Mark Thompson remains "bitter" about how his role in the Essendon supplements saga will be remembered.

In an interview on Fox Footy's Open Mike, aired on Monday night, Thompson said he felt no guilt about introducing fitness boss Dean Robinson to Essendon, an appointment by the Bombers which some view as the first event in the chain that led to the supplements program devised by disgraced sports scientist Stephen Dank.

Thompson said he took some responsibility for the drama that unfolded at Essendon, "because I was there", but believed his role had been unfairly portrayed and remained shocked that he was fined $30,000 by the AFL as part of the club's "governance" breaches.

He claimed he was not in charge of Robinson or Dank, who were both later sacked by the club.

"I had no HR responsibility at all," he said. "And as far as governance and compliance, I probably wouldn't get in the first 25 [people in charge].

"The night before the charges came out, I wasn't charged. My solicitor all along said I shouldn't have anything to worry about.

"[Former Essendon president] David Evans told me, 'they [ASADA] may not even interview you'.

"I think in the end, they needed to get a scalp and I think my head matched up perfectly."

In a wide-ranging interview with Mike Sheahan, Thompson revealed:

He never intended to coach Essendon in 2015, insisting he had made a private deal with James Hird that he would only stand in for him while Hird was serving his 12-month suspension for the AFL;

If a situation arose that Essendon wanted to sack Hird because they knew they could turn to Thompson, then that would have broken the pact between Hird and Thompson, and so Thompson indicated he would never have allowed that to happen;

He regrets going back to Essendon, so fractured has his relationship with the club become;

He has not ruled out coaching again, but he would only return in an environment he was "100 per cent sure about"; and

He remains mystified as to why illicit drug allegations continue to follow him.