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.

 

[Makeshift Park]

Just come clean.

3 weeks nasal perforation
2 weeks conditioning block due to excess doritos and pop tarts
4 weeks psychotic episode

8 weeks revs

 

[Corkintheocean]

Doubt it, they don’t even get their eyes tested


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Wrong 'contacts'

 

[Demonic Ascent]

In retrospect they probably needed to keep the doctor and sack Goodwin

Haha yeah, nah

 

[Sewer de Lance]

This man is suffering from a severe case of hamstring awareness.

 

[parano1a]

Just legalise them

Cheech and Chong Round, anyone?

 

[memoryofmchale]

I'm sure if we sat down and reviewed injury updates over the last few years for all clubs we could identify a few

I’m low key tempted just to see the rubbish that was dished out.

There was a player (name redacted to confirm with rules) at a Victorian club who was omitted for a big clash last year. At the time, no real reason was given, rumour was a big night out. Think we can connect two and two. That player later parted ways with the club.

 

[Sarcoidevo]

Cheech and Chong Round, anyone?

More like Tony Montana Round

 

[memoryofmchale]

West Coast still geared up to the eye balls?

They’re not doing a very good job at enhancing their performance if they are.

 

[BuRgeRs82]

Enough is enough, MFC need to recieve sort of severe punishment.

The MFC have overseen a drug culture at thier club for many many years now.

Look at the some of the current and past players (and thier coach).

To those at the AFL. What the hell have you done to our sport? I have a feeling that the executive leadership team at the AFL will most likely (if they have not already) lose thier jobs. Particularly those that have been employed there throughout the last 10 years. I wonder whether any criminal charges may result from this....

This story is as big if not bigger than the Essendon scandal. The fallout will be huge.

 

[Corkintheocean]

More like Tony Montana Round

 

[BuRgeRs82]

And even look at the Current Chief Medical officer at the AFL. He was the Head doctor at Hawthorn for 15 years. At a time when Buddy was rumoured to have a lot of problems.

 

[Disco_Stu]

The AFL will be stripped of .... Senior Leadership Team members? Nah, they're all gone or going. Hmm. Stripped of funding. Tick. The NRL - yes, the NR farken L - will have moral superiority for a while.

Go Dees. It's always the quiet ones.

 

[Corkintheocean]

Enough is enough, MFC need to recieve sort of severe punishment.

The MFC have overseen a drug culture at thier club for many many years now.

Look at the some of the current and past players (and thier coach).

To those at the AFL. What the hell have you done to our sport? I have a feeling that the executive leadership team at the AFL will most likely (if they have not already) lose thier jobs. Particularly those that have been employed there throughout the last 10 years. I wonder whether any criminal charges may result from this....

This story is as big if not bigger than the Essendon scandal. The fallout will be huge.

Also telling that after an extensive 'global search' the very best person available for the vacant CEO role is the bloke 2IC to the departing one. Heaven forbid someone from outside the boys club come in a peek under the rug.

 

[Crankyhawk]

Extremely cliched name of a place to be doing clandestine tests

how so, they are one of the big pathology chains

 

[canny30]

I mean the AFL complicit in, if not encouraging, clubs to circumvent the world anti-doping code is as big as it gets if true

This is probably the biggest part.

They'd be booted from WADA and by extension the AFL would lose all Federal Government funding (as funding is conditional on being part of WADA)

So it's massive

 

[Crankyhawk]

Ah so that's where the term general soreness came from

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and "managed"

 

[Disco_Stu]

 

[DERO]

I mean, it's smart to test for illicit drugs. Be surprised if more clubs aren't doing it.

I'VE MISSED YOU

 

[josephine666]

Just more click bait. The ability to self report illicit substances was always just a mechanism to make sure players were compliant with the WADA code and allow the Club to manage their players. If someone owned up to taking illicit substances close to match day, the responsible thing to do would be get the player tested to make sure there was no chance of a positive test on match day. Secret tests? I would hope so, it is no-ones business but the player and the club.

If they had to sit out because of it, that's something for the Club to manage. I imagine if this happened repeatedly, the Club would take some action to make sure the player was meeting their obligations and didn't throw their career away, a la Joel Smith.

From the HS article "“In other words, hundreds of thousands of Australians will watch the game not knowing that the game has been secretly manipulated by the AFL and thousands of Australians will bet on that game not knowing the game has been secretly manipulated by the AFL."

Manipulated? What a crock. Much ado about nothing, initiated by a certain ex-president of MFC who is bitter and twisted and wants revenge. He really should move on and enjoy life.

 

[Corkintheocean]

Just more click bait. The ability to self report illicit substances was always just a mechanism to make sure players were compliant with the WADA code and allow the Club to manage their players. If someone owned up to taking illicit substances close to match day, the responsible thing to do would be get the player tested to make sure there was no chance of a positive test on match day. Secret tests? I would hope so, it is no-ones business but the player and the club.

If they had to sit out because of it, that's something for the Club to manage. I imagine if this happened repeatedly, the Club would take some action to make sure the player was meeting their obligations and didn't throw their career away, a la Joel Smith.

From the HS article "“In other words, hundreds of thousands of Australians will watch the game not knowing that the game has been secretly manipulated by the AFL and thousands of Australians will bet on that game not knowing the game has been secretly manipulated by the AFL."

Manipulated? What a crock. Much ado about nothing, initiated by a certain ex-president of MFC who is bitter and twisted and wants revenge. He really should move on and enjoy life.

G'day Goody

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

 

[master bate]

This is probably the biggest part.

They'd be booted from WADA and by extension the AFL would lose all Federal Government funding (as funding is conditional on being part of WADA)

So it's massive

That would be a fantastic result. The quicker the AFL are done with those idiots the better.

But it won't happen. There's nothing conflicting in the AFL's voluntary illicit drug policy with WADA match day code for cocaine.

As long as players aren't dodging drug tests or taking other substances there's no reason I'm aware of that they can't have all the coke in the world and test to make sure they're clean by match days.

Ie. this story is junk.

 

[Wray27]

This is probably the biggest part.

They'd be booted from WADA and by extension the AFL would lose all Federal Government funding (as funding is conditional on being part of WADA)

So it's massive

Hence why the leader of the house for the government didn’t allow Willie to table the documents. Once tabled they are on the record and published within Hansard.
They will want to know what’s in the file before they allow that.

 

[master bate]

Just more click bait. The ability to self report illicit substances was always just a mechanism to make sure players were compliant with the WADA code and allow the Club to manage their players. If someone owned up to taking illicit substances close to match day, the responsible thing to do would be get the player tested to make sure there was no chance of a positive test on match day. Secret tests? I would hope so, it is no-ones business but the player and the club.

If they had to sit out because of it, that's something for the Club to manage. I imagine if this happened repeatedly, the Club would take some action to make sure the player was meeting their obligations and didn't throw their career away, a la Joel Smith.

From the HS article "“In other words, hundreds of thousands of Australians will watch the game not knowing that the game has been secretly manipulated by the AFL and thousands of Australians will bet on that game not knowing the game has been secretly manipulated by the AFL."

Manipulated? What a crock. Much ado about nothing, initiated by a certain ex-president of MFC who is bitter and twisted and wants revenge. He really should move on and enjoy life.

Thankyou!

I'm glad someone has got it.

Wilkie has taken the bait here because he wants to tarnish the AFL so they don't build a stadium in Tassie that would make him look utterly stupid.

 

[Tandy]

Has Melbourne bought the league into disrepute or doesn't it Count because the AFL were in on it? Either way it is no surprise that Melbourne are going the ay they are going even with such a talented list. Whatever culture they were building has crumbled. They need clean air. Goodwin has his hands all over this and needs to go. As does a handful of players.