BulldogJake
All Australian
100% agree with this.
Got no problems if players do it in the off-season, but don't do it during the season when you need to be physically fit for your job.
What They're Saying - The Bulldogs Media Thread - Part 2
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Got no problems if players do it in the off-season, but don't do it during the season when you need to be physically fit for your job.
- Oct 30, 2014
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Are you not worried as a user about the misery you cause down stream at every level in the whole drug trade??
- Sep 7, 2015
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This question wasn't directed to me obviously but I'll put my 2 cents in. It's no different than buying products made in China through child labour or buying blood Diamonds. I believe most drugs should be legalised tbh because they aren't worse than the pharmaceuticals people abuse legally. I think it's an over reach from the state to tell an adult what they can or can't put in their body. Not to mention the fact that alcohol is classified as the third most dangerous drug and it's legal while marijuana is illegal...it's so arbitrary and ridiculous.
BulldogJake
All Australian
You're presuming I'm a drug user based on the fact I don't have a problem with players doing it in the off-season and connected it to causing 'misery'.
Talk about grappling for a conclusion to suit your narrative - a narrative that makes little sense anyhow.
ThirdLegUp
Premiership Player
- Apr 29, 2013
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tell me about it.
Recreational = boating, fishing, hunting, camping, sports or stamp collection etc. All LEGAL activities.
Why isn't tax evasion acceptable as recreational. "I don't do it all the time, but..."
- Oct 30, 2014
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Nothing to do with so called child labour in China. That's patronising to the Chinese to say their system is corrupt. I'll assume the best but if illegal or unethical definitely not buy into it. Drug trade is always both illegal and unethical.
- Oct 30, 2014
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I mean the generic 'you'.
I think that your reasoning is pretty flawed, the fault lies in governments across the world for not legalising all drugs - if this were to happen the misery caused by the drug trade would dissapear, there would be greater quality control and safer usage.
Blaming users of drugs for that or holding them culpable in some way is not the right approach (you are blaming the individual for a systemic issue)
And read up on manufacturing in Bangladesh, its ****ed and you have most certainly been the beneficiary of it in some way (as have we all)
All of that said, the players should be held to a higher standard, it comes with the role.
- Oct 30, 2014
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Your second post actually contradicts your first.
I do agree with a lot of your first quote about legality issues with drugs. We are not there yet but colluding with the underworld doesn't help anyone. I also agree with the ethical implications of any purchase, ever. But we do our best and don't excuse ourselves where we know it's wrong.
In your second post you realise it is contradictory for professional athletes to kid themselves and put their hands out for the money we could only dream of.
The second post is more what I think they should do to be effective members of the organisation, not what they must do or what is morally incumbent on them (which I think avoids the contradiction).
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Dogs_R_Us
Space Traveller
Put a tub on every street corner, as Lang Hancock used to say.
Not that I advocate that personally...
olimauldon
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- Mar 14, 2017
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Honestly I reckon 'recreation drug use' for footballers is so overblown its not funny. Seriously the party drugs that majority would be taking are minimal risk to one's health and the media and public blow it up like it's West Coast 2006 2.0, I highly doubt that our players would be taking drugs like ice or herioin, but trust me when I say that pretty much every single person aged 18-25 would have at least tried a drug like ecstasy or ketamine. The pro's over taking drugs like that over drinking beers all night are that you can literally wake up the next morning feeling pretty much alright, no hangover, no feeling like sh**, and the capability to potentially show up to the club looking alright, (not that I've obviously ever done that). I'm not saying taking this stuff is 100% safe, trust me I know, I regularly take this stuff, and have seen AFL footballers (and Bulldogs players) on it over weekends, I'm not boasting or anything like that but people saying taking stuff in the off-season is affecting how players are performing 6-8 months into the year is ridiculous. It doesn't work like that and the 'problem' that we apparently have at Whitten Oval seems to me to be quite over rated as such.
Put a tub on every street corner, as Lang Hancock used to say.
Not that I advocate that personally...
I'm not an advocate for bathing in public either.
- Nov 16, 2015
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You obviously have never taken drugs or are not involve in a footy club at any level.
Recreational drug use can be a major issue for players. Have seen it myself.
Players dabbling over multiple weekends in a row will 100% be effected on the training track etc. Which in turn has a flow on effect.
A close mate is a good friend of one player who's been mentioned in trade rumours on here over the last week or two ( not Stringer ) and I can tell you that 100% recreational drug use has become a major problem in his life and is effecting his football. It also is an issue for his teammate ( not Stringer but also mentioned in trade rumours on BF ).
This isn't starting rumours, it's fact and I reckon a lot of clubs would have seen similar issues over the last few years.
Claiming that this stuff isn't a big deal and that it doesn't have any effect on players and clubs is just ignorant.
Zeno The Great
Club Legend
I saw one of the dogs party boys openly smoking a cigarette on smith st 1 week out from our first pre season game. Didn't instill me with a lot of confidence for his year ahead which ultimately proved correct.
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Just because you have done it, doesn't mean basically every person has. There are different scenes and different social circles. 50% would be a more accurate estimation.
As somebody who has on occasion taken "party drugs"... seriously you do not wake up just fine the next day. It *s with you for half a week both in terms of cognitive performance and emotionally, much much worse than just drinking. And most often it is with alcohol (it has only ever been that way for me).
Just because it doesn't have life threatening potential, doesn't make it completely harmless.
You simply wouldn't be able to do it in the season and perform to the optimum level. And being around a group of people for whom it becomes standard practice on the weekend, it would be very hard to extricate oneself and could cause serious social and workplace problems. Being an elite sportsperson would be very difficult, and engaging in it would have a high likelihood of being damaging, simply given the nature and demands of elite sport (rather than working in an office).
Think that in discussing these issues we need to be open and realistic. It's not as bad as people who demonise drug use make out, but certainly isn't all fun and games!
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Reptilia
Club Legend
Very true, for me anxiety has always been worst part of the hangover and could last until the Thursday of the next week. Definitely not a big deal taking soft party drugs like coke and pills, but you do pay for it for the next week on most occasions. It also does effect me at work as I dont feel as motivated etc. would have to do the same for AFL players. Everyone is different though.
threenewpadlocks
Brownlow Medallist
AFL players take party drugs largely because a) they typically have more money than a typical apprentice or uni student their age and b) it doesn't impact your skinfolds like alcohol does (even if it impacts you in other ways as people are discussing).
Stats show that about 25% of 18-24 year olds have taken party drugs. I'd expect that number to go upward because of the money the players have relative to society, but to also go down, because of the welfare/education/public disapproval as a result. How the two weigh against each other is anyone's guess but anecdotally being that age is the upward forces outweigh the downward ones, and my guess is somewhere between one third and one half of AFL players would have taken some recently.
Stats show that about 25% of 18-24 year olds have taken party drugs. I'd expect that number to go upward because of the money the players have relative to society, but to also go down, because of the welfare/education/public disapproval as a result. How the two weigh against each other is anyone's guess but anecdotally being that age is the upward forces outweigh the downward ones, and my guess is somewhere between one third and one half of AFL players would have taken some recently.
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