Mega Thread Hot Topic - Drugs and AFL

[Stryke]

I say this everytime it comes up but while cocaine is definitely a stimulant, I am not sure running around playing professional sport while cooked out of your head is a performance advantage. Honestly.

Source - Have been cooked.

 

[bringbackbucky]

What happens if they test positive for steroids in the mid-week voluntary test? Does the club still cover it up?

And if cocaine is so rife, why aren't ASADA at clubs doing unannounced, random tests during the week?

EDIT: I see REH answered the 2nd point above...

 

[bringbackbucky]

Yes they do.

However stimulants like Cocaine don't count in non-match day testing and as far as I know, they would just inform the player/club they have passed their doping tests, not you have passed the test but player X was found to have these illicit drugs in the system.

Its why the AFL organises and controls the illicit drug testing.

So basically, if WADA just banned cocaine outright, and not just as a prohibited match-day stimulant, the whole problem would be solved?

 

[theouthouse]

McGuire's take on what the AFL will change and announce by June this year

Pretty decent and level headed discussion going on there.

I think it sounds like the right way to go, the negative power of secrecy is extremely strong and debilitating.

 

[Grave Danger]

Selectors will need to know - which players did not have the fish?

 

[Holden Hillbilly]

Only an "incredibly small number" of AFL players have been protected by secret drug tests in the past decade, the head of the AFL Players Association says.

AFLPA chief executive Paul Marsh says speculation 100 players have been granted some immunity by club doctors over drug test results is guesswork. Marsh stressed only the AFL would know the true figures but in his experience the number of players involved in such cases was minute. "It feels like the commentary around this is that it's happening every week," Marsh told SEN Radio on Thursday.
"I've been doing this job for nearly 10 years and there would be less than a handful of players that this has been an example for. (An) incredibly small number. "Nowhere near the level as perhaps ... this story is suggesting."

Small numbers, clubs aware of secret drug tests: AFLPA

Players boss Paul Marsh has spoken out over the AFL's drugs-test bombshell, saying clubs are aware of the program that affects an "incredibly small" group.

thewest.com.au

 

[Hodges 153!]

Only an "incredibly small number" of AFL players have been protected by secret drug tests in the past decade, the head of the AFL Players Association says.

AFLPA chief executive Paul Marsh says speculation 100 players have been granted some immunity by club doctors over drug test results is guesswork. Marsh stressed only the AFL would know the true figures but in his experience the number of players involved in such cases was minute. "It feels like the commentary around this is that it's happening every week," Marsh told SEN Radio on Thursday.
"I've been doing this job for nearly 10 years and there would be less than a handful of players that this has been an example for. (An) incredibly small number. "Nowhere near the level as perhaps ... this story is suggesting."

Small numbers, clubs aware of secret drug tests: AFLPA

Players boss Paul Marsh has spoken out over the AFL's drugs-test bombshell, saying clubs are aware of the program that affects an "incredibly small" group.

thewest.com.au

But then.... he's just guessing.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

What happens if they test positive for steroids in the mid-week voluntary test? Does the club still cover it up?

If ASADA now Sports Integrity Australia do a mid week test and steroids are found then the player is in big trouble.

The AFL and AFLPA agreed on the illicit drug testing regime over and above the WADA code, so the AFL contracts a lab/testing company to do these tests, different to who SIA use, so the testers probably only do tests that will pick up illicit drugs and not steroids, EPO, HGH IGF1 etc as they have different tests to detect those substances.

 

[Duck Farmer]

Once the season starts every day should be treated as "in competition" for the purposes of drug testing, not just match days.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Once the season starts every day should be treated as "in competition" for the purposes of drug testing, not just match days.

Which is basically what McGuire argued last night and 3 weeks ago on Footy Classified, is what the clubs and AFL want for the illicit drugs policy.

 

[Duckimus Prime]

Once the season starts every day should be treated as "in competition" for the purposes of drug testing, not just match days.

Which is basically what McGuire argued last night and 3 weeks ago on Footy Classified, is what the clubs and AFL want for the illicit drugs policy.

No strong coffees during the season for AFL players. Because caffeine in sufficient quantity is a banned stimulant "in competition".

 

[Hodges 153!]

Which is basically what McGuire argued last night and 3 weeks ago on Footy Classified, is what the clubs and AFL want for the illicit drugs policy.

AFLPA blow back is the obvious sticking point.

But what actual say do they have if it came to a head?

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

No strong coffees during the season for AFL players. Because caffeine in sufficient quantity is a banned stimulant "in competition".

Caffeine was taken off the WADA prohibited list years ago. However under S6 Stimulants it is listed as

EXCEPTIONS

• Clonidine
• Imidazole derivatives for dermatological, nasal, ophthalmic or otic use (e.g. brimonidine, clonazoline, fenoxazoline, indanazoline, naphazoline, oxymetazoline, tetryzoline, tramazoline, xylometazoline) and those stimulants included in the 2023 Monitoring Program*

* Bupropion, caffeine, nicotine, phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, pipradrol, and synephrine: These substances are included in the 2024 Monitoring Program and are not considered Prohibited Substances.

** Cathine (d-norpseudoephedrine) and its l-isomer: Prohibited when its concentration in urine is greater than 5 micrograms per millilitre.
*** Ephedrine and methylephedrine: Prohibited when the concentration of either in urine is greater than 10 micrograms per millilitre.
**** Epinephrine (adrenaline): Not prohibited in local administration, e.g. nasal, ophthalmologic, or co-administration with local anaesthetic
agents.
***** Pseudoephedrine: Prohibited when its concentration in urine is greater than 150 micrograms per millilitre.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

AFLPA blow back is the obvious sticking point.

But what actual say do they have if it came to a head?

The AFLPA have to tick off on any procedure the AFL wants to have over and above the WADA code.

It sounds like the AFLPA realise there are a lot of problems with the current illicit drug testing system and they have to be involved in a change to it, and the AFL has been pushing the lets blow up the current system line since the Joel Smith positive tests were made public by SIA and they charged him with trafficking.

Under the WADA code, trafficking is selling, giving PEDS inc stimulants to at least 1 other person. Under Common Law trafficking in drugs is dealing in many kilos of the drugs and selling it in an organised fashion to many people and making a profit from the trafficking.

Plus a lot of players who have no interest in illicit drugs, have been lobbying the AFLPA that the way the system is run, they get tarred with the same brush as those who regularly partake in taking them.

 

[WillemDaDrew]

Off topic, but there's been plenty of great songs written about Cocaine, this is my fav.
Cocaine Blues sang by legend Keef.

A great little campfire riff if you can loop the chord progression correctly.

Johnny Cash has a cool one too, but with more a western swing to it

 

[Hodges 153!]

The AFLPA have to tick off on any procedure the AFL wants to have over and above the WADA code.

They "have to tick off", or else what.....?

 

[JimmyBC]

I did a hammy last night just letting y'all know.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

The Coodabeens - well Greg Champion wrote this song re PED's after 1988 Seoul Olympics and Aussie pentathlete Alex Watson for having a too high caffeine level after drinking coffee all day between his 5 events.

This clip has about half the song and then to the tune of the Monkey's Hey Hey we're the Monkey's he has Hey Hey we're on Steroids with the lines -
Here he comes, walking down the street,
He's all muscle from his head to his feet,
It's a forgone conclusion, he'll beat Carl Lewis again.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

They "have to tick off", or else what.....?

It stays the same policy.

But Paul Marsh, CEO of the AFLPA, has acknowledged publicly that the current policy has to change.

 

[simba_]

I did about 30 hammies at my mates house but still drove home

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Off topic, but there's been plenty of great songs written about Cocaine, this is my fav.
Cocaine Blues sang by legend Keef.

A great little campfire riff if you can loop the chord progression correctly.

Johnny Cash has a cool one too, but with more a western swing to it

Ever since middle of yesterday afternoon, every time I have heard some AFL industry or media person come out and say drugs are bad for you, it causes mental health problems, it can kill you etc, I immediately think of Keeff and Mick and that they have made it past 80 and have had a farken great time over the last 60 years or so.

 

[Stryke]

Ever since middle of yesterday afternoon, every time I have heard some AFL industry or media person come out and say drugs are bad for you, it causes mental health problems, it can kill you etc, I immediately think of Keeff and Mick and that they have made it past 80 and have had a farken great time over the last 60 years or so.

I mean how long do you have for me to type out the list of entertainers that drugs has ruined

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Ever since middle of yesterday afternoon, every time I have heard some AFL industry or media person come out and say drugs are bad for you, it causes mental health problems, it can kill you etc, I immediately think of Keeff and Mick and that they have made it past 80 and have had a farken great time over the last 60 years or so.

Yeah but those guys are super-rich, live in a bubble and would get the highest quality drugs. Who knows what they're like inside that bubble.

Jerry Hall was married to Mick Jagger for 20 years, then went and married Rupert Murdoch 17 years later. Maybe she thought he was Brad Pitt, who knows?

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I mean how long do you have for me to type out the list of entertainers that drugs has ruined

There is plenty, and plenty have mixed illicit drugs with prescription drugs and seen their demise, but there are plenty that have lived a good, long life.

Bottom line, its not all doom and gloom, otherwise people wouldn't try them.

 

[Relativity]

Off topic, but there's been plenty of great songs written about Cocaine, this is my fav.
Cocaine Blues sang by legend Keef.

A great little campfire riff if you can loop the chord progression correctly.

Johnny Cash has a cool one too, but with more a western swing to it

Jackson Browne wrote the song.