The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority will continue to present its opening submissions at the AFL tribunal today. 

ASADA lawyer Malcolm Holmes, QC, stood before the AFL's Anti-Doping Tribunal for three days before Christmas and will again take the stand as the hearing resumes.

In December, ASADA lost a legal battle to have two of its key witnesses, biochemist Shane Charter and compound pharmacist Nima Alavi, testify at the hearing.

Charter and Alavi have given evidence to ASADA but refused to sign sworn affidavits backing the authority's allegations that the players were administered the banned drug thymosin beta-4 as part of Essendon's 2012 supplements program.

When Holmes concludes his submission, lawyers for the players will argue the players were given a legal version of thymosin, thymosin alpha-1 or thymodulin.

Meanwhile, the result of James Hird's Federal Court appeal against ASADA may not be known until late January, Fairfax Media reports.

Hird, who along with Essendon was unsuccessful in his initial court action, wants the 2013 investigation into the club's supplements program to be declared unlawful, with show-cause and infraction notices against the players scrapped.