Former Collingwood star Dane Swan has admitted taking illegal drugs during his AFL career at the Magpies.
“You show me someone who doesn’t know someone who has experimented or tried social drugs, and I will show you a liar,” Swan told the Sunday Herald Sun.
“I have experimented with what some people call recreational drugs, but have never taken performance-enhancing drugs or what you might call ‘heavy’ drugs.”
Swan, who won the Brownlow Medal in 2011, revealed that he never failed a drug test during his career which started at Collingwood in 2003.
“Not one positive test under the AFL’s illicit drugs policy, which, given the amount of times I was tested, proves that drugs have never been an issue through my career, despite what some people have implied,” the 32-year-old said.
“I am not promoting it, or encouraging it, or glorifying it … of course I have tried drugs, but it doesn’t mean that I have a habit or a problem, it doesn’t mean that I do it every single weekend or to the extent that people have speculated about it.”
Swan retired after suffering a foot injury in the opening minutes of the 2016 season, bringing an end to his 258-game career which included winning a premiership in 2010.
Asd
Guest
Attention seeking Swan
Paul D
Roar Guru
Couldn't agree more.
Ryan
Guest
Yes i agree.
Kavvy
Guest
If he is doing it out of competition and it's not performance enhancing it's really not our business. If he (or any player) is taking party drugs on occasion as long as he doesn't get violent or abuse women while on them who actually cares and why is it newsworthy. It's not my thing but no doubt a few lines of coke and some mount franklins is gonna be better for the skinfolds than 7 stubbies and few jack and cokes on a night out.
Perry Bridge
Guest
And certainly as a Brownlow medalist and 3 time Copeland trophy (Collingwood B&F) winner - he WOULD have been seriously targeted by the WADA testing program administered by ASADA. However - it seems clear that the AFL illicit testing is more likely to detect people - possibly he avoided a 'strike' by virtue of self reporting (while that loophole existed) or the non-binding hair follicle testing. Doesn't really matter to me. As a person it is clear how he has grown and matured. I don't like Collingwood but I don't mind Dane Swan (although I don't like tattoos).