Rumour AFL Players Faking Mental Illnesses To Avoid Drug Tests?

[_M_16_]

Interesting article to pop up today on Foxsports.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/af...m/news-story/40760ec9506dc087e57be2f29b3b7565

If true, its an absolute disgrace. It makes a mockery of people who are genuinely suffering mental health issues. Sixteen players at one club shows that its either a group of players who have banded together and shared the loophole with each other, or the club itself has alerted them. Either way as they say, if you have nothing to hide then.... Clearly they do if they have to resort to faking a mental health issue to avoid a test.

I don't care if its my club, the AFL needs to come out and publicly name this club involved. Faking mental illness to avoid a drug test is no laughing matter. Especially after the Essendon saga, the AFL needs to come out as mass drug test the whole club involved to be sure. Avoiding drug tests generally counts as one strike as the rules state, should be no different here. And make the players donate to mental health organizations seeing they clearly think mental health is an issue to play games with.

That being said, it is a pretty weak rumor and a couple of things do not line up. But none the less, the talk is out there.

Also to note, this story first appeared in the Herald Sun today on the back page. Was brought up again by Fox Sports, SEN and other sporting outlets. It wasn't started by Lyon himself.

 

[Rory Walkerfield]

Was just going to post this article. So which team?

 

[_M_16_]

Was just going to post this article. So which team?

No team has been named, as always. Given the magnitude of it, I feel its only right for them to be named. And an explanation given. I think that club owes its own fans to come clean.

 

[little hawk gmf]

I am going with Freo.

 

[little hawk gmf]

Can we have a poll as we will never find out anyway.

 

[Socrates2]

I don't even know why players are tested for recreational drugs. It's a right of passage for young people.As long as it's not performance enhancing who cares what they do in their personal life.

 

[_M_16_]

I don't even know why players are tested for recreational drugs. It's a right of passage for young people.As long as it's not performance enhancing who cares what they do in their personal life.

I don't care if they use recreational drugs either (as long as its not in the middle of a season). But the fact they are resorting to these kind of tactics itself is worse and piss poor form. And I'm pretty sure tests screen for every single thing anyway, recreational and performance enhancing.

 

[Dazlington]

Could any
Other team be as
Loose with their players
Lives as evidenced
In their
Negative views on players
Going out on
Weekends.
Overdose
On
Drugs is necessary before they take action

 

[Milanista28]

Mental health is fashionable these days, It's used as a get out of jail free card all the time.

It's sad that the term 'Mental Health' has been diluted so much.

 

[BG32]

Sydney

 

[_M_16_]

Mental health is fashionable these days, It's used as a get out of jail free card all the time.

It's sad that the term 'Mental Health' has been diluted so much.

Yep. And what happens? Someone with genuine mental health issues, say faces court or something, end's up getting the rough end of it all. Or their call for help at a medical clinic gets brushed aside as nothing. All because of some people who are convincing enough to use mental health as an excuse, makes everyone question everyone else, including those with genuine issues. "Oh I've heard that excuse before, whatever"

 

[leobarryustar]

Melbourne

 

[Blackhawk42]

I don't even know why players are tested for recreational drugs. It's a right of passage for young people.

Yuckest thing I've seen written on this site just about.

 

[StevenwellerHFC]

Maybe the mental illness is caused by heavy drug use.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Question. Why does mental illness get you out of being drug tested?

 

[HairyO]

Simple fact is the AFL is much more comfortable with fake claims of mental illness than having to deal with players getting done for illicit drugs.

When the number of players in the same team hit 5 they should have investigated. When it hit 10 they should have demanded answers. At 16 why not just allow every player in the league to claim it and then quietly shut down the entire testing programme (which is what the AFL and AFLPA would much prefer).

Its so much easier to ignore problems than have the public find out.

 

[Wayne Dwop]

Could any
Other team be as
Loose with their players
Lives as evidenced
In their
Negative views on players
Going out on
Weekends.
Overdose
On
Drugs is necessary before they take action

Stop messing around and say which team you think it is.

 

[Socrates2]

Yuckest thing I've seen written on this site just about.

Get in the real world chump.The thing is that you probably take drugs in the form of alcohol and your drug causes more crime than any other, ask the cops Mr Perfect.

 

[skipper kelly]

If they are too sick to be drug tested then they are too sick to play. Simples.

 

[HairyO]

If they are too sick to be drug tested then they are too sick to play. Simples.

If 40% of a playing list are mentally unwell there needs to be an immediate investigation !

 

[Gameova_]

I’ll say Sydney

 

[skipper kelly]

If 40% of a playing list are mentally unwell there needs to be an immediate investigation !

Absolutely.


I thought that would be a no brainer for the AFL. (well not really)

 

[Gameova_]

Absolutely.


I thought that would be a no brainer for the AFL. (well not really)

AFL are used to sweeping things under the rug

 

[Toump Ass]

If faking mental illness at work meant I was able to carry on having a normal life outside of work, I'd fake mental illness.

 

[JC Hawks]

Doggies I heard.