Essendon’s former club doctor will receive $1.4 million in compensation after developing mesothelioma resulting from asbestos exposure during building work on his home.

Dr Bruce Reid, a Melbourne GP, was one of the few senior staff members to warn management of the risks of the club’s notorious doping regime despite being marginalised by those in charge of the program.

In 2018, he was forced to step down after undergoing surgery for malignant mesothelioma, eventually launching legal action against the two companies – Amaca (formerly James Hardie Industries) and Seltsam – which manufactured the asbestos sheeting used to build his house.

Dr Reid said last month he was “lucky” the mesothelioma, while a “bad one”, had responded to immunotherapy. However the cancer had reoccurred requiring a further 12 weeks of immunotherapy.