After taking a full 28 days to announce whether he would seek to elevate his challenge of ASADA to the Australian High Court, Essendon's senior coach announced his position about an hour before the deadline.

Hird was said to have informed Bombers' chiefs of his position around lunchtime on Friday. When he stated it publicly to the media that had assembled at the club's headquarters in anticipation of the verdict, the coach said: "This decision is based in trying to give us the best chance in 2015 of winning as many games of football as we can."

Hird had until 4pm on Friday to launch - or at least indicate - he would appeal his failed Federal Court case. This was four weeks after his Federal Court appeal failed.

Though the initial deadline has passed, the High Court said on Friday that Hird could still launch an appeal in the months or years ahead, but it would harder to justify to the court why his case should be heard.

Steven Amendola, Hird's lawyer throughout, had no comment on Friday night.

Hird, who is contracted to coach Essendon for the next two seasons, made it clear he still objected to how ASADA, which worked with the AFL, conducted an investigation into the Bombers' 2012 supplements program.

"It's been very disappointing what's happened the last two years and the way our football club has been treated and we hope we get the chance to get on and do what we do best and that's play football," he said.

"Fundamentally, we still believe our players weren't treated the way they should have been treated with confidentiality and certain aspects that the average Australian is given.

"Ultimately we hope the players are cleared through the tribunal process, which is about to be handed down very shortly."

After returning to the top coaching role after a year-long AFL-imposed suspension over governance failures, it would have cost Hird between $100,000-$150,000 to pursue the matter through the High Court.

A legal source with knowledge of the case estimated Hird would have incurred around $800,000 in legal expenses, including the costs he was ordered to cover for ASADA after his failed Federal Court actions.

"We believe the investigation was unlawful and we still believe that," Hird said on Friday.

"It's been said that we've tried to suppress evidence, we've tried to hide things, but that's far from the truth.

"In making the decision the Federal Court made, we believe the rights of our players, support staff and every Australian athlete are less than the normal Australian."

Hird and the Bombers lost their initial case in the Federal Court after Justice John Middleton ruled the joint probe had been legal. Hird then proceeded alone with an appeal to the full Federal Court but was unanimously rejected by another three judges.

The supplements saga is into its third season, and has even derailed the club's NAB Challenge, with 17 current players forced to miss matches as they remain provisionally suspended in keeping with AFL anti-doping policy rules.

This has meant the Bombers have had to bring in top-up players for the pre-season series, who could remain at the club should those facing charges of being administered the banned drug thymosin beta 4 be suspended from the season proper. That decision will be made by the AFL anti-doping tribunal, which holds the fate of the 34 past and present players in its hands.

If they are guilty, and a suitable penalty is not enforced, ASADA chief Ben McDevitt has indicated the anti-doping body will appeal.

The Bombers open their NAB Challenge against St Kilda in Morwell on March 7.