AFL beefs up illicit drugs policy

Yes it is important to note that the AFL is the only comp that publishes figures and AFAIK tests for rec drugs out of season. Let's just do a A-league and not bother to test out of season, surely then people can't complain. !!

People don't seem to understand the anti-drug regimes employed by the AFL. There is the WADA-testing - the in-season regime designed to detect performance enhancing substances which are banned according to the WADA code. It's a penalty-based regime. Then there is the additional AFL-testing - a 12 mth regime which tests for all drugs, including recreational drugs, outside of season as well as in-season. It's a health-based regime. It's also important to note that the AFL is the *only* competition which actually publishes it's results. That's right, for all the "cover up...under the carpet" nonsense, the AFL is the only code to make public it's own testing results. It is something the AFL is not required to do, but it does it anyway. Clearly, the 3 strike policy, created purely in the advice of drug and health experts, wasn't working. So it's been tweaked. Time will tell if these young guys get the message that doing coke is not ok when you're a paid sporting professional.

If we keep taking greater and more stringent measures to protect players from themselves, their decisions and life, I think that how we will end up with a worse situation than now. You don't get model citizens through punishment. Punishments are the least effective form of behaviour modification. They are fear driven and not immediate to the behaviour you're trying to modify, so not as compelling as whatever might be driving the behaviour at the time.. Best have people fully connected with reasons for them to do something rather than not to do something. Thing is partaking in that behaviour once or twice is not the end of the world. It is extremely common and for the most part is largely a personal health choice. The vast majority of people who use drugs do so with minimal to zero impact on their broader life.

yes they will continue to use them but that doesn`t make it ok and until we take proper steps and punishments we will end up the same as we are now.

tezza, people will continue use drugs and use them recreationally. The term "recreational" is entirely appropriate description and whatever term is used broadly for them just gets redefined according to a persons view on the issue. In fact the more we try to shove these things in people's faces the less power they have.

Dalgety I think it is you who may be confused. Until the drugs are legalised they are illegal substances and not "recreational". Imagine what the young players coming through are thinking, gee I can get caught 3 times and the worst that I get is a 12 match suspension and that is only if I get caught. Let`s stop using recreational and say what they are ILLEGAL.

You're confusing ASADA banned substances and recreational drugs.

I'd say you're one of the people you describe who don't fully understand the policy.

ha ha like most people, if ASADA or whoever were screaming around the suburbs undertaking random drug checks, 75% of people under 40 would be in jail having lost their job.

The AFL should be cut some slack, but it won't be, the AFL players association are fairly powerful and they are the ones who wanted to keep 3 strikes, they have met in the middle here. The AFL players association in reality hold the whip hand, they became quite influential and powerful under Demetriou and why shouldn't they be. I also think many people do not fully understand the policies.

Bit of a joke really, an athlete, swimmer etc get 2 years suspension for a first offence & these Prima donnas get a slap on the wrist, be interesting to hear what ASADA has to say about this policy change.

Hope you don't enjoy any of those Beastie Boys records? Consistent with your line they'd be in jail immediately after their first record, had their back-catalogue impounded and scratched from the music trade.

The AFL policy is a joke. If they test and find someone has been taking illegal drugs they must be terminated and reported to the police. What this is saying is that there are too many AFL players on drugs for them to control. Look at what they were getting away with at the eagles all those years ago. It can never be an international sport with this lack of rules. If they are not prepared to take a hard line then don't test and say its not up to you to control it. Gee the AFL is one big PR exercise isn't. They just rant REAL. They aren't Fair Dinkum.

One might think your response indicates a bit of fear trembling inside that crusted-on antagonistic negativity WiG. It could hardly fit into the "knee-jerk" category as they've been working on this for a while now. Of late it's more an issue out of the public health/personal choice sphere and become a more acute WADA type issue for the AFL, given the potential for recreational drugs to be cut with PEDs. Although the public shaming idea is pretty puerile and I don't see what value that adds. Probably that wording is a way they can throw a bone to the doddering faction. If they're suspended all of a sudden, it's pretty much public knowledge anyways. Hopefully the main strategy involves ensuring players are able to make better decisions when out on their own away from the no doubt at times claustrophobic and controlling environment that is the AFL club.

Nothing like a scandal to prompt another kneejerk reaction from the AFL. Of course as usual they're just paying lip service to the issue and behind the scenes things will pretty much keep chugging along as normal. The AFL doesn't have the balls to stand up to the AFLPA on the issue of recreational drugs, or just about anything else for that matter. They're terrified of a strike I imagine.