Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has called for the AFL’s illicit drugs policy to be scrapped, in the wake of vision emerging of star Bailey Smith with an illicit substance last year.
The AFL’s controversial ‘three strikes’ policy sees players fined $5000 and remain anonymous for a first offence, receive a four-match suspension and have their details released publicly for a second, and then face a 12-match ban for a third.
However, Beveridge believes the policy isn’t working.
“I’m a big believer that it should disappear, and there’s not many sporting codes in the world that have an illicit drug policy – it’s obviously all based around performance enhancing,” he said on Monday.
“None of us really feel it works.
“Ultimately the clubs, the people, the constituents at the football clubs are here to help and support our players.
“And essentially any player with a clinically diagnosed mental health challenge will never be exposed to the policy anyway.”
An oft-criticised loophole in the policy allows players to avoid a strike if they have a diagnosed mental health condition and undergo counselling. According to Beveridge, it’s another problem with the AFL guidelines as they stand.
“Essentially any player with a clinically diagnosed mental health challenge will never be exposed to the policy anyway,” Beveridge said.
“Regardless of when you’re tested or how often you’re tested, you’re always going to get a pass.”
Smith is facing a two-match suspension from the league for ‘conduct unbecoming’, on top of his current two-match ban for a headbutt on Geelong’s Zach Tuohy last week.
Beveridge’s comments come as Smith fronted the media for the first time since images of him with a bag of white powder surfaced on social media on Saturday morning.
Speaking to the Herald Sun, Smith opened up on his struggles with mental health following the Bulldogs’ grand final loss to Melbourne last year, admitting he went ‘days without eating’ at his lowest point.
there have certainly been really dark days,” he said.
“Even now, I haven’t brushed my teeth in two days just because of this stuff… it does hit me, and I do get waves of chronic anxiety and it’s difficult.
“I reckon I went days without eating, even brushing my teeth, leaving my bedroom, I couldn’t talk to people [after the Grand Final].
“I didn’t go on my phone or anything, but that’s just what it was.
“I didn’t do any training, anything like that – I couldn’t even get out of bed to go to training.
“I’m sure lots of people have experienced that, and it’s not an excuse to why I acted the way that I did, but it certainly does provide context as to why I made such a stupid decision like I did.”
Smith admitted to falling into ‘the party life’ through last year as his fame rose – he is the most-followed AFL player on Instagram – and says he hopes now to be a role model for others facing similar problems.
“It is a reality of what lots of people are like – the party life which I’ve tried to steer clear from a lot this year, and got sucked into last year,” Smith said.
“This is good for people to see the path they don’t want to go down.
“Lots of people growing up can fall into the wrong crowds and fall into doing stupid stuff.
“I want to inspire people if they’ve made the wrong decisions or are struggling… there’s always rock bottom, but you can always pick yourself back up from there.
“I own it, I don’t shy away from it … but it’s hard to own up to that when it’s such an embarrassing thing.”
Smith is set to be interviewed by the AFL Integrity Unit later this week.
Bailey Smith of the Bulldogs looks dejected after a loss. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
‘Pull your head in’: Roos great’s blunt message for No.1 pick
Former North Melbourne premiership player David King has a simple message for the club’s prized number one draft pick Jason Horne-Francis”
“He needs to pull his head in – it’s as simple as that.”
The 18-year old has been the target of criticism from around the footy world, for a series of incidents in the Roos’ loss to GWS on Sunday.
Horne-Francis repeatedly expressed frustration in his teammates, including a testy exchange at half time with veteran Todd Goldstein.
Speaking on Fox Footy’s First Crack, King said Horne-Francis’ attitude is ‘a massive issue in his game’.
“He’s abusing his teammates on-field. There’s problems with his own game… he’s not really presenting his best footy, yet he’s happy to spray guys that are 300-gamers,” King said.
“At 18 years of age going into an AFL system, you do not know the lot. You’re not the finished product, so listen to players that are trying to help you.
“It’s a massive issue in his game and it’s a real problem for this kid – from day one, that’s been his mannerisms.
“Now I know you can say he’s frustrated with them not winning, but this is abusing your teammates.
“I think it’s counterproductive to what the group are trying to achieve. I wonder what they’re doing down there to rein that in, because this has been a problem for two months now.”
Horne-Francis is also facing suspension for a late hit on Josh Kelly, that appeared to catch the Giants star on the chin.
However, coach David Noble defended the first-year midfielder after the match.
“He’s a young guy, a young man learning the caper,” Noble said.
“He’s got high standards, high expectations, so there’s some frustration out there, there’s no doubt.
“But I don’t think it’s limited to him.”
rommel
Roar Rookie
I get anxious too but that doesn’t make me go out and give money to vicious drug cartels.
O M
Roar Rookie
You're right Nics....hunger, if the list stays fit, is probably my biggest concern about the 2022 Tigers. It's the final ingredient of success and no Team wins a Premiership without it.
nics
Roar Rookie
No doubt they're flexible, but are they hungry enough is the question. To play devil's advocate, they were playing Port, a side whose modus operandi is to win clearances and bomb it high towards Charlie. I suspect Carlton will be a different proposition with more ways to score. 50:50 game.
O M
Roar Rookie
I thought the Tigers really missed Lynch last week. They had to throw Soldo, Balta & Gibcus up there to try and restore forward balance but it ended up looking like they were robbing Peter to pay Paul. Getting Lynch back this week is a double bonus really, restores our forward line configuration and free Balta and Gibcus to go back and help combat McKay and Curnow. Lambert comes in to play the “Dusty” role which I think he will do quite well considering Dusty hasn’t been his Dusty best of late. Hardwick has built a very flexible team with players that are versatile enough to fill different roles and be match winners. Look at Baker last week against Port. I actually think we deserve to be favourites for the game and really should win this one.
nics
Roar Rookie
Tigers will have some selection dilemmas coming up. When Lynch returns, they might be too tall up forward if they also play Balta and Riewoldt back there along with the resting ruck - Gibcus will have to stay permanently back or swap with Balta depending on matchups. The forward half pressure will probably drop off - you have to admit Dusty is not that known for his tackling and he rests forward usually. Thoughts?
O M
Roar Rookie
He can go there if he wishes....he owes Richmond nothing but saying that, I doubt he'll leave. I reckon tge Tigers making the finals will restore any so called lost mojo.
nics
Roar Rookie
On a serious note, Dusty is looking a tad worse for wear. I wonder whether a switch to the Swans would help him get his mojo back ;)
nics
Roar Rookie
Ahh Don, I see you've chosen classic Trumpian behaviour and picked options (1) and (2) as predicted. I leave you with one question: are Fyfe's Brownlows and GF appearance last decade's news like Dusty? Not much logic in that earlier comment from you at all.
nics
Roar Rookie
I can't think of any other than some list clogger who doesn't track back at the Tigers, can you? ;)
nics
Roar Rookie
Au contraire, I might just be applying your above-stated principle that anything which happened before the turn of the decade is “last decade’s news” and no-one is interested. Or is there a carveout for Fremantle in your grand theory of everything? // There will be people interested in talking about Dusty and Fyfe, regardless of when their achievements occurred. Your statement that “no one is interested in talking about Dusty” is patently wrong – you spend a lot of time discussing him on Richmond game threads. Pretty sure the Richmond fans are keen on discussing Dusty, as the Freo fans are on Fyfe. //After reading this, your innate compulsion to have the last word will mean you will probably respond with (1) an inane non-sequitur like your previous response which doesn’t address the point; (2) a failed attempt at a witty diversion (eg TLDR); or (3) an ad hominem, probably to the effect that I’m not a seasoned footy fan like you or a tr0ll. Feel free to have at it. //Of course, if you were a real football fan and interested in serious discussion, you might have a more seasoned rebuttal to Nick’s comment regarding Buckley rather than just going for the ad hominem. After all, it is unlikely that Buckley did not, at some point, think FIGJAM was a big deal, if he mentioned it in his autobiography, or said the following in 2008 to the Brisbane Times: “I’d never considered how others perceived me until halfway through the 1993 season, when I learned I’d been lumbered with the uncomplimentary nickname FIGJAM. For the uninitiated, it stands for F— I’m Good, Just Ask Me. I was ropeable. Horrified. All my anger was directed at one person, Herald Sun journalist Jon Anderson, who wrote the offending tidbit. I thought: “This bloke doesn’t even know me. I’ve been playing AFL footy for three months. Why would I be strutting around so arrogantly when I’ve proved nothing? It defies logic.”
O M
Roar Rookie
Torn down anymore star sportsman lately Don to, in your words, “hope it would make your life look better.” ?
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
You’re the one talking about Fyfe, Nics.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Not a problem, Nick. I just choose to not have that conversation. It’s what you can do on such sites. You seem compelled to dwell in sadness. You don’t have to.
nics
Roar Rookie
Yes – Dusty is as relevant to this conversation as Fyfe, another player whose Brownlows and GF appearance were in the previous decade. Are they last decade’s news?
O M
Roar Rookie
Where are yoy going Don?
berrlins
Roar Pro
Smith came into the game with anxiety issues, issues that he has talked about publicly for several years so I don't really get the mud slinging for talking about it now. It's not like he invented it before entering the system as an elaborate plan to get of a potential coke charge in years to come. The kid has screwed up and owned it, what more do you want from him?
Nick
Roar Guru
Well, I introduced Bucks into the conversation. And now, Obsessed is introducing Dusty...that's what conversations do.
Muttley
Guest
A petulant hissy fit by the man they call the Giant Panda how curious little man!
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Stop posting and that should solve that. I won't have anything to respond to. If you don't like responses to silly, unfair things that you say, don’t say silly, unfair things. Hey Nick, here's an alternative; don't come on a site like this that depends on comments and responses.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
We're talking about Bucks and JHF. We can all read.