Essendon four locked in limbo as legal marathon continues James Hird and wife Tania leave talks at AFL House. THE four Essendon officials charged over the club's supplement scandal are no closer to learning their fates after a full of day of negotiations at league headquarters. James Hird will today make a formal application for the AFL Commission to disqualify itself from hearing the case against him. His co-accused, assistant coach Mark Thompson, football manager Danny Corcoran and club doctor Bruce Reid will also return to AFL House for further negotiations but no resolution in site. Essendon president Paul Little and chief executive Ray Gunston were last night continuing talks with the league's lawyers. What was billed as an AFL Commission hearing to resolve the seven month-scandal did not involve the AFL Commission at all. Instead, a series of rolling negotiations were held between Minter Ellison partner David Poulton and Jeff Gleeson QC on behalf of the AFL, and a team of lawyers representing Essendon and its officials. Described by one lawyer involved as "the dullest mediation you have ever attended" the talks failed to convince any of Hird, Corcoran or Reid to accept the suspensions on offer from the AFL. Thompson, who has been offered a fine, said he would accept the penalty of the allegations against him were substantially rewritten to remove any reference to doping. Thompson told Fox Footy's 360 program that the penalties being sought by the AFL against said club were the most severe in AFL history. These include the loss of premiership points, draft picks and a substantial fine. Essendon is determined to keep its draft picks and sheet all damage from the scandal home to this year. Hird, as of last night, was understood to be determined to contest the charges against him. In Hird's submission today, Julian Burnside QC will argue that the AFL Commission cannot hear the case without risk of prejudice. Reid, 68, also believes he has no choice but to contest the charges, irrespective of penalty, as an adverse finding by the AFL could impact on his ability to continue in private practice. Essendon is eager to reach an agreement with the AFL on sanctions and put a wretched year behind the club, which has qualified for next month's finals series but appears increasingly unlikely to take part. However, any agreement between Essendon and the AFL requires Hird to stand down as senior coach. This has placed Hird in the invidious position of being squeezed by the AFL, a powerful organisation determined to make an example of Essendon and its high profile coach, and the club Hird, a third generation Bomber, has spent his life associated with. Essendon, Hird, Thompson, Corcoran and Reid are all charged with conduct unbecoming or prejudicial to the interests of the AFL for their part in the club's 2012 supplement program. An Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigation has not established a prima facie case against any Essendon player for doping. However, under the AFL charges as they currently read, Essendon and its officials are accused of allowing footballers to be administered with a banned substance. Essendon wants all reference to doping removed from the AFL charges. Negotiations will resume at AFL house at 10am.