Hird forced to surrender

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IN the end, James Hird had no choice but to surrender.

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For all his fight and threats of Supreme Court action, the Bombers coach today will begin serving a massive 12-month suspension from the football world.

The ban begins this week and prevents him from holding any position or receiving any payments from any AFL club until August 25 next year.

It emerged last night he finally agreed to go after a tap on the shoulder from Bombers chairman Paul Little. The game was up.

But in a bizarre post-script, Little revealed Hird was set to be offered a contract extension tying him to the club until at least the end of 2016.

James Hird leaves AFL House.

In disgrace came reward.

Indicating Hird had fallen on his sword to avoid further conflict with the AFL, Little even declared Hird would be free to take charge of the club if it qualified for next year's finals.

"James Hird told the commission tonight that he took responsibility for the shortcomings in the club's 2012 supplements program," Little said.

"There is no doubt in my mind that James Hird agreed to accept these penalties tonight so that the club could move on.

"With his admission James has put the best interests of the players, the club and, as a whole, AFL football (ahead of himself).

"He showed significant remorse in saying he was sorry and taking responsibility."

Hird's lawyer, Julian Burnside, QC, said last night: "The driving consideration for James was to do the best he could for the players and the club ... and the game which he loves. I reckon what he did tonight was nothing short of heroic."

Asked on 3AW if the football world would learn more about an alleged "tip-off" from AFL chiefs to the club in February, Burnside said: "I suspect that's something the AFL is not keen to have explored." He said his client had been brutally maligned by the media.

But AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick last night made it clear no figure in the game - not even a Brownlow Medal legend - was beyond reproach.

"Nothing and no one comes before the duty of care to our players," Fitzpatrick said after the marathon deliberations.

Hird and wife Tania appeared briefly before the commission late last night, where the Bombers great apologised for his part in footy's greatest scandal.

Tania had been a driving force and supporter in her husband's fight to clear his name and reputation.

League chief Andrew Demetriou said Hird was "genuinely remorseful" and would be forgiven and welcomed back.

"This code is a very forgiving code and in accepting James Hird's suspension we've made it clear that of course he is welcome back to the game," Demetriou said.

"He has accepted responsibility for this sorry saga and he's entitled to be welcomed back."

Demetriou said allegations by the Hird camp of a flurry of leaks by the AFL were a "sideshow" in the seven-month supplements saga.

Fitzpatrick said of Hird: "He was apologetic. He did a very good job and apologised and said the appropriate things he should have said.

"He would have spoken for seven or eight minutes."

As recently as Saturday, Hird had declared he would never admit to the wording of the multitude of charges levelled against him by the AFL.

He got his way with the removal of any doping charges against his name.

But last night Hird faced the hard reality of a year away from football.

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