Essendon have lodged a Federal Court action against ASADA after 34 members of its 2012 playing list were given show cause notices for suspected doping violations.

The notices came after a 17-month investigation by ASADA and the AFL into the club’s use of supplements.

The matter will come before the Federal Court in Melbourne on June 27.

Essendon chairman Paul Little said the club’s board decided unanimously to launch the action after being “left with no alternative but to fight to protect the reputations of our players”.

“The club will contend that the joint application was unlawful,” Little told a media conference on Friday.

“The board does not take this decision lightly.”

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