football in September.
AOD-9604 has emerged as a major factor in the controversy.
The World Anti-Doping Authority issued a statement early last month, saying the drug was a banned substance - a clarification that Watson said had surprised him.
"It did, because the understanding we had through the advice we got and through the medical doctor at the football club, that it was a legal substance," he said.
Watson feels no guilt
Despite the potential for ASADA to hand down severe sanctions, Watson said he is confident about his fate.
"I don't have a feeling of guilt and I don't believe I've done anything wrong," he said.
"So all I want is the truth to come out.
"It's not impacting on me, because ... it's not a cloud hanging over me. I don't care how long it takes."
Watson also admitted he was surprised by the number of injections he received in the supplements program.
"I don't know it was that vast, in terms of the numbers being reported," he said.
"As a player myself, it was a new frontier for us.
"Having that many injections was something I had not experienced in AFL football before."
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