ASADA is open to negotiating with 34 current and former Essendon players over the AFL club’s supplements scandal.

The national anti-doping body is waiting for Essendon and James Hird to decide on what they will do about last Friday’s legal verdict before taking its next step.

If Essendon and Hird do not appeal the verdict then ASADA said on Wednesday night that they will issue amended show cause notices to the players.

The Bombers and their coach have until October 10 to lodge an appeal against Federal Court Justice John Middleton’s judgement.

Justice Middleton ruled against their argument that ASADA’s joint investigation with the the AFL last year into the Essendon supplements program was unlawful.

Critically, ASADA’s latest statement also said the amended notices would include a comprehensive summary of the evidence against the players.

After last Friday’s decision, the AFL Players Association pointed to the lack of evidence when it said the players remained united against cutting any deals with ASADA.

“In the event the appeal period expires and no appeal is lodged, it is the intention of ASADA chief executive Ben McDevitt to provide the players with amended show cause notices,” the anti-doping body said in its Wednesday statement.

“The amended notices will set a new date for the lodgement of submissions and include a comprehensive summary of the evidence in support of the case against the players.

“Should players and their lawyers want to engage with ASADA following a review of the amended notices, we are open to that prospect as we are with any athlete facing a possible doping violation.”

Once the show-cause notices are issued, the 34 players have 10 days to respond.

The next step in the complex anti-doping process will be for ASADA to take the cases to the Anti-Doping Rule Violation Panel.

That panel will then decide whether to enter any or all of the 34 players into the register of findings.

If the panel rules against a player, he will then receive an infraction notice and will most likely go before the AFL tribunal.

The tribunal will ultimately decide whether the player is guilty and what penalty he should receive, although ASADA and the World Anti-Doping Agency can appeal against those findings.