News Clubs operating league-sanctioned drug testing program - Harley Balic’s Dad Speaks

[Chief]

AFL Statement

As well as being a signatory to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code via the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code, the AFL has an Illicit Drug Policy which has been in place since 2005, and at the core of the policy is a commitment to player wellbeing and welfare.

The AFL Illicit Drug Policy (IDP) is a policy that specifically deals with the use of illicit substances out of competition and is focussed on player health and well-being. The policy seeks to reduce substance use and drug-related harms for AFL players and aims to inform and rehabilitate players through education and intervention.

It exists alongside and in addition to the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code which covers prohibited substances including some illicit substances in competition as prescribed by the WADA prohibited list.

Urine tests conducted by doctors to determine if a player has used illicit substances are part of the AFL’s Illicit Drug Policy medical model and have been for some time.

Doctors may use those urine tests to obtain an immediate result to determine whether any illicit substance remains in a player’s system. This is normally conducted at the club or in the doctors consulting rooms.

If the test shows a substance is still in the players system, a doctor will take steps to prevent a player from taking part in either training and/or an AFL match both for their own health and welfare and because having illicit substances in your system on match day may be deemed performance enhancing and a breach of the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code (depending on the substance involved).

It is absolutely imperative that no doctor or club official should ever allow or encourage a player to take the field knowing they have recently taken an illicit substance that may be harmful to their health and/or may be deemed performance-enhancing (as many illicit substances are on match day).

We support the WADA code (as it applies to our sport through the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code) and support the fundamental premise on which it is founded that any player who takes the field with a performance-enhancing prohibited substance in their system should be treated in accordance with the Anti-Doping Code and face heavy sanctions.

The AFL observes that AFL players are not immune to the societal issues faced by young people with respect to illicit substances and also acknowledges that illicit drug use problems commonly co-occur with other mental health conditions.

While the AFL’s medical model involves a multidisciplinary healthcare management plan, the monitoring of players is highly confidential. A doctor or healthcare professional generally cannot disclose the nature of the clinical intervention or condition to others unless the player willingly consents.

We understand that the Illicit Drugs Policy can be improved and we are working with the AFLPA and players to improve the policy and the system to ensure we are better able to change the behaviours of players. But we are unapologetic about club and AFL doctors taking the correct steps to ensure that any player who they believe has an illicit substance in their system does not take part in any AFL match and that doctor patient confidentially is upheld and respected.

The AFL will always be required to make decisions which seek to balance competing rights and interests. The medical interests and welfare of players is a priority for the AFL given everything we know about the risks facing young people generally and those who play our game in particular.

 

[ahhhhhh]

Who will be the fall guy?

 

[Chief]

I think maybe the headlines have gotten away from the actual story.

They are not evading completion
testing.

They are literally taking the player out of competition if they volunteer that they have something in their system.

And covering for it with a fake injury?

All of a sudden players who were considered "injury prone" will now be looked at suspiciously by many people.

It's not fair on them, is it?

 

[Cunnington Cartel]

Wilkie is such a campaigner when it comes to our game. He isn’t even Tasmanian, he’s a blow-in from NSW who hates our game; he prefers soccer. He has been staunch anti-stadium from the beginning, yet was promoting the idea of building a purpose-built rectangular stadium in Hobart for an a-league team (talk about a white elephant). Due to the strong momentum the Tassie Devils have received recently, I bet that he couldn’t wait to stick the boots in over this issue. I’m not downplaying the severity of the allegations, more so highlighting Wilkie’s true motives in raising it in parliament and calling on the Prime Minister to intervene.

 

[MP_]

So I'm not sure this is the huge issue some are making it out to be*


Basically, cocaine in the system on game day equates to doping. The AFL don't want this. As a preventative measure, they do mid-week testing and advise folks who are in danger of testing positive to not play that week. Essentially, stopping "cheating" before it happens rather than punishing it when it does. And that is why WADA are ok with it.




*From a doping perspective, cocaine abuse and it's long and medium term effects (and illegality) is a different matter.

the fact that what they are doing is being hidden screams massive red flag to me

 

[FrustratedTiger]

He did try to table documents but the Govt used its numbers to block it but that will not last.

That's concerning. What legitimate reason would the government have to prevent proof of a cover up at the highest level of the country's biggest sport being presented for all to adjudicate on

 

[DragoDelph]

When a team member tests positive, they are taken out of the work rotation for 4-6 weeks (longer if they keep using). So there are legitimate consequences for drug use.

Are the AFL just enabling the addiction I think is the more pertinent issue here. Players do drugs in season, afl stops them being caught by WADA, and they still get their pay. Where is the consequence?

If this wasn’t happening, and players were at a real risk of being caught by game day testing, would they use in season? Some of the stupid ones might still, but overall you’d expect usage to drop.

 

[SBYM]

Who will be the fall guy?

They'll pin this on Ricky Nixon somehow.

Toot toot.

 

[kickazz]

WADA might be ok with it, but should we be ok with it?

From a cheating perspective, if WADA think it's ok, then I think it's ok. It would be comparable to the AFL attending training and telling players "you can train in those (specially enhanced somehow) boots if you like, but make sure you don't wear them game day because they are illegal"


Should we be ok with players taking cocaine in general? That's a decision for the individual to make. And whilst I'm no wowser when it comes to recreational drugs, there are broader issues around abuse and mental health (particularly in the context of highly paid pro athletes), other long term effects, and of course, the moral aspects surrounding the production and distribution of cocaine that bear consideration.

 

[SunshineBoy]

That's concerning. What legitimate reason would the government have to prevent proof of a cover up at the highest level of the country's biggest sport being presented for all to adjudicate on

It would show that Australia isn’t squeaky clean when it comes to sport, we are the first country to point fingers and scream from the rooftops , it’s not so funny when it happens in your back yard

 

[Muddiemoose]

So I'm not sure this is the huge issue some are making it out to be*


Basically, cocaine in the system on game day equates to doping. The AFL don't want this. As a preventative measure, they do mid-week testing and advise folks who are in danger of testing positive to not play that week. Essentially, stopping "cheating" before it happens rather than punishing it when it does. And that is why WADA are ok with it.




*From a doping perspective, cocaine abuse and it's long and medium term effects (and illegality) is a different matter.

Are the afl giving these players strikes as per it’s illicit drug policy?

& are you happy that players are being advised to fake injury’s to club doctors?

 

[Cudi_420]

Telling lies about why a player is not playing is hurting the sports integrity for sure and the players. Its very simple for people to wake up today and say "Has Doedee hurt his knee or is he in drug rehab"

Thats kind of the narrative they are parroting here

So the issue is that the league is allowing clubs to list fake injuries. Not that it's driven by drug use.

Warner has jumped the gun here with a scattered angle. He doesn't know whether it's a drug story or a faking injuries story. Nor does he know who it inplicates.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Sam Edmund reports like he's on an AFL retainer.

That’s what AFL accreditation is …you bite that hand too hard, and it gets taken away.

 

[SunshineBoy]

From a cheating perspective, if WADA think it's ok, then I think it's ok. It would be comparable to the AFL attending training and telling players "you can train in those (specially enhanced somehow) boots if you like, but make sure you don't wear them game day because they are illegal"


Should we be ok with players taking cocaine in general? That's a decision for the individual to make. And whilst I'm no wowser when it comes to recreational drugs, there are broader issues around abuse and mental health (particularly in the context of highly paid pro athletes), other long term effects, and of course, the moral aspects surrounding the production and distribution of cocaine that bear consideration.

They aren’t just testing for rec drugs , they don’t want another PED scandal this is what it’s about

 

[SBYM]

It would show that Australia isn’t squeaky clean when it comes to sport, we are the first country to point fingers and scream from the rooftops , it’s not so funny when it happens in your back yard

No country is squeaky clean when it comes to sport, I wonder how many still believe we are?

 

[Muddiemoose]

So the issue is that the league is allowing clubs to list fake injuries. Not that it's driven by drug use.

Warner has jumped the gun here with a scattered angle. He doesn't know whether it's a drug story or a faking injuries story. Nor does he know who it inplicates.

Why can’t it be both?

 

[Taylor]

Given that in the history of the illicit drug policy the only people who have been publicly identified by the AFL for a subsequent strike have been those first identified by the media or police I think we can safely say that either:

The AFL policy on intervention after a first strike where the club isn't told is so effective that nobody ever gets the 2nd strike.

Or..

The gaming of the system is far more widespread and far more systematic than a single club or a single cohort of players.

 

[Zen242]

What’s really interesting is that Bartlett is one of the whistleblowers.

I know he’s got a beef with how he was dumped from Melbourne but he appears to have been one of the AFL boys club and now that he’s been kicked out he’s willing to spill the beans.

Also it surely spells the end of Goyder.

He did complain he was on the outer with AFL execs after he started stiring the pot.

 

[DragoDelph]

Why can’t it be both?

Yup

Plus getting this out there and eyeballs on it, generating outrage (which I normally loathe). Is also the only way that there is chance for change.

They’ve tried the rug sweep already, but hopefully this doesn’t go away and they have to look improvement

 

[Zen242]

I have it on authority that this whole thing is a massive storm in a tea cup. Hoping to emulate the great Carey, players of all ilks started to crush and snort their anti inflammatory medications. Case closed.

 

[Cudi_420]

Why can’t it be both?

It's not though which is my point. Because the AFL has now admitted that the policy is in and of itself something it openly admits to.

 

[Crusty Demon]

That’s what AFL accreditation is …you bite that hand too hard, and it gets taken away.

This is the problem with most of the AFL media these days. Most journos are paid by the AFL. It's the journos bread and butter. If they attack too hard then they lose their livelihood. Really need am 'outside' journo to take this on and ask some hard questions. Clearly the drug policy and All that surrounds it is a mess and hiding a huge drug culture across the competition. Hopefully the cage gets rattled here but knowing the AFL, I doubt anything will change.

 

[Anja_Nees]

The gaming of the system is far more widespread and far more systematic than a single club or a single cohort of players.

So you’re saying it’s Melbourne and Casey?!

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Im just waiting for Christian Petracca

5

Christian Petracca

Age

28

Ht

187cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.4

5star

K

9.5

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

3.0

5star

CL

2.5

4star

D

24.4

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

14.0

5star

M

3.5

3star

T

3.6

4star

CL

3.4

4star

D

19.0

5star

K

7.8

3star

HB

11.2

5star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.0

4star

to kick a goal this week from the boundary line and pull out the ol Robbie Fowler celebration

 

[Giant Pete]

The AFL have reviewed and are ok with. It’s been ticked off.

 

[Taylor]

I made this joke elsewhere and I expect someone else already has but if I were someone working at Adelaide I'd be very nervous that I was about to be punished for what happened at Melbourne.

Just like last time..