Scandal Joel Smith (Melbourne): Cocaine trafficking accusation

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Trafficking Accusation:


MFC and AFL Statements:

Melbourne Football Club Media Statement – Joel Smith


The Melbourne Football Club has been advised by the AFL that further Anti-Doping Rule Violations have been asserted against Joel Smith by Sport Integrity Australia.

The Melbourne Football Club is not authorised to make public comment while this is an ongoing matter that is being investigated by Sport Integrity Australia.

It should be noted since the article has been published on the Herald Sun website, Joel’s management has contacted the Club on his behalf to advise that the comments made by the source within the article are not reflective of Joel’s views and the source is not speaking on any authority from Joel.

Joel has made it very clear that he has no issues or concerns with anyone at the Melbourne Football Club.

As the Club has previously stated, we will wait for the investigation to be completed before we update our supporters further.

AFL STATEMENT – JOEL SMITH

The AFL confirms that further Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) have been asserted against Joel Smith of the Melbourne Football Club under the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code.

Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) has notified Smith that three ADRVs for “Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking” of Cocaine to third parties are asserted against him.

Under the Code, Trafficking in an anti-doping context is relevantly defined to be “Selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering or distributing a Prohibited Substance, by an Athlete … to any third party [but] shall not include actions involving Prohibited Substances which are not prohibited in Out-of-Competition Testing unless the circumstances as a whole demonstrate such Prohibited Substances are not intended for genuine and legal therapeutic purposes or are intended to enhance sport performance” (Article 1 of the Code).

Further, SIA has notified Smith that an ADRV for Possession of a Prohibited Substance (Cocaine) on 9 September 2022 is asserted against him.

These ADRVs are in addition to that previously asserted against him (in connection with a sample provided by him after the match between Melbourne and Hawthorn on 20 August 2023 which tested positive to Cocaine and its metabolite, Benzoylecgonine).

Smith will continue to be provisionally suspended pending the finalisation of all of these matters, meaning he is not permitted to be part of Melbourne’s football program, including Melbourne’s pre-season training that is currently underway.

Under the Code, the new asserted ADRVs will be further investigated by SIA and these matters may ultimately be heard by an AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal in the coming months.

Due to the ongoing nature of the anti-doping process, the AFL and SIA are unable to make any further comment at this time.
 
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And fentanyl is not illegal there or here.

Fentanyl is a strong opioid medicine prescribed by doctors for severe pain.

So are meth and cocaine though so you’re not making the point you think you’re making
 
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So are meth and cocaine though

Under California law, Health & Safety Code § 11350 provides for penalties for the possession of drugs, including: prescription drugs such Vicodin or Codeine or street drugs such as cocaine, GHB, ketamine, ecstasy, or heroin.

I think you're confusing what is legal & what is simply a different approach by police on the streets .. 👇


Not sure what point it is you think I'm trying to make .. I was merely pointing out to memoryofmchale that they were incorrect in saying coke, meth & fentanyl were all legal in SF. They're not. They have a harm minimisation model as per the above article. And fentanyl has always been legal. Here & there.
 
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Under California law, Health & Safety Code § 11350 provides for penalties for the possession of drugs, including: prescription drugs such Vicodin or Codeine or street drugs such as cocaine, GHB, ketamine, ecstasy, or heroin.

I think you're confusing what is legal & what is simply a different approach by police on the streets ..


Not sure what point it is you think I'm trying to make .. I was merely pointing out to memoryofmchale that they were incorrect in saying coke, meth & fentanyl were all legal in SF. They're not. They have a harm minimisation model as per the above article. And fentanyl has always been legal. Here & there.

My point was that cocaine and meth (kind of) are both used legitimately in a medical sense too.

Cocaine is used medically by ENT surgeons because it’s a great topical analgesic and vasoconstrictor.

I’ll be honest I don’t know if the molecule of Methamphetamine itself is approved somewhere, but most ADHD medications are various mixtures of different amphetamine salts.

Fentanyl is a strong analgesic, but the fentanyl people get mixed in to their drugs is NOT the kind of fentanyl people get prescribed in the community - in the community it will be a topical slow release patch, what’s getting mixed into drugs is the actual powder which is made up into the injectable given in a hospital setting - this is very much not legal to have outside of a medical setting 99% of the time.
 

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My point was that cocaine and meth (kind of) are both used legitimately in a medical sense too.

Cocaine is used medically by ENT surgeons because it’s a great topical analgesic and vasoconstrictor.

I’ll be honest I don’t know if the molecule of Methamphetamine itself is approved somewhere, but most ADHD medications are various mixtures of different amphetamine salts.

Fentanyl is a strong analgesic, but the fentanyl people get mixed in to their drugs is NOT the kind of fentanyl people get prescribed in the community - in the community it will be a topical slow release patch, what’s getting mixed into drugs is the actual powder which is made up into the injectable given in a hospital setting - this is very much not legal to have outside of a medical setting 99% of the time.
None of which is relevant to the comment by memoryofmchale of which I initially responded to.
 
The police aren't involved and likely won't be.

This is between Joel & Sports Integrity.
Fair enough. If trafficking is true the Police are obliged to become involved as a crime has been committed.

Is their definition of trafficking different? If so they should change it. It is a serious charge. (Without knowing the full story) If it's a bit of blow here and there to team mates that is not trafficking.

Its akin to tapping a young child on the bottom, to get them moving along, and being labelled a pedophile. Its a very serious allegation.

*Disclaimer legal definitions may differ state to state.
 
Fair enough. If trafficking is true the Police are obliged to become involved as a crime has been committed.

Is their definition of trafficking different? If so they should change it. It is a serious charge. (Without knowing the full story) If it's a bit of blow here and there to team mates that is not trafficking.

Its akin to tapping a young child on the bottom, to get them moving along, and being labelled a pedophile. Its a very serious allegation.

*Disclaimer legal definitions may differ state to state.
That's why the police are looking at it. But as I said, their burden of proof is much higher than Sports Integrity. SIA would be looking at it from the perspective of someone selling PED to other professional athletes.

The police wouldn't be so interested in or waste resources on a few texts to mates about small amounts of coke. They've got bigger fish to fry...
 
That's why the police are looking at it. But as I said, their burden of proof is much higher than Sports Integrity. SIA would be looking at it from the perspective of someone selling PED to other professional athletes.

The police wouldn't be so interested in or waste resources on a few texts to mates about small amounts of coke. They've got bigger fish to fry...
Cheers I was unaware the Police were involved.
 

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Basically says that they do not have a drugs culture, but he cannot be sure that’s the case. You’d think Richardson would not be an idiot to invalidate his first argument with the second.
 

Basically says that they do not have a drugs culture, but he cannot be sure that’s the case. You’d think Richardson would not be an idiot to invalidate his first argument with the second.
"42 young blokes, aged 18 -32...." I hope he seriously doesn't believe that the decision-making process (developmentally) of a male aged 25 and above is the same as those below 25......
 

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