The Hird Interviews

[What 18,810]

 

Holmes questioning was pathetic.  Fairly disgraceful interview and frankly a total waste of time.

Hird continues to lie unabated.

 

Hard to tell who came off worse, Hird or Holmes.   It was comical at best.

[Gorgoroth 12,950]

That's why I did not even bother turning it on. Was always going to be a farce.

[CBDees 3,167]

I watched it on iView after the event. Whilst Hird made an absolute fool of himself, l concede that Holmes could have been softer than many Demonlanders assert and did ask some awkward questions during the 45 minutes. It was letting Hird get away with the (non) responses that he gave which made her questioning seem so soft, not so much the actual questions she asked.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,239]

Glad I watched the cricket with the lads.

[What 18,810]

 

I watched it on iView after the event. Whilst Hird made an absolute fool of himself, l concede that Holmes could have been softer than many Demonlanders assert and did ask some awkward questions during the 45 minutes. It was letting Hird get away with the (non) responses that he gave which made her questioning seem so soft, not so much the actual questions she asked.

 

Questions that Hird knew were coming, and likely wrote himself.

[chook fowler 19,458]

No pressure was put on him to explain the untenable position he maintains that the players were not injected with performance enhancers but at the same time pleading ignorance about what was in the injections and why no records were kept. Holmes asked predetermined questions but at no stage did she challenge any of his responses.

Edited January 17, 2016 by chook fowler

[sue 9,104]

Did she ask him why no records were kept?

[Cards13 9,117]

 

Did she ask him why no records were kept?

She had no record of that question although James was sure it was on the list he provided. 

Edited January 17, 2016 by Cards13

[jnrmac 20,061]

 

Holmes questioning was pathetic.  Fairly disgraceful interview and frankly a total waste of time.

Hird continues to lie unabated.

Pretty much every ABC interview with a green or left interviewee.

[Lucifers Hero 39,779]

 

Some well know footy commentators having a go at Hird: 

Dennis Cometti @DennisCometti7 Unlike Pinocchio, James #Hird's ears appear to grow with each lie #smug #cheapshot 1:54 AM - 18 Jan 2016

Dave Hughes ✔ @DHughesy Surely in this long promised tell all interview we are gonna get more about Stephen Dank than 'he made mistakes.' Surely? #hird #Abc24

Dennis Cometti @DennisCometti7 James #Hird chanelling Richard Kimble. It wasn't me, it was the one armed man #smug #hirdinterview

Mark Robinson ✔ @Robbo_heraldsun Qs need asking. 1 Who told the players not tell ASADA about injections. 2 The text messages with Dank about Reid? Why the consent forms?

Jon Ralph ✔ @RalphyHeraldSun It's OK Essendon 34 you can play this year because Hirdy only looks at the AFL tribunal finding, not CAS. Brilliant news

Jon Ralph ✔ @RalphyHeraldSun Question that Tracey won't ask, but I wonder how hard Hird pushed Dank to testify, did he contact him to help clear the players?

Surprised to see Dennis C speak up – he is usually very neutral on issues.

Even Robbo and Jon Ralph are decrying Hird’s comments.

Will be interesting to hear Patrick Smith and Caroline Wilson when they get back from vacation.

Edit:  Don't know if the above are the actual twitter for each person.  Twits taken from different on-line news articles

Edited January 17, 2016 by Lucifer's Hero

[John Crow Batty 8,863]

 

 

 

An article from THE AGE

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/viewers-slam-tracey-holmes-joke-abc-interview-with-james-hird-20160117-gm7vi2.html

[Tony Tea 2,809]

 

 

Some well know footy commentators having a go at Hird: 

Dennis Cometti @DennisCometti7 Unlike Pinocchio, James #Hird's ears appear to grow with each lie #smug #cheapshot 1:54 AM - 18 Jan 2016

Dave Hughes ✔ @DHughesy Surely in this long promised tell all interview we are gonna get more about Stephen Dank than 'he made mistakes.' Surely? #hird #Abc24

Dennis Cometti @DennisCometti7 James #Hird chanelling Richard Kimble. It wasn't me, it was the one armed man #smug #hirdinterview

Mark Robinson ✔ @Robbo_heraldsun Qs need asking. 1 Who told the players not tell ASADA about injections. 2 The text messages with Dank about Reid? Why the consent forms?

Jon Ralph ✔ @RalphyHeraldSun It's OK Essendon 34 you can play this year because Hirdy only looks at the AFL tribunal finding, not CAS. Brilliant news

Jon Ralph ✔ @RalphyHeraldSun Question that Tracey won't ask, but I wonder how hard Hird pushed Dank to testify, did he contact him to help clear the players?

Surprised to see Dennis C speak up – he is usually very neutral on issues.

Even Robbo and Jon Ralph are decrying Hird’s comments.

Will be interesting to hear Patrick Smith and Caroline Wilson when they get back from vacation.

Is that really the real Denis Cometti's Twitter?

[old dee 23,790]

My wish for today is that I never have to see or here from Mr. Hird again.

Any chance he will emigrate any time soon?

Edited January 18, 2016 by old dee

[chook fowler 19,458]

May as well have had Tanya doing the interview 

[Lucifers Hero 39,779]

 

Is that really the real Denis Cometti's Twitter?

I don't really know...will edit my post to that affect.

[Captain Todd 171]

 

My wish for today is that I never have to see or here from Mr. Hird again.

Any change he will emigrate any time soon?

Old Dee, according to the Libs, we are the innovation nation and that means exporting our knowledge. On the grapevine, Moldova is interested in him.

[Damo 3,356]

My opinion is that any media organisation that isnt going after James H is looking to sign him up as a commentator. And thats probably all of them except the Age.

[Whispering_Jack 30,092]

I was out last night so I missed the interview but having now watched it, I can categorically state that yesterday was the darkest day in the history of Australian journalism.

[Elusive Tunbridge 795]

I just tried to watch on iView and didn't last beyond his first answer.  Should be on reverse pay-per-view.

[M_9 2,082]

 

May as well have had Tanya doing the interview 

Better make it soon. They may not be related for all that much longer if rumours are to be believed. My mail, from a former VFL player and AFL coach is that Albert's last trip to Europe had nothing to do with his MBA.

[M_9 2,082]

 

I was out last night so I missed the interview but having now watched it, I can categorically state that yesterday was the darkest day in the history of Australian journalism.

I didn't watch the replay. I guess he lost that also?

[Captain Todd 171]

 

My opinion is that any media organisation that isnt going after James H is looking to sign him up as a commentator. And thats probably all of them except the Age.

I sincerely hope they do NOT hire him as a commentator. He has no integrity. There are hundereds of better retired players than him that deserve a good job in the media.

[Gorgoroth 12,950]

Any game he commentates I would not watch, I'd listen to a radio coverage.

[binman 42,938]

I watched the last half. Where do you start?

A few random thoughts?

• I guess Hird only agreed to do the interview with agreed questions and no  follow up ones. Trick i guess if you were keen to get the interview but the ABC had the opportunity to knock back the offer and should have if they were not able to ask the necessary questions. Leave the charades to free to air
• Reflective of, for me, one of the more interesting elements of this saga - how poor sports journalism in oz has become. With a few honorable exceptions the coverage of this has been hopelessly biased and riddled with spin and agendas. Thiswas like the crowning glory of all of that.
• Unfortunately went just as everyone here predicted
• The most galling thing for me was Hirds repeated assertion that CAS had sacrificed the fine 34 young men for the sake of the anti drug message (a message Hird said is the right one - cue his media advice).
• This is a completely slanderous allegation ie that CAS (an independent body) were not in fact dispassionately considering and weighing the evidence put to them by WADA and the player's lawyers but rather were making a statement about drugs in sport and pushing the WADA agenda.  Not only is it slanderous for those 3 judges it is disingenuous to the extreme as it subtly conflates WADA and CAS, implying they are in cahoots and that CAs is not actually independent
• The one bit of new info, or at least for me (and interesting choice of a dorothy dixer) is that Hird could be pursued by ASADA if it all happened now but can't be as rules were different in 2013. Is this true?

 

[Lucifers Hero 39,779]

 

I watched the last half. Where do you start?

• The one bit of new info, or at least for me (and interesting choice of a dorothy dixer) is that Hird could be pursued by ASADA if it all happened now but can't be as rules were different in 2013. Is this true?

Yes, its true.  On Jan 1 2015, WADA changed the penalties so that sportspeople would get 4 years instead of 2.  Also, they strengthed the 'support staff' provisions so they could go after them (coaches, sports scientists, doctors, adminstrators etc.) more easily.

There was some speculation at the time that these changes were, in part, a result of ASADA/WADA not being able to (readily) get to the real culprits at EFC.

Edit: https://wada-main-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/wadc-2015-draft-version-4.0-significant-changes-to-2009-en.pdf

Section 1 covers higher penalties for 'real cheats' - (WADA words not mine)

Section 4 covers support staff involved in doping.  (Goodwin would have also been caught!!  "A new Article 21.2.6, has been added to the Roles and Responsibilities of Athlete Support Personnel, which provides that “Athlete Support Personnel shall not Use or Possess any Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method without valid justification.”)

Edited January 18, 2016 by Lucifer's Hero