Demons' doctor stands down

''We have sufficient concerns about an identified breakdown in reporting protocols that we believe it is appropriate that Dr Bates stands aside until these matters are further investigated,'' Melbourne president Don McLardy said in a statement on Friday night.

With an angry AFL chief Andrew Demetriou demanding the Demons clarify their relationship with Dank - a relationship club chiefs had previously denied - the club's position on Friday night was that it had been misled by its doctor.

McLardy denied to the league in February that Dank had worked for the club. McLardy, his former chief executive Cameron Schwab, along with coach Mark Neeld and football chiefs Neil Craig and Josh Mahoney, collectively insisted that while Dank had applied for a job at the club, that job had been denied. Those denials came in a meeting with Demetriou and his No.2 Gillon McLachlan in the AFL boardroom. There is no evidence that Dank was paid by Melbourne.

While text messages between Dank and Bates indicated a meeting had been scheduled with Dank and Craig, AFL investigators remained uncertain whether Craig had specific knowledge of the sports scientist's plans to treat Melbourne players.

The AFL had effectively appointed an administrator to oversee the club for six months in former Essendon chief executive Peter Jackson on Thursday. Only hours after that announcement, Dank's relationship with the club was revealed by the ABC's 7.30 program. It is understood that the revelations will make no difference to Jackson's plan to step in as interim chief from May 1.

Bates had been working at the club since Melbourne's previous medicos, including the club's respected long-term doctor Andrew Daff, left Melbourne early last year after being at odds with the club's fitness program and its new chief David Misson.

It is believed that the Demons told the AFL on Friday that they had been completely unaware of the relationship between Dank and Bates.

While no specific rule exists for misleading AFL chiefs, the club was still facing sanctions should it emerge it misled the AFL. No evidence has yet emerged that Melbourne's supplement program had contravened guidelines, although Demetriou indicated on Friday that ASADA would investigate the club. ASADA and the AFL will also investigate the Gold Coast, where Dank worked for about three months alongside high performance manager Dean Robinson. Geelong is also facing an investigation because of its long connection with Robinson, although the Cats have repeatedly denied Dank had any involvement with the club.

Demetriou said there appeared to be "inconsistencies" and "at least some omissions" in what Melbourne told the league in February about its work with Dank.

Demetriou said he was blindsided by the ABC report. The alleged correspondence revealed on the 7.30 program suggested Dank was advising the club extensively on supplement use last year, and early this year, and that he was also co-ordinating the injection of players.

In one text message, Dank advised Bates that Jack Trengove, a Melbourne co-captain, should meet the sports scientist at a pharmacy so he could hand over a substance he termed "AOD". The messages between Dank and Bates also refer to Lynden Dunn being booked in to receive an injection, and a remark from Dr Bates that said "good about Dunny asking as he is doing it because the other guys have said they feel good".

A message from last September suggested Dank had arranged a meeting with Craig.

Melbourne maintained on Thursday night that "at no time was Dank able to directly treat players". Melbourne also says its internal review into its supplements program found "no evidence that any player at the Melbourne Football Club had been administered a banned substance at any time".