Speaking on Thursday night to the ABC's 7:30, Tania Hird ensured the Bombers' season-opening clash with North Melbourne would be overshadowed by last year's supplement saga when she claimed to have written 'notes' on a phone call that indicated AFL boss Andrew Demetriou tipped off the Bombers about the upcoming investigation into them last February.
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Tania Hird also maintained James had been made a 'scapegoat', while saying the coach and club had been 'bullied' into accepting the sanctions against them that were imposed by the AFL last August.
Despite being suspended for a year by the AFL as part of those sanction, Essendon still re-signed Hird to a new contract that would see him return to coaching for 2015 and 2016 after Mark Thompson took over this year.
Will Hird coach the Bombers in 2015 and 2016?
Speaking to Triple M earlier in the day, Little indicated this position may be under review. And, Hird will be forced to sweat over his future until next week as Little refused to say his position was safe when speaking with Channel 7:
"There are certain expectations on any senior coach that we have in relation to what we expect from them and what we expect from people that surround them.
"And, if we're not getting what we expect, then clearly that's something that needs to be dealt with."
Asked if there were any clauses that allowed Essendon to sack Hird without having to pay out his contract, Little said:
"It's terribly complex. We will deal with it next week. At this point in time, it really hasn't been part of our focus this afternoon.
To finish the interview Little said: "I think James does have his coterie and advisors and helpers as we all do, but at this point in time, there is no question that James is the one responsible for what's happening and we'll talk to him about that."
Hird will have the chance to respond
Little said he'd not been in contact with Hird and that any action would only take place after Hird was given the opportunity to tell his side of events in terms of his wife's interview.
"Being chairman of a footy club is a tough gig at any time and the events of the last 24, 48 hours have made it even more difficult for me and the board," Little said.
"Quite frankly, there are so many positive things happening in the Essendon footy club at the moment, right across from administration, sponsorship, record membership … this was the last thing that we needed.
"Dustin's (Fletcher's club record-breaking game) big night tonight, terribly important, we've got other milestone players out there tonight. We've got three debutants and it's just a shame that the gloss had to be taken off that with this distraction.
"I think the relationship has been on better footing," Little said when asked about his connection with Hird.
"But at this point in time, we're not jumping to any conclusions, but it's just made the whole job of remaining focussed on the future, it's made that more difficult."
Stephen Dank breaks his silence
On a day where the supplements saga refused to go away, the man at the centre of the scandal, sports scientist Stephen Dank, spoke about the matter for the first time since last year at a fund-raising event on Friday afternoon.
During an interview with Brian Taylor at Crown Casino, Dank maintained he did not believe Essendon's players would receive infraction notices from ASADA.
"I certainly know the list of players who were involved in the program, and certainly the clubs has a list of both players and all substances which were used," said Dank in quotes from the Herald-Sun.
"My view is the players do know (what they took) ... and I'm very strong in my mind of what they took over the course of 12 months.
"It's certainly not about doping. This was certainly about preserving the tissues of these athletes.
Although Dank has been sent a show-cause notice from ASADA, the sports scientist declared his only communication with the body will be through federal courts as he prepares to fight the body every step of the way.
Dank also declared the AFL needs to investigate other clubs and said there could well be more casualties as the saga looks likely to continue throughout this season.
"There's certainly been a body count and I think there will be further bodies," Dank said.
"And, I'm not certainly talking about the Essendon side of things.
"The body count will come further up the chain."