Hot Topic Off The Books Illicit Drug Test Claims in Bombshell AFL ‘Cover-Up’ - Injuries Faked To Evade Game Day Detection

[katmanblue]

Am I naive enough not to think that AFL players in all clubs have regular recreation drug users? No.

Am I naive enough not to think most professional sporting organisations face the same problems with recreation drug use? No.

What does smell funny is how this all came about. With all the propaganda and junk being delivered these days with everything from vaccines, politics, blah blah, wouldn't be shocked to be sitting here if a rival code looking to contain the growth of the game had some input.

Jet fuel steel beams

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[Aphrodite]

Goodwin

Goodwin shocked by allegations of secret drug testing

Simon Goodwin says he has no line of sight on allegations of secret drug-testing of players facilitated by the AFL

www.afl.com.au

 

[lily of laguna]

Goodwin

One thing we can be certain of, Goody will not be drinking cans of coke in the dug out during games!!

 

[katmanblue]

They weren’t doing the mandatory reporting to a couple of governing bodies - WADA and Sports Integrity Australia

That's only if the clubs are getting the results.


If the players themselves are getting tested, even if it's quietly encouraged by the club, then the club can honestly say they don't know the player had a positive test.

 

[bigm386]

For the AFL to try and justify testing players to avoid them testing positive for drugs off the books is amazingly stupid.

Absolute bush league.

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

Nothing, it has nothing to do with them and there is nothing that’s been reported that would concern them.

The article is specifically talking about players voluntarily being tested in the days before a match and withdrawing due to drug use.

The drugs being tested for are only relevant to the sporting bodies if they are classed as a game day test.

I would imagine that ASADA/WADA could sanction the AFL and/or the clubs if it's proven they were complicit in avoiding gameday tests that would show up positive.
Surely the league and clubs agree to abide by the code if they are signatories?

 

[DangerousD]

You don’t see that as a problem though?

The AFL is essentially enabling these habits. Players should be caught out if they’re using illicit drugs so closely to game day that it registers a positive result.

Which part does the AFL have control over though?
They supposedly know players are doing this but what do you think they are actually doing?

Players are going to a private clinic for a test, getting the result and making a decision that protects their interests, it just happens that it also protects their club and the AFLs interests.

I ask what you think the AFL should be doing because, medical businesses can’t share patient data with anyone and doctors can’t share patient data with anyone.

Where this becomes a little dirty is, does the club know that player A is regularly self testing and missing games and not doing more to help.

 

[Styxx]

I don't think players can avoid any tests for performance enhancing drugs, and maybe they don't test for recreational drugs during that.

If the test is for illicit drugs then it falls outside of WADA, becomes a health issue between player and Doc and the club can't be told.

 

[Arr0w]

Bartlett still has more damaging material on the Demons and the AFL

This is far from hitting its peak

 

[ESKIE]

Bartlett still has more damaging material on the Demons and the AFL

This is far from hitting its peak

He no happy

 

[Coops93]

This is straight out of the NFL playbook (I worked there). We would have AFL delegations come over to see how we ran football operations and no doubt this type of thing was on the table. What normal folks consider "dark arts" are business as usual there when it comes to keeping young assets on the park.

I sleep much better since I left.

Even the NFL frequently bans players due to the "Health and Wellness Policy" (iirc that's what it's called) i.e. drugs, just without specifics, for several weeks.

That is worlds better than what is alleged the AFL is doing.

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

If the AFL has been driving this, based on their statement today, I think it's fair to say that everyone's suspicions are confirmed about players with 3 strikes serving out their penalties under the guise of a long term injury.
We will never hear about a player having 3 strikes.

 

[DangerousD]

I would imagine that ASADA/WADA could sanction the AFL and/or the clubs if it's proven they were complicit in avoiding gameday tests that would show up positive.
Surely the league and clubs agree to abide by the code if they are signatories?

As has been mentioned in several articles today, illicit drugs don’t concern ASADA and WADA unless it’s on game day.

 

[Stamos]

I would imagine that ASADA/WADA could sanction the AFL and/or the clubs if it's proven they were complicit in avoiding gameday tests that would show up positive.
Surely the league and clubs agree to abide by the code if they are signatories?

You realise they’re avoiding game day tests by not playing, right?
So they’re not doping. So why would WADA have a problem with it?

Just like when the West Coast doctor pulled that kid out just before the game last year because he’d had too many puffs of his asthma medication.

 

[Stamos]

Even the NFL frequently bans players due to the "Health and Wellness Policy" (iirc that's what it's called) i.e. drugs, just without specifics, for several weeks.

That is worlds better than what is alleged the AFL is doing.

The NFL does it for performance enhancing drugs…

 

[Coops93]

The NFL does it for performance enhancing drugs…

They do for PEDs as well, yes.

Ever heard of Josh Gordon? His several year bans certainly weren't PED related. Von Miller also was banned several times, and got very close to a year long ban. There's others but they're 2 that jump to mind immediately for me.

 

[branedotorg]

For the AFL to try and justify testing players to avoid them testing positive for drugs off the books is amazingly stupid.

Absolute bush league.

quite the opposite imo, it's a very slick exploitation of the loophole.

don't like it though

 

[Stig O'Hara]

I would imagine that ASADA/WADA could sanction the AFL and/or the clubs if it's proven they were complicit in avoiding gameday tests that would show up positive.
Surely the league and clubs agree to abide by the code if they are signatories?

Gubby Allen & Craig Lambert both got a year’s suspension when they hid Lachie Whitfield at Lambert’s house for 3 days back in 2016.

Leach: Gubby and Lambert deserve longer bans than Whitfield

The looming suspensions to be handed down to Graham ‘Gubby’ Allan and Craig Lambert for their involvement in allegedly hiding Lachie Whitfield from ASADA drug testers deserve to be longer than those handed down to the Giant, says Francis Leach.

www.sen.com.au

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

As has been mentioned in several articles today, illicit drugs don’t concern ASADA and WADA unless it’s on game day.

You realise they’re avoiding game day tests by not playing, right?
So they’re not doping. So why would WADA have a problem with it?

Just like when the West Coast doctor pulled that kid out just before the game last year because he’d had too many puffs of his asthma medication.

I'm fully aware of that, but this is just a roundabout way of avoiding a game day test.
The only difference between this and say Willie Rioli, is that Willie played. It's effectively falsifying a test by avoiding it. And it's apparently sanctioned by the AFL and performed by the clubs...
Surely there's wider implications than just 'WADA don't care'? They're literally dodging the system.

 

[Stamos]

I'm fully aware of that, but this is just a roundabout way of avoiding a game day test.
The only difference between this and say Willie Rioli, is that Willie played. It's effectively falsifying a test by avoiding it. And it's apparently sanctioned by the AFL and performed by the clubs...
Surely there's wider implications than just 'WADA don't care'? They're literally dodging the system.

No.
It’s more like avoiding losing your license for drink driving by not actually driving once you’ve drunk too much.

 

[GeoCoulthard]

As has been mentioned in several articles today, illicit drugs don’t concern ASADA and WADA unless it’s on game day.

That is all fair and reasonable. The bit that I cannot stomach is the AFL SECRETLY doing the testing and providing inaccurate reasons for a player not playing. It now means that any player not playing for any personal reason or for hamstring tightness or some other not physically obvious reason is now under suspicion.

Happy for the AFL to have this illicit drug testing regime but 1. don't make it secret, 2. record a positive finding as a 'strike' as in the illicit drug 3 strike policy, 3. record a players absence as 'substance abuse recovery' or something similar (and make it at least a 2 week absence from playing). Affected players may not like it but a little bit of 'sunlight' is a very good disinfectant. You would hope that the vast majority of players and supporters would accept this and be supportive of the affected player and be there to help ensure they don't continue to offend and potentially impact on their long-term health.

If the suspect players don't like that and want to continue their lifestyle choice then let them risk wearing the 4 year suspension when they test positive on game day.

 

[Coops93]

record a players absence as 'substance abuse recovery' or something similar

Might be too on the nose imo. Like I mentioned earlier, the NFL calls it a "Health and Wellness" policy (or something similar). Saying a breach to the Health and Wellness policy is much easier on the ears. It means the same thing but comes across better which is important imo

 

[jj1978]

Which part does the AFL have control over though?
They supposedly know players are doing this but what do you think they are actually doing?

Players are going to a private clinic for a test, getting the result and making a decision that protects their interests, it just happens that it also protects their club and the AFLs interests.

I ask what you think the AFL should be doing because, medical businesses can’t share patient data with anyone and doctors can’t share patient data with anyone.

Where this becomes a little dirty is, does the club know that player A is regularly self testing and missing games and not doing more to help.

I guess going to an off-site clinic to check if you've been doped as opposed to going to an off-site clinic to get doped is a better thing.

 

[ctwenty1]

Andrew Wilkie certainly has form as a whistleblower. I imagine he would have dotted his i’s and crossed his t’s

protection of parliament. No need to dot i's or cross t's.

 

[ctwenty1]

The article states Melbourne picked up other players with cocaine dependency. So assumption is it's league wide.

Ben Brown from North. May GCS. Leaver Crows. Shache Lions. Grundy Pies.

List goes on.

GCS - we also picked up one from there with a "pre-existing" condition