Help us, Stephen: Little

Former Essendon midfielder Mark McVeigh is seriously concerned about the welfare of his old teammates and believes it'll be 'nearly impossible' for them to perform against Melbourne tomorrow.

"The CEO of ASADA has used the media irresponsibly by intimidating and attempting to negotiate with our players." - Paul Little Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: News Corp Australia

ESSENDON chairman Paul Little has urged biochemist Stephen Dank to come forward to help the club.

Bombers chairman Paul Little is unhappy with ASADA's timing. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: News Corp Australia

Little said on Sunday no Essendon player would accept ASADA boss Ben McDevitt's offer of a six-month ban. He said Dons players had lost all faith in the process.

He said those players who gave honest testimony about the supplements regime — without conceding they did take thymosin beta 4 — were now the players with show-cause notices.

EMOTIONAL 'BOMBER' CALLS ON FANS SUPPORT

Little said Essendon never signed up to the joint investigation believing it would take 16 months, leak constantly and give Essendon no feedback about its progress.

But while former Dons biochemist Dank continues to ignore his ASADA show-cause notice, Little said he could help the club.

"I think Stephen Dank needs to become a part of this process, whether it's via ASADA or in some other way,'' he said.

Former Essendon midfielder Mark McVeigh is seriously concerned about the welfare of his old teammates and believes it'll be 'nearly impossible' for them to perform against Melbourne tomorrow.

"There is too much knowledge he knows that we don't know. He could help bring greater clarity to what is a very difficult set of circumstances."

Part of ASADA's alleged evidence against the Bombers is texts and emails from Dank that refer specially to the prohibited drug thymosin beta 4, with Dank also talking about it in a media interview.

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Hird said yesterday in his chairman's address and an ABC interview Essendon had asked but been rejected in a request for show-cause notices to be served after yesterday's game, not last Thursday.

Little does not have issue with James Hird joining the club's Federal Court action, which seeks a permanent stay on the ASADA-AFL investigation.

"We have told him to toe the party line and I believe he's been doing that. The club felt very strongly it now needed to take the action in needed and so did James."

Essendon players are resolute that they will not accept six-month suspensions, in part because of ASADA's conduct in the player interviews.

Hundreds of fans turn out to watch the Bombers train in a show of support after 34 Essendon players were issued show-cause notices by ASADA

A raft of players gave vague answers about their use of drugs like thymosin and AOD-9604 and then were alarmed when ASADA alleged they had confessed, with those names eventually published.

"All I can say is that during the investigation, during the interviews the players that have just said 'I could have taken it but I don't know whether it was from this bottle, that bottle or some other bottle, whether it was illegal, legal or what it was', the players that have gone in with an absolutely honest and open response to those sorts of questions are the ones that have now been targeted."

Essendon coach Mark Thompson speaks out after 34 Bombers players were issued show-cause notices from ASADA