Banned St Kilda midfielder Ahmed Saad is free to continue his AFL career from the 2015 season after the AFL Anti-Doping Appeals Board dismissed an appeal to increase his ban.
Australia’s anti-doping agency, ASADA, had appealed the decision, arguing for a longer 24-month ban.
After a hearing last month, the AFL confirmed the decision to keep Saad’s ban at 18 months, but did not publish the rationale.
Saad failed the test in July 2013, started his suspension in August and was delisted by the Saints in November.
The 18-month ban allows him to nominate for the 2014 AFL draft and play again in 2015 – if there is a club interested in re-drafting him.
Saad thanked his supporters, saying the certainty brought relief.
“I am relieved that this is all over, it has been a very long and hard 10 months on myself and everyone around me,” he said.
“I’ll continue training hard to give myself the best opportunity to come back next season.”
The AFL website said Saad consumed “Before Battle”, a sports drink banned on match days.
The drink contains Methyl Synephrine HCL, the same substance sprinters Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell and other sprinters have previously tested positive to.
One of Saad’s legal representatives, George Haros of Blue Rock Law, said the result was just.
“I think what this decision demonstrates is that, despite the strict liability imposed by the AFL anti-doping code, the code does have scope to find decisions which are both fair and accord with common sense,” he said.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
If it has no magical properties - how do you get rubbed out for 18 months? (trace elements no less)
Axle an the guru
Guest
I couldn't agree with you more Gene.
Cat
Roar Guru
Not me, I don't believe in all the gym rat crap, if gov't ever got smart and started regulating that garbage you'd see 99% of it removed from the market, the claims they make are backed up garbage 'science' thats about as believable as the 'drinkable sunscreen product' claims making the rounds of late.
Axle an the guru
Guest
Its all promoted to be better than anything eles you can have Gene, and im sure you would get sick an tired of reading every single thing on a can, before long you would be just cracking in and drinking it
Cat
Roar Guru
If I was making 6 figures a year, and warned every single seasons numerous times that I was responsible for everything I put in my body ... damn sure I'd read labels and be extra safe. At the end of the day all those sports drinks are just chemicals in a can and have never been proven to do jack squat for anyone, so why risk it?
Axle an the guru
Guest
It just goes to show how pathetic this all is,18 month ban for a legal sports drink. Some will say he should have looked at the ingredients,but all i would say to them is, do you look at ingredients on everything you consume? ASADA are acting like the little pathetic Hitlers they are by wanting the ban extended to 24 months. A bit of common sence from that mob wouldnt go astray,but there more concerned about ruining a blokes career over a legal sports drink than using some logic.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Good result for Ahmed, although it's a travesty he could get done for 18 months because of trace elements in the cordial.