The Australian Sports Anti-doping Authority's key witness in its case against the 34 current and former Essendon players issued with infraction notices will meet briefly with ASADA on Thursday to finalise the statement on which the anti-drugs agency will rely.
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But biochemist and convicted drug trafficker Shane Charter has not guaranteed that he will attend the AFL's anti-doping tribunal – which will hear the cases stemming from the Bombers' 2012 supplements regime.
"We're hoping two or three more hours tomorrow we'll finalise that document," Charter told Channel Seven. "When that document is finalised and my lawyer has signed off on it, my lawyer will then give me directions as to where I go from there, as to whether I'm exposed legally."
ASADA representatives have spent the week in Melbourne talking with Charter, finalising the details of his submission.
Charter is expected to argue that he helped source the banned peptide thymosin beta-4 for Essendon sports scientist Stephen Dank. The Channel Seven interview made no reference to whether Charter would sign a statutory declaration.
The hearing is set down for December 15, although it may take two-to-three weeks. A total of 32 players want the hearing closed, however lawyers representing Stewart Crameri and Brent Prismall suggested at the directions hearing on Wednesday night that their clients were amenable to an open hearing.
