LEIGH SALES: Pressure is mounting on one of the legends of Australian football as the anti-doping authority ASADA prepares to release its report on the use of performance enhancing supplements by the Essendon AFL club.

Bombers coach and former champion James Hird is tonight at the centre of the gathering storm. Hird has always maintained he did nothing wrong but there's growing evidence that he played a central role in the supplements program run by the controversy biochemist Steve Dank which it seems was driven by an obsessive urge to beat the Bombers' on field rivals.

Caro Meldrum-Hanna has this exclusive report.

COMMENTATOR: James Hird led the Bombers out.

CARO MELDRUM-HANNA, REPORTER: He's the golden boy of the AFL.

COMMENTATOR: Hird wrote his name into the record books kicking the opening goal.

CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: James Hird, Essendon's favourite son, a star player with more than 250 games to his name and a Brownlow Medal under his belt.

BROWNLOW HOST: Essendon, J Hird.

CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: When James Hird hung up his boots in 2007, he was already anointed as a future Bombers coach. Entrusted with the task of restoring the club to its former greatness.

JAMES HIRD, ESSENDON COACH: We know that there's enormous upside if we get this right, there's also an enormous downside if we don't.

CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: To get there James Hird needed a plan and some outside help. In mid 2011 a new high performance unit was born, headed up by seasoned NRL trainer Dean Robinson. He quickly recruited biochemist Steve Dank and the pair began planning a secret supplements regime. By August 2011 a series of text messages show the program was under way.

And a delivery of Actovegin an extract filtered from calf's blood was en route to Essendon.

(Extract of text between Dean Robinson and Steve Dank)

DEAN ROBINSON: Can you send me through all supporting docs for Actovegin tonight so I can give to Reidy tmw please. Hirdy has also said send it and we'll pay even if we don't use it.

(End of extract)

CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: Around a month and a half later in October 2011 a key meeting was held here at James Hird's home in the Melbourne suburb of Toorak.

'7:30' understands the three architects of Essendon's supplements regime were in attendance - coach Hird, Dean Robinson and Steve Dank. Coach Hird told Dank he was now part of the club's inner sanctum. Steve Dank has told '7:30' that a detailed discussion ensued about how a supplements program could boost the performance and recovery speeds of players and that Hird went on to tell Dank that although he had no evidence, he believed Collingwood were on a secret human growth hormone program. Dank says Hird instructed him to focus on matching the physical strength of the Magpies using any legal means possible.

COMMENTATOR: A Collingwood win!

CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: Come early April 2012 behind closed doors the supplements regime at Essendon was in full swing. But publicly the players were suffering an unusually high number of soft tissue injuries. James Hird text Steve Dank asking him what was going on.

(Extract of text between James Hird and Steve Dank)

JAMES HIRD: Why do you reckon we are getting all the injuries?

STEVE DANK: I need to use much more placenta cells and Actovegin... West Coast, Hawthorne and Collingwood's tissues are biologically advanced. We need to change our biology for a little while.

(End of extract)

CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: The conversations reveal another driving force behind the supplements program. James Hird's obsession was arch rival Hawthorn.

(Extract of text between James Hird and Steve Dank)

JAMES HIRD: I hate them more than anyone.

STEVE DANK: Remember everyone is the enemy and everyone has to be bled. That way you just don't take comfort in tearing Hawthorne apart you take pride in tearing the competition apart. I also know that they are trying everything they can in supplements and recovery modes to win this premiership.

JAMES HIRD: But not as good as un in that area.

(End of extract)

CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: Dank and Hird were also focused on powerhouse club West Coast.

(Extract of text between James Hird and Steve Dank)

JAMES HIRD: They are definitely up to something.

STEVE DANK: They are another level of athleticism within this competition. They are THE team to chase. I need to reinvent a couple of things to chase these guys.

(End of extract)

CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: By mid April 2012 James Hird was facing a big challenge, a round four clash against Carlton followed four days later by the annual Anzac Day game against Collingwood.

JAMES HIRD: You bring in fresh legs or do you go with guys who really performed well for us on the weekend. I don't think you should throw good form out.

CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: The supplements regime intensified.

(Extract of text between James Hird and Steve Dank)

STEVE DANK: This afternoon's group went very well on hyperbaric. All injections completed for the week.

JAMES HIRD: Good news. Let's take it up to the blues.

STEVE DANK: We will be those *****.

(End of extract)

COMMENTATOR: He kicks the goal and Essendon lead by 34 points.

CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: After a 30 point win against Carlton the Bombers had only three days to recover for the big game against the Magpies.

COMMENTATOR 2: The MCG Anzac Day 2012.

CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: It was the impressive speed of their recovery in between games that's reportedly caught the attention of Australia's anti doping regulator ASADA.

COMMENTATOR 3: Essendon draw level.

CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: The findings of ASADA's investigation into the Bombers' supplements regime are expected to be handed down next week.

REPORTER: Are you going to continue on coaching, James?

CARO MELDRUM-HANNA: Meanwhile the woes at Essendon continue. Over the weekend more key staffers have walked away from the club, including chairman David Evans and high performance manager Dean Robinson. It's a remarkable list of casualties, considering the man at the centre of it all is the only man still standing.

LEIGH SALES: Caro Meldrum-Hanna reporting.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Spelling errors in the text messages were made by the senders of the texts.