Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says he was surprised by allegations of secret drug-testing being conducted to enable AFL players to avoid detection.
Federal MP Andrew Wilkie on Tuesday told parliament of the allegations made by whistleblowing former Demons club doctor Zeeshan Arain, ex-club president Glen Bartlett and Shaun Smith, father of Melbourne player and alleged drug trafficker Joel Smith.
Wilkie said the trio had alleged players who tested positive had faked injuries and withdrawn from games to avoid match-day drug testing by Sports Integrity Australia (SIA), and that details of the “off-the-books” tests were never shared with SIA or the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
On Wednesday morning, Demons premiership coach Goodwin insisted he had no knowledge of the alleged practice.
(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
“(The drugs) policy is an AFL policy, it’s an AFLPA (Players Association) policy and it’s led through a medical model,” Goodwin said.
“So you’re asking me questions that I have no line of sight over. It’s something that I’ve never really thought about.
“I just back in the process of what the policy is. These are questions you’re going to have to ask the AFL.”
AAP has contacted the AFL for comment, and league chief executive Andrew Dillon is expected to address the allegations on Wednesday.
Goodwin said the allegations would not make him second-guess the information he receives from club doctors.
“When you start to digest the information that you get given, you take it on face value,” he said.
“This is a process that the AFL, the AFLPA and the club doctors put together from a confidentiality perspective, so to have no line of sight is not unusual.
“But I’ve got enormous trust in our doctor, in terms of them being able to do their job.
“I’m not going to question how they go about their business.”
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Wilkie described the “deeply troubling allegations of egregious misconduct within the AFL” from Arain, Bartlett and Smith as credible and detailed – and provided signed statements given to him clearly identifying the sources of the documents.
“The allegations include the prevalence of drug abuse and other prohibited behaviour across the AFL, off-the-books drug-testing of players at Dorevitch Pathology in Heidelberg, facilitated by the former chief medical officer of the AFL Peter Harcourt, the resting of players testing positive in these secret tests, ostensibly on account of injury, wilful inaction by AFL chairman Richard Goyder, and former CEO Gill McLachlan and the removal of Mr Bartlett as president of Melbourne after he suggested to Mr Goyder and Mr McLachlan that AFL officials be regularly drug tested,” Wilkie told parliament on Tuesday night.
Wilkie said Arain had referenced the AFL wanting players to compete at all costs.
“If there are no illegal drugs in the player’s system they are free to play, and if there are drugs in their system the player is often asked to fake an injury,” Wilkie said.
“They are advised to lie about a condition, while the results of the off-the-book tests are kept secret and are never shared with Sports Integrity Australia or WADA.
“In other words, hundreds of thousands of Australians will watch the game not knowing that the game has been secretly manipulated by the AFL, and thousands of Australians will bet on that game not knowing the game has been secretly manipulated by the AFL.”
Wilkie said Arain alleged it wasn’t a Melbourne problem but an “AFL problem” with a number of players arriving at the club with pre-existing cocaine dependencies.
Dumbo
Roar Rookie
Nailed it in one ! Well summarised.
Chancho
Roar Rookie
So, my understanding so far is that this offsite testing of players happens and that the AFL is not only aware of it but it is part of their medical policy? They don't want to punish players that test positive and who might have a problem, they want to help them stay clean? But this then causes the AFL a problem, where if a player returns a positive test from the offsite lab, then they have to fabricate a reason for why the player is now unavailable, because they can't use the real reason? Then, because it's a personal medical matter, this also doesn't have to be reported to the club, given what Goodwin seems to be saying? I also listened to Tim Watson and Garry Lyon on SEN who had Sam Edmund on, part of that interview also included a previous chat between Tim and Tom Harley, Swans CEO, and Tom said that this arrangement was news to him, a lot like what Goodwin seemed to be saying. This all feels so messy and sordid, I get why the players would want this the way it is, and I assume the AFLPA as well, but what if a President, following consultation with members etc, decided to clamp down on drug use at their club, what ever efforts the president and the Board resolve can't be put into practice because of the arrangement between the players and the AFL. And as fans are we now going to be suspect of those players that miss a week with an injury? And what about those players that do get a little injury but now think 'I don't want to people to think I'm on anything' and play through an injury? This is such a mess. Hopefully in the coming days there'll be some reasons and clarity as to how this came to be, but given it's the AFL I doubt it
Frodo
Roar Rookie
In a good win.
RT
Roar Rookie
In other words, hundreds of thousands of Australians will watch the game not knowing that the game has been secretly manipulated by the AFL There is no manipulation here. We are talking about players that have illicit drugs in their system which would be considered performance enhancing on match days only. If clubs or the AFL are ensuring they are excluded from playing, then it sounds like a good outcome. If they were letting them play and covering for them, that would be an issue. It sounds like Wilkie has a vendetta.
mrl
Roar Rookie
Goodwin…scored two goals last night for Australia.
Tony Tea
Roar Rookie
"'Ask the AFL': Goodwin handballs questions over secret drug test allegations." As he should.