ESSENDON has denied reports chairman Paul Little will fly out of Australia today to meet former coach James Hird in Singapore to question him over the motives of his wife Tania’s outburst against AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou on the ABC.

The Hird family is on its way to France where James will attend an elite business school for six months.

The Bombers directors will meet next week, possibly as early as Monday, to discuss Tania’s outburst and Little is then expected to question Hird who agreed to stand down as coach until August this season.

Little and his co-directors want to know what input Hird had in his wife’s television interview which again throw the club in turmoil on the eve of its opening game of the season against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.

MARK ROBINSON: HIRD OUTCRY IS OLD NEWS

An Essendon spokesman said today that the club would not be dispatching Little or anyone to Singapore to meet Hird.

While there has been speculation the Bombers could terminate Hird’s contract, the club would face a payout of at least $2 million. The Bombers also controversially agreed to pay him for this season after the AFL initially believed he was not being paid.

BOMBERS OVERCOME OFF-FIELD DRAMA TO BEAT KANGAS

There is a belief in some circles, including some at Essendon, that Hird’s position at Essendon is untenable and he cannot return as coach.

Hird’s career seemingly hangs in the balance after the club has refused to guarantee his future.

SHOULD JAMES HIRD BE SACKED? VOTE AND HAVE YOUR SAY BELOW

On Friday Little urged Hird to “control” those around him, amid fallout from wife Tania Hird’s controversial TV interview.

“James needs to control those around him — I don’t think anyone would argue with that,” Little told 3AW radio on Friday.

“We really want to speak to James about what he knew, and what was motivating Tania. We haven’t been able to speak to either of them. We are putting that off until next week.

“It is a complex situation. There are a lot of things that need answering, and we’ll work on those next week,” Little said.

News_Rich_Media: Essendon Bombers chairman Paul Little has offered no assurances of James Hird's future, suggesting Tania Hird's revelatory interviews could prove the tipping point.

Little was unable to contact Hird, who’s in Singapore, to seek an explanation of the latest flare-up.

Bombers board members held a telephone hook-up, and will convene again about the furore next week.

It is expected Hird and all Essendon coaches and officials will be warned to respect club protocols and to stop commenting publicly on the drugs saga.

Hird’s lawyer, Julian Burnside, QC, said it would be outrageous for Essendon to sack its coach because of an interview given by his wife.

Footy’s drugs saga reignited on Thursday night when Hird’s wife Tania repeated claims AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou had tipped off Essendon about investigations into the club’s 2012 drugs program on the ABC’s 7.30, which aired on Thursday night.

Little appeared on Eddie McGuire’s breakfast radio show on Friday, fuelling speculation Hird might be sacked.

“The club will need to meet now ... to determine how we go forward in relation to the James Hird issue,” Little said.

“Up until the events of the last 24 hours we believed that James was acting and responding to our requests in a positive way.”

McGuire declared: “I’ll make a bold prediction, I don’t think we’ll see James Hird coach Essendon again.”

CLICK HERE TO READ A TRANSCRIPT OF THE PAUL LITTLE INTERVIEW

JON ANDERSON: TAKE YOUR CASH AND SHUT UP, HIRDY

TIMELINE: THE ESSENDON SAGA SO FAR

But by mid-afternoon the club had resolved not to make an immediate call.

Hird is en route to France where he will complete an elite business course paid for in part by Essendon as he serves a 12-month suspension from the game.

Tania, who will join him next week, said yesterday she felt the need to defend her husband’s reputation.

“There comes a point that I, as the wife, I’m just sick of the wrong things being written about my husband,” she said outside her Toorak home.

“He is such a caring, loving, wonderful person, he really is a fabulous person, he’s not vain, he’s not arrogant ... that is so far from the type of person that he is.

“Hysteria’s been allowed to mount on the basis of things that are just not accurate.

“We’re still waiting to see anything of substance.”

News_Image_File: Tania Hird leaves home on Friday. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

News_Rich_Media: Suspended coach James Hird joins The Hangar for a candid discussion on the support from Essendon fans, his relationship with Mark "Bomber" Thompson and how he will spend the next few months on the sidelines from the AFL.

Demetriou again denied tipping off the Bombers.

The Herald Sun reported last July that Demetriou had spoken to Essendon officials on February 4, 2013 — the night before the Bombers announced they would come under AFL and ASADA investigation.

“For the 125th time ... no (I did not tip them off),” Demetriou told 3AW.

“She (Tania) is not the first one who has said that ... and you’ve heard my response to that and the response is pretty simple. It was impossible to tip off anyone ... when I wasn’t privy to the information because I didn’t have access to it.

“It is just a distraction. I mean this issue which you have heard me say before, this issue is not about any individual, this is about a regime, a system where young men were being injected with substances many of which are unknown, some of which we know are banned for use in humans. And we put a stop to that regime.”

CLICK HERE TO READ A TRANSCRIPT OF THE DEMETRIOU INTERVIEW

The outgoing league boss said he detected Little had become frustrated.

“I have a lot of sympathy for the Essendon supporters and the club,” Demetriou said.

“The last thing they want to be talking about is the (Tania Hird) interview.

“People are fatigued by this issue. We need to move forward.”

AFL commissioner Bill Kelty yesterday defended Demetriou’s conduct over the course of the saga.

“What is not fair for Andrew (Demetriou) is … for it to be continuously said by people that in some way he acted improperly,” Kelty told ABC radio.

“It’s just not fair. He acted honourably and professionally throughout the process as far as I was concerned. And I stood aside from it.”

- with Daryl Timms

News_Rich_Media: Essendon's hierarchy will meet on Friday to discuss the future of suspended coach James Hird following explosive claims made by his wife Tania on the ABC's 7.30 Report on Thursday night.

News_Rich_Media: Tania Hird, the wife of James Hird, has dropped a bombshell early in Andrew Demetriou's farewell season, claiming the AFL boss did tip Essendon off prior to last year's ASADA investigation.

Kelty revealed he had excused himself from commission deliberations on the Essendon saga because of his friendship with former Bombers chairman David Evans.

“I have a very special relationship with David Evans. David Evans is like a son to me,” Kelty said.

“I said instantly, once it was clear that it was Essendon, that I had to stand aside. Not because it was Essendon Football Club, but because it was David Evans chairing the board.”

Kelty said it was unfortunate that the doping saga had become personal.

“The one most important thing is the welfare of the players ... it’s not about James, it’s not about me, and it’s not about Andrew.”