Essendon club doctor Bruce Reid wants Supreme Court to rule on case after failing to reach resolution with AFL

LEGENDARY Essendon club doctor Bruce Reid will continue his fight against the AFL in the Supreme Court.

LEGENDARY Essendon club doctor Bruce Reid will continue his fight against the AFL in the Supreme Court.

Reid argued at an AFL Commission hearing at AFL House for the commission to refer the hearing to an independent person such as a recently retired Supreme Court judge.

But the commissioners dismissed that application.

Counsel for Reid then applied for a "prompt release of the transcript of argument and the commissioners' ruling, to enable the early issue of Supreme Court proceedings''.

Reid's law firm Perry Maddocks Trollope said in a statement: ``Reid is adamant that he is innocent and wishes to defend the allegations against him in a public hearing''.

An AFL statement released last night did not refer to court action but said ``the matter was adjourned for mention'' at a further commission hearing on Thursday, October 3.

Only three commissioners chairman Mike Fitzpatrick, Justice Linda Dessau and Paul Bassat heard from Reid as part of a commission sub-committee.

Letter reveals Doc kept in the dark

In February last year Reid wrote a letter to coach James Hird and then football manager Paul Hamilton outlining his strong objections to the supplements program introduced by sports scientist Stephen Dank and high performance boss Dean Robinson.

"I have some fundamental problems being club doctor at present,'' Reid wrote.

"I am very frustrated by this and now feel I am letting the club down by not automatically approving of these things

'Hird a hero for taking ban'

'Essendon not a good club'

"I need to collect my thoughts as these drugs have been given without my knowledge."

But despite his opposition, the injecting continued and the club and the AFL now agree the club cannot say for sure that players were not administered with WADA banned drugs.

Any guilty finding by the AFL could have potentially effected Reid's ability to continue practicing at his sports medicine clinic.

Reid was the only one of the four officials charged by the AFL to not accept penalty alongside the club on Tuesday night.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency has the power to immediately suspend a medical practitioner's license if it believes they pose an threat to patients.

But it has found no reason to take any action against Reid.

The AHPRA last month confirmed it is investigating up to five medical practitioners involved with Stephen Dank after receiving information from the Australian Crime Commission.

While the medical watchdog is refusing to reveal the identities of those involved in its probe, it is understood Reid is not one.

- with Grant McArthur