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.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

Out - Recreational drug use

Why can't they say that?

Or...

Out: The dude had an illicit drug test and whilst we don't know the results cause of some misguided doctor-patient s**t that we dreamt up - we know that he won't be playing this week even though there is no injury.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

As I said before, we ask 16 year old apprentices to remain clean even when their friends are using. They lose their jobs. They’re younger, less experienced and don’t have fully developed minds. Yet, they suffer the consequences of their actions. AFL player shouldn’t make you immune.

Yeah, if they might kill or seriously injure somebody as a result of not doing their job properly!

I mean… cmon. I know some people take footy seriously, but there’s really no damage being done to others here.

I guarantee you you’re being lied to about much more important things that actually impact you.

 

[PP34]

Doesn’t suit the narrative on here that the AFL doesn’t care what their players do!

 

[ahhhhhh]

Can’t believe people didn’t think this was already happening.

Spoke to a player a few years ago about all the testing stuff and they basically implied players knew how to get around it.

It was obvious I would have thought. Barely anyone ever gets pinged, the three strike policy isn’t there to stop these players.

Anyone acting like it’s some AFL only problem is hilarious. Set foot in any pub, bar or club on a weekend and young people will be doing drugs.

Set foot into any local footy club function on a Saturday night and there will be coke there.

It may be a bit worse in the AFL then general society due to the amount of cash these guys have and because they simply can’t go out and drink a lot because the weight issues it can cause an athlete athlete.

All of that is true, but none of that is relevant to the AFL covering this up and using a dodgy pathology lab to circumnavigate its own drug policy.

 

[PP34]

As I said before, we ask 16 year old apprentices to remain clean even when their friends are using. They lose their jobs. They’re younger, less experienced and don’t have fully developed minds. Yet, they suffer the consequences of their actions. AFL player shouldn’t make you immune.

What a ridiculous comparison. They have to remain clean from drugs and alcohol because worksites have life endangering stuff that can happen.

It isn’t done to make them upstanding members of society.

Countless industries don’t test for stuff because they’re not endangering lives by being impaired.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

Nothing for the Cats to worry about. Completely Clean. Strong family club with family values, would never touch the white powder or the disco biscuits.

Our players are too busy getting "high on life" - surfing, bushwalking, and just generally loving life.

Ok Lingy

 

[Boppo]

If you are a sports talent and people look up to you, any drug taking is met with scorn. If you are a musical, artistic or literary talent and people look up to you, your drug taking is met with celebration. One group is getting the short end of the stick.

 

[PP34]

All of that is true, but none of that is relevant to the AFL covering this up and using a dodgy pathology lab to circumnavigate its own drug policy.

This seems like part of said policy.

 

[oak79]

Hung out to dry in the media???

West Coast's rampant cocaine use (and the long list of misbehaviours and scandalous news stories) is the reason why the AFL forced their "illicit drugs" policy on every club, you dill.

Every club has players messing around with cocaine, ice, ecstasy, etc, and sometimes testing positive. But nobody openly flaunted their drug use and carried like IDIOTS out in the public glare quite like the West Coast Cowboys did from 2004-2007... No club has caused the AFL more embarrassment.

It's always amazed me how you and few other long-time Eagles posters have failed to wrap your heads around this simple truth. Always acting like it was some witch-hunt or vendetta by the Melbourne media.



Just a few news stories that I can recall. There were probably a dozen more.

-- Ben Cousins and Michael Gardiner consorting with gangsters and bikies - crooks who were under police surveillance for drug trafficking, shootings and stabbings. e.g. John Kizon and Troy Mercanti. They were warned by police to stay away from these new "friends", which they both ignored.

The pair were even caught up in a brawl between the Coffin Cheaters and a street gang outside Burswood Casino. Then they refused to co-operate with police afterwards.

-- Ben Cousins punching teammate Daniel Kerr with a right hook, sending him tumbling down a flight of stairs and breaking his arm. Just another Saturday night out with mates.

-- Daniel Kerr's recorded conversation with a convicted drug dealer, buying a large quantity of Ketamine. All caught on a police phone tap and then splashed all over the media.

-- Chad Fletcher overdosing on an end-of-season footy trip to Las Vegas. No pulse. Revived by paramedics and taken to hospital.

-- Cousins quitting the Eagles captaincy after it was revealed he ran from a booze bus and swam across the Swan River

-- Cousins found collapsed and shivering outside a Melbourne nightclub at 2am... “He was sweating and paranoid. He had his hands over his face and was looking around as if he was frightened someone was chasing him,” the witness said. “I think I can tell the difference between drunk and drugs and I’d say he was tripping out bad — his brain was fried on some hard-core stuff.”

-- Cousins finally sacked by the Eagles after failing to pull over for police and leading them on a chase through Perth's suburban streets.

-- Cousins releasing a lurid documentary where he described in detail his drug abuse and football training regimen. Niiiice. It should've been retitled: How to smoke meth and win a Brownlow.

-- the infamous locker room punch-on between Andrew Embley and Daniel Chick after Embley called Chick out over drugs

-- Chris Mainwaring, dead at the age of 41 after overdosing on cocaine and having a seizure.







Why don't you listen to your own former CEO and former Chairman who both resigned in 2007 due to the West Coast drug culture.

The Eagles' dark days: More revelations and an explosive fight

Nisbett would hand back flag, and Embley details fight with Chick

www.afl.com.au

WEST Coast Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett has revealed the club would hand back the 2006 premiership for a healthy playing group, ripped apart by illicit drugs use.

Dalton Gooding, who stepped down as West Coast chairman at the end of 2007, said the club spiralled out of control following the club's third flag.

"In 2006 we had the Chad Fletcher hospital incident in Vegas," he said. "The players probably partied pretty hard, we started to get quite a bit of feedback, we had a think tank in November 2006 as a board where information was fed to the board and we then realised we had to take some serious action."

"We initially thought there was a minority (of players taking illicit substances), but what came out in (the planning session in) Broome in November 2006 indicated that wasn't the case. It was a lot more people than we thought."

Nisbett denied the club had a full understanding of the actions of its players, admitting they lied despite constant examination, particularly Cousins.

"I don't think so, I know so. You can only ask so many questions so many times and you expect a pretty straight and forthright answer," he said. "Unfortunately I didn't get it, we didn't get it and some of the people who were probing didn't get it either. There were worried signs before then and we were aware of them. We were aware of them as early as 2000-2001. It was a matter of how they'd escalated and Ben's behaviour at the time wasn't good."

No one is saying there weren't problems at WC during that period. But you listed 4 players on the gear during that period - do you think there weren't 4+ players on the gear at EVERY club during that period? Don't be nieve - you support "injunction" club, so you should know better. Your club hid things extensively.

The one-eyed focus on West Coast actually resulted in a club that is probably cleaner than any other now.

Other clubs just kept sweeping these things under the carpet (like WC did originally) - and now we know the AFL has been complicit in that sweeping, particularly at Melbourne.

 

[memoryofmchale]

What a ridiculous comparison. They have to remain clean from drugs and alcohol because worksites have life endangering stuff that can happen.

It isn’t done to make them upstanding members of society.

Countless industries don’t test for stuff because they’re not endangering lives by being impaired.

There are risks associated with drug usage by athletes on game day or before game day. Come to work high and it’s not safe to be exercising or in contact training/games.

 

[canny30]

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.

Yeah, on reflection you're correct.

I don't think WADA would have an issue with a governing body not allowing players with banned substances in their system not playing.

 

[memoryofmchale]

Safety?

They aren’t obligated to make players play just to abide to WADA. I’m sure they’ve done their homework on this.

Regardless, they have zero obligation to tell us why a player is out when it relates to a personal matter which is what it would be.

Drugs are banned for safety reasons. Also integrity. It is different to personal reasons or injuries. This is far from a personal matter like a death.

 

[Tjblues]

There are risks associated with drug usage by athletes on game day or before game day. Come to work high and it’s not safe to be exercising or in contact training/games.

They’re literally being STOPPED from coming to work high. It’s safer to use this policy than not.

You saying it shouldn’t exist is more dangerous. If you actually cared about players coming to work “high” on cocaine then this policy would please you

 

[MP_]

Except they’re not breaking any rules.

Well cocaine use is illegal

 

[PP34]

There are risks associated with drug usage by athletes on game day or before game day. Come to work high and it’s not safe to be exercising or in contact training/games.

Firstly, highly unlikely any players are dumb enough to do gear on a game day.

You’d have to be close to a complete junkie to do so.

Secondly, you can’t seriously think whatever absurdly tiny risk that someone may drop dead a few days later during exercise from drug use is comparable to somebody operating heavy machinery, fiddling with wires etc.

 

[PP34]

Well cocaine use is illegal

Victoria Police don’t even bother policing this anymore.

How do you think the safe injection rooms operate?

 

[pattymalone00]

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

It’s arguably semantics at this point but the accusation that I’ve seen is that they ADVISE the players to “fake an injury”.

That’s not banning players from playing, which would be exactly what you are saying. If it’s only a recommendation, then they haven’t manipulated/influenced the result of games

So I think this gets down the crux of it.

There is no 'illicit drugs policy' per se.

There is an 'illicit drugs risk management program'.

 

[The Tilt]

In between games during the season is in competition, isn't it?

Nope:

What is the ‘In-Competition’ period?​

The In-Competition period commences at 11.59pm the night before a competition in which an athlete is scheduled to compete, through to the end of that competition and any sample collection process undertaken.

https://www.sportintegrity.gov.au/what-we-do/anti-doping/prohibited-substances-and-methods/cocaine-use-sport#:~:text=Cocaine%20and%20sport-,Classified%20by%20the%20World%20Anti%2DDoping%20Agency%20(WADA)%20as,use%20%27In%2DCompetition%27.

 

[PP34]

So I think this gets down the crux of it.

There is no 'illicit drugs policy' per se.

There is an 'illicit drugs risk management program'.

It’s what it always has been really.

You don’t see three strike policies on employer policies.

The AFL has always wanted anyone getting strikes given the chance to clean themselves up, seek help if necessary etc.

 

[YeoShuey]

Will this be the story that finally derails Melbourne's season?

 

[PP34]

Drugs are banned for safety reasons. Also integrity. It is different to personal reasons or injuries. This is far from a personal matter like a death.

Drugs are banned because they’re illegal.

Nothing to do with safety reasons when we are talking about an AFL game.

You can’t seriously be trying to argue some bloke doing lines on a Wednesday and playing Saturday is unsafe to himself and others.

 

[Ichiro #51]

AFL has been conducting its own drug tests since 2005 and will continue to keep results secret. That is the AFL illicit drug policy. It's primarily to detect for recreational drugs...which WADA does not care about.

If players aren't taking the field drug affected...that's a good thing.

You're missing the point of the AFL illicit drug policy.

The only issue I see with this whole saga is that the Dee's were potentially trying to avoid their players being a part of the 3 strike policy.

I don’t think it is just the Dees - it’s an AFL wide policy that self reporting potential positive illicit drug test results = no strike. According to Dr Peter Larkins that has been in place since at least 2017.

The link to the Dees is that it is a former employee, president and player’s parent trying to make a controversy out of it for their personal gain.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Simon Goodwin

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"Don't forget the good stuff"

 

[Wray27]

I hate saying it but that’s bloody good stuff from Eddie