The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority's submissions to the AFL tribunal will stretch into the new year, with ASADA yet to finish arguing its case in relation to 34 current and former Essendon players.
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ASADA lawyer Malcolm Holmes, QC, appeared before the tribunal on Friday and detailed his client's evidence.
The hearing, held behind closed doors at the County Court, followed the handing down by ASADA last month of infraction notices to the 34 players, who are charged with having taken banned peptide thymosin beta-4.
The AFL confirmed on Friday that ASADA was not done yet.
"Mr Holmes, QC, continued his submissions on behalf of ASADA based on, among other things, various text messages, emails and transcripts produced as part of the investigation," the AFL said in a release.
The notices stemmed from the 16-month investigation into the Bombers' supplements program during the 2012 season.
The tribunal, consisting of David Jones, QC,John Nixon and Wayne Henwood, will now break until January 12, with an end date to the hearing unknown.
Essendon had failed in its bid to be represented at the hearing, with the tribunal rejecting Bombers' lawyer Michael Abrahams' submission on Thursday.
Thirty-two of the players are being represented by David Grace, QC, while two - Western Bulldogs forward Stewart Crameri and Brent Prismall - are being represented by Rob Stary.
Footscray announced on Friday that Prismall would return in 2015 as the Dogs look to defend their VFL premiership.
ASADA last week lost its Supreme Court challenge to obtain subpoenas compelling key witnesses Nima Alavi and Shane Charter to appear before the tribunal, which is being held in camera following a decision from the tribunal members that the risk of defamation emanating from the hearing outweighed the public interest in having media present.
Lawyer Justin Quill, representing media organisations, and AFL counsel Jeffery Gleeson, QC, had sought an open tribunal hearing, while the AFL Players' Association wanted to protect its players' anonymity.
ASADA is arguing that biochemist Charter sourced the raw materials for the substances taken by the players, which were, in turn, compounded by pharmacist Alavi, who in turn provided them to sports scientist Stephen Dank for use at the club.
Meanwhile, a Federal Court spokesperson has played down a News Limited report which stated that a verdict on James Hird's appeal against the September decision of Justice John Middleton was likely to be handed down before Christmas.
"Consistent with usual practice, judgments will be handed down when they are ready," the spokesperson said.
The Court will be closed between December 24 and January 2.
The court last month heard submissions from Hird's lawyers that the joint AFL-ASADA investigation was invalid as it did not fall within the anti-doping body's statutory domain.
Judges Susan Kenny, Anthony Besanko and Richard White presided over the appeal, which was heard less than two months after the trial judgment was handed down - a result of Hird receiving an expedited judgment.
