AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon has committed to working with Sport Integrity Australia as the body investigates sensational allegations surrounding the league’s secretive illicit drug tests.
But Dillon remains “unapologetic” about the AFL giving club doctors the power to withdraw players from games if they are in danger of testing positive on match days.
Federal MP Andrew Wilkie told parliament on Tuesday of allegations made by former Melbourne club doctor Zeeshan Arain, ex-Demons president Glen Bartlett and Shaun Smith, father of current player and alleged drug trafficker Joel Smith.
Wilkie said the trio had alleged players who tested positive to off-the-books tests had been told to fake injuries and pull out of games in order to avoid match-day testing by SIA.
They also claimed the clandestine test results were never shared with SIA or the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
On Wednesday, SIA confirmed it has “commenced an assessment of allegations” made by Wilkie but would not comment further.
“The AFL supports SIA’s role in being asked to assess the claims made under parliamentary privilege by Andrew Wilkie MP,” Dillon said in a statement response.
Andrew Dillon. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
“We encourage Mr Wilkie to pass on all the documents in his possession to SIA and look forward to working with SIA and providing any information on the AFL illicit drug policy and its objectives and operation.”
The AFL also responded to the allegations, with Dillon declaring “a commitment to player wellbeing and welfare” is at the core of the league’s illicit drugs policy, which was introduced in 2005.
Dillon said the league is working with the AFL Players Association to improve the system, which is designed to change player behaviour, and is adamant the approach to positive tests is a matter of player health and safety.
“We are unapologetic about club and AFL doctors taking the correct steps to ensure that any player who they believe has an illicit substance in their system does not take part in any AFL match and that doctor-patient confidentiality is upheld and respected,” Dillon told reporters on Wednesday.
“The medical interests and welfare of players is a priority for the AFL given everything we know about the risks facing young people generally and those who play our game in particular.”
Dillon confirmed urine tests have been part of the illicit drugs policy “for some time”.
“Doctors may use those urine tests to obtain any immediate results to determine whether any illicit substance remains in a player’s system,” he said.
“If the test shows a substance is still in the player’s system, a doctor will take steps to prevent a player from taking part in either training and/or an AFL match both for their own health and welfare, and because having illicit substances in your system on match day may be … a breach of the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code.”
Dillon said the clinical intervention tests will continue.
“We don’t want our players, if there’s a chance they might have a substance in their system, we don’t want them training and we don’t want them taking part in matches for their health and welfare above anything else,” he said.
Dillon stressed positive tests related to a “small handful of the 1300 athletes that we have across the AFL and AFLW”, and insisted the league is “a safe place for our players to be”.
Asked if there should be repercussions for misleading the public regarding player injury status, Dillon referred to medical information being a private matter and said detailing the number of players who tested positive for illicit drugs is not in the public interest.
The AFL does not provide that information under its current illicit drugs policy, which is under “ongoing” review.
Dillon refused to put a time-line on when the review will be completed, other than stressing it needs to be “fit for purpose for 2024 and 2025 and beyond”.
Dillon noted the addition of AFLW players to the policy is “certainly on the table” under the review.
On Tuesday, Wilkie described “deeply troubling allegations of egregious misconduct within the AFL” from Arain, Bartlett and Smith as credible and detailed – and provided signed statements identifying the sources of the documents.
“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.”
He said Arain alleged it wasn’t a club-specific issue at Melbourne, but an “AFL problem”, with a number of players arriving at the Demons with pre-existing cocaine dependencies.
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin, Essendon counterpart Brad Scott and Sydney’s John Longmire all denied knowledge of the alleged secret tests and players faking injuries on Wednesday.
Goodwin said all clubs would demand more information from the AFL.
AR
Roar Rookie
It's a little trickier than most are acknowledging. - The AFL cannot have players who have taken party drugs playing in AFL matches. No way. It's an instant breach of the WADA code - 2 year ban for the player. - The AFL is also 'committed' to prioritise player welfare, a singular demand of the AFLPA, who, naturally, represent the players. - If a player goes to his club doctor (with an injury, ailment or drug confession) he is legally protected by doctor-patient confidentiality. The AFL, and even the club, cannot pierce that confidentiality. So what do they do? Does the club, or the AFL, dob a player in, get him banned, ruin his life, and leave the kid on the scrap heap? I don't pretend to have an answer.
MO
Roar Rookie
WADA will getting into this for sure
Birdman
Roar Rookie
Most sports don't have a similar policy - maybe the AFL should can it and just rely on independent match day testing to keep players honest.
Prez
Roar Rookie
AFL is hiding behind player welfare once a player is already using. Totally ignores that AFL has created an environment that reduces consequences of players when they initially start taking drugs.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
The AFL are the masters of this. Their best effort was sweeping the Essendon fiasco under Andrew Demetriou's huge Persian rug, only for it to be pulled up when WADA scoffed at their 'dog at the homework defence'.
Scyphus
Roar Rookie
Hm. It seems that part of these revelations is that the strikes aren't being called all the time. That's more problematic, isn't it.
Scyphus
Roar Rookie
It is a hard one. But I do believe that failing one of these "secret" tests counts as a strike under the league and AFLPA's own drug policy. If that's actually so, then there is some tangible disincentive. If only life were so simple that being a Pharisee about every issue would solve all the world's problems.
Prez
Roar Rookie
It's a hard one. Players know they can keep taking drugs with little risk. Not sure that's actually helping them or not.
Scyphus
Roar Rookie
I can't say I care at all about optics or PR, but from my perspective the AFL have actually been doing the right thing for the players and the game. It also looks like Glen Bartlett has got a giant axe to grind and he doesn't care who get sprayed with any schnitt that might spatter while he grinds it.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Beautiful Rick. They'll find that rug, it's their specialty.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
Well now its out in the public domain any late withdrawals might raise some eyebrows,we all know what social media is like so you would be pretty stupid to continue doing it,in saying that a proper late withdrawal might be looked upon in the same manner and no player would like to be thought of in that way.Has created a real conundrum.The AFL has made its own bed now they have to sleep on it
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
The Doc comes thru with a mat finish. Was this a case of "Gillon Hail Mary's Dillon"?
MO
Roar Rookie
Remember the report into the WCEagles about Cousins by a retired vic Supreme Court judge. The eagle’s lost the GF to Sydney and knew they had a shot next year and knew they needed cousins for it so they swept a lot of drug knowledge under the carpet and plugged on. Also remember years ago when the NRL started drug testing. No one got done for steroids. It was all recreational drugs. Coke and pot. The problematic truth is that you can be an elite footballer and use coke or ampetamines. It’s old fashioned booze that your body can’t handle.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
I’ll paraphrase the great Roy Scheider from Jaws: “We’re gonna need a bigger rug to sweep this under”