Australian sport finds itself today in the biggest maelstrom in its history.
A 12-month investigation by the Australian Crime Commission has blown the lid on widespread drug use and the involvement of organised crime in sport in this country.
The shock waves will no doubt continue to reverberate for many months to come as criminal investigations are launched into various sports, teams and individuals.
Today’s news comes in the shadow of the scandal currently engulfing the Essendon Football Club.
Many have stated that should the supplements that were administered to the club’s players be found to contain banned substances, it will be the biggest scandal to have hit the code in its history.
Well, regardless of the outcome of the Essendon inquiry, we all need to brace ourselves as the ACC investigation tells us that the use of performance-enhancing drugs in this country is rife.
Just last night, I was watching Sports Night on Sky News where the Essendon issue was being debated.
One of the special guests on the panel was Richard Ings, the former head of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency (ASADA).
When asked about the practices of ASADA he responded by saying that it is an organisation that is a case of world’s best practice.
He is not alone in that belief as ASADA has long been regarded internationally as one of, if not the, leading anti-doping organisations in the world.
And yet today we find that sport in Australia is mired in a drug culture far beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.
While institutions like ASADA are at the cutting edge with regard to detection and usage of PEDs, the truth remains that only a small number of athletes are undone as a result of the current testing protocols.
And therein lays the most troubling aspect of the drugs in sport debate.
The ACC report tells us, in cold stark prose, that there are literally hundreds of elite athletes in this country who are flaunting the system.
They are able to blatantly cheat yet do so beneath the radar.
The biggest question that needs to be asked – and answered – is how this can happen?
Australia has one of the most stringent anti-doping protocols and still, according to the ACC report, its success rate in identifying cheats seems miniscule.
Sadly, this latest report merely emphasises the enormous battle that sports administrators face on a daily basis.
Mind you, there are organisations that seem to have done little to unearth the drug problem and culture within their sport – you need go no further than the UCI for an example.
Globally in recent history there have been myriad drug scandals and unfortunately the largest and most systematic of them have been unearthed not through testing but by investigations carried out by the likes of police and customs agencies.
Cycling’s 1998 Festina affair, the BALCO inquiry, cycling’s Spanish-based Operation Puerto, the US Postal affair – all these events sent shockwaves through sport yet none of them were triggered as a result of positive drug tests.
How many times did we hear the likes of Marion Jones and Lance Armstrong trot out the well-worn line, “I have never used drugs”, doing so as a result of relying on their published drug test results.
Despite the best intentions of bodies like ASADA, the ACC report brings home to roost the fact that the drug testing of athletes is only the very tip of the iceberg in the battle to unearth the use of PEDs in sport.
The recent high profile downfalls of otherwise legendary names in international sport have come as a result of criminal investigations, the ACC report may well be the genesis of similar outcomes in Australia.
It is clear that the only way to fight drugs in sport effectively is to up the ante with regard to the powers and penalties that can be afforded the criminal investigators.
The ACC has painted a picture that places the PED market fairly and squarely alongside that of the ‘recreational drug’ rackets.
The attention given to organized crime in the report is perhaps the most alarming and concerning aspect of the document.
The authorities’ ongoing battle against illegal societal drugs has primarily been fought in the hope of unmasking and prosecuting the big wigs – the people who are at the pointy end of the pyramid and are responsible for the rackets that have seen our streets flooded with illegal drugs.
It now appears that the sport is being controlled in a similar fashion when it comes to PEDs.
While there is no denying that bodies like ASADA have a crucial role to play in unearthing drug cheats, two things need to be done if the Federal Government is truly determined to get to the bottom of what now appears to be a truly endemic problem in Australia sport.
Firstly, they must fund ASADA to a far greater level. They must have the financial resources to conduct myriad more random tests outside normal playing and training times.
What many of these athletes are charged with using in the ACC report are readily testable substances.
It is incumbent therefore on the government to give ASADA the funds to be able to go out and strike far more often than its current budget allows.
Secondly, the battle – if it can ever be won – is going to occur as a result of stings and investigations by crime fighting agencies.
The mentality that has long been adopted to fight the barons of the societal drug trade has to be adopted by those wishing to clean up sport.
Today marks a nadir for sport in this country with the release of a report that shows the endemic drug use and involvement of organized crime in a sphere of life that Australians hold so dear.
The report also paints a very bleak picture in the area of match-fixing with claims that organized crime has its tentacles well and truly extended into that facet of sport as well.
For too long we have cast stones beyond our borders.
Today, we stand open to similar actions coming our way from abroad. Sport in this country has been delivered a crushing blow.
We now have to sit back and see how, in concert with crime fighting agencies, it can restore its reputation and recapture the faith of those who are actually the reason they exist – the fans.
Sharminator
Roar Rookie
As was noted we have world best practice sports drug agency, but the ACC says there is widespread drug use in Australian sport. Regarding whether this is true, we will have to wait and see, as no one has been named. So what is the solution to drug use in sports? You can throw more money at random testing, but the idea that you can test everbody is impossible. In team sports like the AFL or ARL or Rugby you have up to 50 players (including reserves) playing PER GAME! Logistically and monetarily it would be impossible to test everyone, every game. Anyway, the majority of illegal substances such as steroids and growth hormones stay in the system for weeks or months, so testing everybody all the time isnt necessary. For me, the real solution, combined with perhaps a little more random testing, is simply education and monitoring of athletes. Clubs and Governing bodies need to regularly give presentations to athletes about sports doping and its effects, to remind them of the rules, and to ask them what supplements they may be taking individually. Regarding sports nutrition, it is an important part of any sport today. The idea that I have heard from some people, that clubs or individuals should simply take no supplements and forgot sport science, is ridiculous. One hundreth of a second can mean the difference between 1st and 2nd, aerobic stamina or strenght can mean winning or losing a grand final, legal supplements are fine. Perhaps governing bodies and clubs needs to regularly check or test the supplements clubs are supplying athletes to make sure nothing illegal is being taken. But for me, the biggest thing clubs need to do, is simply regulalry remind athletes of examples such as Lance Armstrong and Marion Jones, who were at one stage rich and on top of the world due to sporting success, but doped, lied, were forced to admit their drug use, were stripped of their titles, and are now discredited and living in shame. No sports star would want that to happen to them. Constant education, control of supplements, and continued random testing, is the best way to stop prohibited drug use in Australian sport.
dognap
Guest
To the Channel 7 person above, they are amateurs comapred to the Nine network and NRL... The other day 4.30 news the Sydney sport reporter said they would name 4 Collingwood players after the break taking illicit drugs, break come on and Tony Jones we are no t going to name the players etc...
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
To Glenn, Aussie Rules & the word 'cultural event' don't fit?! Of course it's a cultural event! You may have an aversion to it, but that's of no importance. I think you might be confusing culture with 'high culture' perhaps? Not sure where youve gained your interpretation of the word 'culture' from, but you might need to look again. As E.P. Thompson was often quoted ; 'Patrician society, plebeian culture'. Still true today.
TC
Guest
I'm with you Dean. A classic case of political grandstanding on the part of the Minister, while the agencies involved put their hand out for more taxpayer money. In the meantime, the ACC report says bugger all, seriously, it says bugger all. On top of that, I have trouble reconciling the fact that we are making a song and dance about banned substances "potentially" being used by elite sports, while much of the report is actually about amateur sport and body building. Surely the inclusion of body building muddies the waters severely - everyone knows they have always used roids, no surprises there - why bother mentioning them at all if there's such a big issue in elite sport? Because the evidence in relation to elite sport is absolutely thin on the ground and couldn't sustain a report in its own right? I smell a rat.
me, I like football
Guest
http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/news/newsid=101482/index.html
vocans
Guest
We need it all out in the open asap, because until then we will not know who to trust. Until then we will watch but our watching will feel tainted. If it takes too long, many will turn to other things. Perhaps back to less than elite sport and more participation. It's time all those involved in sport, and fans, turn out the cheats and the profiteers, to save something we all hold very dear indeed.
ac
Guest
this all makes me wish for the innocent days when i was young following the NRL in sydney. Now all we hear about is cheating, doping, you name it. The AFlL,NRL and all the other codes have a big mess on their hands. Probably its too late now to fix this up because its a issue that is right through Society. Yep when i think of how my friends and i would camp out all night to see our heroes the next day I now realise what a golden time i lived in as a young person. Theres not much left not to wonder about is there now. I am sure the majority of players are not involved deliberately in anything. But how did this mess get like this and so quickly?
Martin
Guest
Allowing sports betting would obviously open doors for criminals. Is anyone surprised?
mick
Guest
IAs was told to me, cyclists, swimmers etc get on the drugs as participants in other countries are on it so it was needed to get near the top. AFL on it as other teams are on it? They have had the evidence for years, phone taps, drug seizures, forged prescriptions, even Dale Lewis told them years ago & got riduculed. Now they talk about integrity officers & other spin.. They still do not call tanking matching fixing. When will people learn.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
a week afterthe AFLs drug summit and Gary Perts comments about Collingwood? Id say theres much to be read in the timing of all 3 incidents.
Jonesy74
Guest
Dean.P, i have a number of sources stating that all black and warrior players are all over the investigation.
Brendan
Guest
That's true regarding the afl however soccer is different as it is an entirely different league. However with every new tv deal what I stated above rings more and more true. Monday night nrl against when the fans want it, Sunday arvo, and Sunday twilight afl games. I would hazard a guess the average crowds in these 'tv timeslots' are quite a bit less than the overall averages.
Robbo
Guest
Let's wait until some clubs and/or players are actually named before we have a massive panic and paint everyone with the same brush. The media will have a field day with this and turn it into some apocalyptic event, everyone have some patience before we all have some massive freak out. Let specific individuals be named and shamed first.
Fred
Guest
Channel 9 was completely different. They ran the story saying that all professional sporting clubs in QLD except for the Suns and Lions had come out and stated they were clean. This was most likely the pro-NRL media coming out though. Channel 7 despite being the football broadcaster dont often have Lions/Suns in media reports. They do alot to promote the NRL. Also the local Channel 7 news had reports about football.
David M
Guest
Has this problem (drugs in sport) got considerably worse since betting was allowed and is there a relationship between the two? I think gambling is a major problem for our country. The administrators and government allowed and facilitated this gambling and are therefore partly responsible.
DeanP
Guest
Glenn, I'd wait to see what eventuates from this report. It might well turn out to be a whole lot less dramatic than the initial reactions to it would suggest. It was my understanding that the testing, and investigative regime in Oz was as stringent as anywhere in the world. It may turn out that your backyard is sullied, but others backyards might be even more so. Indeed, I'm sure that will turn out to be the case. But we will have to wait and see what happens. I was little disturbed with the innuendo and suspicion, across a wide range of sports, cast by this report. I hope, that should a lot of it amount to nothing, that you and others will ask be asking the necessary questions.
gawa
Guest
I feel for AFL fans, it really appears as though their governing body and their stooges in the commercial media networks have hidden so much from public view. Only this evening the Ch 7 news in Brisbane ran their main 'story' or report on this whole fiasco. Two clips of Brisbane Roar ( 1 in training and 1 from an A League Grand Final ) and a few clips of NRL players aswell as two clips from police - saying in one clip how Soccer was most at threat and the second clip how soccer and cricket were both at threat. A deliberate muddling of potential match fixing due to our proximity to Asia and the definite issues with drugs. For the record there were no clips of any AFL players at all in the report. You can pretend that this was a real news report or that Ch 7 have totally spun a pro AFL line because they have invested hundreds of millions of $'s. The sad truth is that the fans are the ones being cheated with their money and emotions. I've watched many an AFL game on tv and you guys deserve better. I am primarily an A League fan but fully respect the levels that football fans of all codes go to in support of their teams.
Bill Larkin
Guest
I believe you are right. The timing of Essendon's presser alone is not a coincidence. I normally don't believe in conspiracy theories, but this can't be ignored.
Brewski
Guest
@ Deanp, can't help but agree with your posts, slow news week IMO, some actual football would really help, but in the off season journos gotta find something. I think if we re-trace history, it will show us that some 'huge' football news story breaks every year in the slow months.
Glenn Mitchell
Expert
I think that is the whole problem in this country Dean. We always believe it is the others that are doing it and we are far better. I honestly do not believe that is the case. Drug testing is catching very few cheats - Armstrong, Jones, Festina, Operation Puerto are all examples of that. They were brought undone by criminal and customs investigations. This current ACC inquiry is the first major one in this country that has truly looked at it all from a criminal angle rather than purely trying to catch cheats through testing. I believe that as a result we will find that our backyard is just as sullied as the others we have looked own on over the years. I hope I am wrong but logic tells me otherwise.