Luke Darcy interview with Dean Robinson a stumbling block in Channel 7 move to recruit James Hird

A CHANNEL 7 move to recruit James Hird for its Monday night AFL show has hit a stumbling block in the form of an infamous 2013 interview by Talking Footy host Luke Darcy.

HAS the infamous Channel 7 interview with former Essendon fitness boss Dean Robinson come back to bite the network?

Luke Darcy’s explosive interview with the man known as “The Weapon” in 2013 is best remembered for Darcy’s line “say that again” after Robinson said sports scientist Stephen Dank had been asked to carry out “black ops” by James Hird and football boss Danny Corcoran.

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Robinson alleged Hird and Dank led the supplements program which led to 34 Essendon players being banned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in January 2016.

Luke Darcy interviews Dean 'The Weapon' Robinson.

That has become a stumbling block in Seven’s moves to recruit Hird to the panel for its Monday night show Talking Footy — hosted by Darcy.

It’s believed working alongside Darcy doesn’t sit well with the former Essendon coach.

Robinson was never charged over his role in Australian sport’s greatest scandal, despite helping establish Essendon’s “pharmacologically experimental” injections regimen.

Hird, who presented last year’s Norm Smith Medal to Richmond champion Dustin Martin, has been approached by Fremantle to work as an opposition analyst this year.

Dockers coach Ross Lyon said this week he would pursue more talks with Hird to sound him out for a strategic part-time role.

Originally published as Luke Darcy interview with Dean Robinson a stumbling block in Channel 7 move to recruit James Hird