AFL bans James Hird and Danny Corcoran from Essendon Christmas party

THE AFL has banned Essendon coach James Hird and footy boss Danny Corcoran from attending the club's Christmas party.

THE AFL has banned Essendon coach James Hird and suspended footy boss Danny Corcoran from attending the club's staff Christmas party.

The league told Essendon the two men were not permitted to join the end-of-year gathering at an inner-city hotel on Friday afternoon.

Hird and Corcoran are banned from serving the club in any official capacity as part of the club's supplement scandal punishment.

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But the Christmas rebuff bemused club officials, still simmering from a year of hostilities with the AFL.

The standoff over Hird's million-dollar salary ended in farce on Friday when the AFL backed down on its funding threats, allowing the Bombers' coach to be paid his full 2014 ­salary in an ­immediate lump sum.

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Essendon powerbrokers have ­remained in contact with the league to ensure that both Hird and Corcoran remain within the boundaries of their AFL bans.

As part of the negotiations, the Bombers were told it was not appropriate for them to ­attend the informal staff Christmas function.

The latest development after two weeks of brinkmanship between the league and the club has put intense pressure on league chief executive Andrew Demetriou and chairman Mike Fitzpatrick for their handling of footy's doping scandal.

Mr Demetriou, who sits on the AFL Commission as well as being the chief executive, will attend a scheduled commission meeting on Monday.

Former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett said it was a continuing embarrassment for the league.

"It's just another piece of minutiae in what is an annus horribilis for both the AFL Commission and the Essendon Football Club. One can only be certain that this crisis of the commission's making is going to - in the most generous way - keep giving into the new year," Mr Kennett said.

But Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon said the AFL executive still had his club's full support. News_Image_File: Essendon football boss Danny Corcoran leaves AFL House. Picture: Michael Klein

Mr Gordon said the pay dispute was a "misunderstanding" amid "the biggest drugs scandal in the history of the sport and one of the biggest legal problems in AFL history".

"It is absolutely natural that everyone would be strained in coming to a resolution, and this resolution was better than some of the scenarios which could have played out," Mr Gordon said.

"I believe there was a genuine misunderstanding between the parties in relation to that (pay) detail. And while one might have one's own views about what's happened in the last 24 hours to clear that up, I prefer to focus on the big picture - that we sent a very clear message that drugs in sport and supplements in the AFL will not be tolerated and that the safety and health of our young players is of prime concern."

World Anti-Doping Agency president John Fahey has conceded comments on Friday that Essendon would be hit with inevitable doping charges was based on no new information.

"I have had some general discussions at different stages over the past year with different personnel, none of which have had any detail in it," Fahey told the Weekend Australian.

"It has always been my understanding that when they finish their investigation there is a strong likelihood that action will be taken.

"I have learned nothing in recent weeks to suggest one way or another that is correct or incorrect. It has just been my understanding for a long time."