Opinion Commentary & Media VII

[TennisPlayerAndy]

The AFL first tried to save them, tbf

Under their (previously infinite) carpet.

 

[Mk LXIII]

In all seriouslyness, there are a fair few players who had lengthy ‘injuries’ that don’t pass the sniff (pun intended) test.

Harley Bennell and his calf being the first one that springs to mind.

And wouldn’t you know it, was on Melbourne’s list in

…checks notes….

2020.

Don't forget who it was that Bennell lived with as a 17 year old when drafted to the Gold Coast.

 

[Tas]

Article updated.

AFL drugs bombshell: MP tells federal parliament of secret illicit drug tests allegedly authorised by league’s top medico​

Federal parliament has been told of secret illicit drug tests allegedly authorised by the AFL’s top medico to help players evade detection on match day.Michael Warner
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3 min read
March 26, 2024 - 8:10PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
A Melbourne Football Club doctor has sensationally admitted to conducting “off the books” illicit drug tests – allegedly authorised by the AFL – to help players evade detection on match days.

The doctor-turned-whistleblower says players who confessed to having taken drugs in the days before AFL games were given secret tests to ensure their systems were clear or were advised to “fake an injury” so they would not risk being tested and suspended for breaches of the World Anti-Doping Agency code.
Federal MP Andrew Wilkie told parliament on Tuesday night he had received a signed statement from former Demons head doctor Zeeshan Arain in which he accuses the AFL of facilitating the clandestine drug tests at Dorevitch Pathology in Heidelberg.
Mr Wilkie called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to intervene in the scandal.

A Melbourne Football Club doctor has sensationally admitted to conducting “off the books” illicit drug tests. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos
In a stunning address, Mr Wilkie said: “I rise to bring the house’s attention deeply troubling allegations of egregious misconduct within the AFL provided by former Melbourne football club president Glen Bartlett, former Melbourne football club doctor ZeeshanArain and Shaun Smith, father of Melbourne player and now alleged drug trafficker Joel Smith.
“The allegations include the prevalence of drug abuse and other prohibited behaviour across the AFL, off the books drug-testingof 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 ….
“Here is what happened as has been described to me: The AFL wants the player to play at all costs and so the cover up begins.
“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.
“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.
“So next time you hear a player has a hamstring injury, you could be forgiven for wondering what is really going on.
“But as Dr Arain explains this isn’t just a Melbourne problem, it is an AFL problem with multiple players coming to Melbourne from other teams with pre-existing cocaine dependencies more than suggesting that drug testing workarounds are commonplace elsewhere in the AFL.
“The documents in my possession also indicate a shocking unwillingness of senior AFL executives to address drug abuse by players and executives, particularly in relation to cocaine use.
“For instance here are very detailed notes of a telephone meeting between Gill McLachlan, Richard Goyder and Glen Bartlett.”
The AFL has a longstanding contract with Dorevitch Pathology to conduct testing for its controversial out-of-competition illicit drugs code.

MP Andrew Wilkie has called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to intervene in the scandal.
Match day drug tests are conducted by SIA officers under the world anti-doping code.
The stunning claims are likely to draw the interest of WADA chiefs, SIA and the Albanese Government, which has responsibilities under the global anti-doping code.
Mr Wilkie said the allegations were deeply troubling and called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to review the signed statements and “personally intervene in this matter”.
“It is not an exaggeration to say the off-the-books testing scheme I’ve described sees the AFL effectively involved in a multi-hundred million dollar fraud on governments and taxpayers.
“Aussie Rules football is far too important to our nation. I call for intervention at the highest level and ask the PrimeMinister to personally intervene in this matter … because right now Deputy Speaker the term white line fever has taken on a different and sinister meaning at the AFL.”
Joel Smith failed an anti-doping drugs test last August after traces of cocaine were detected in his system from a urine sample taken by SIA testers on match-day.
He has since been accused by SIA of cocaine trafficking and faces a lifetime ban from sport.
In Shaun Smith’s statement, detailed by Mr Wilkie, he said: “If I had known of a massive drug problem in the AFL when my son was 14 I would have said you’re playing baseball, you’re playing something else.
“Something is not right when you get so many broken players.”
Cocaine is considered to be a performance-enhancing substance if detected on game day.
Dr Arain was sacked by the Demons in October 2020 after eight years as head doctor – just days after raising serious concerns about the club’s culture with chief executive Gary Pert.
Lawyers for Dr Arain hit the club with an unlawful dismissal claim, which led to a significant settlement. Dr Harcourt, an AFL life member who became embroiled in the Essendon drugs scandal, stepped down as the league’s chief medical officer in October 2021.
The AFL and Melbourne are being contacted for comment.
The government Tuesday night blocked attempts by Mr Wilkie to formally table the signed statements to parliament.

Sounds like two week injuries. :stern look

 

[Shermanator]

Ooof.



Ooooff.

The Ivory Tower boys club cronies (potentially) corrupt?…

 

[Twinkletoes]

Looks like they picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines.

 

[Kangas_11]

WTF.. this guy is an idiot.

How did the AFL decide North Melbourne needed draft assistance?

The AFL has effectively handed North Melbourne a top eight list on a two-year time delay, writes Mark Duffield.

www.sen.com.au

Players mentioned in this muppet's article:
George Wardlaw (pick from trading JHF)
Harry Sheezel (regular draft pick)
Jy Simpkin (regular draft pick)
LDU (regular draft pick)
Colby McKercher (regular draft pick)
Zane Duursma (FA comp pick)
Nick Larkey (regular draft pick)
Cam Zurhaar (rookie draft pick)

Literally none of these players have anything to do with the priority picks.

He'd have half a point if he was arguing that Logue, Tucker, Fisher, Stephens and W. Dawson have pushed us over the edge into contender status. But that would require actually doing some research, which is asking a bit much of this simpleton.

 

[DuckYeah]

Players mentioned in this muppet's article:
George Wardlaw (pick from trading JHF)
Harry Sheezel (regular draft pick)
Jy Simpkin (regular draft pick)
LDU (regular draft pick)
Colby McKercher (regular draft pick)
Zane Duursma (FA comp pick)
Nick Larkey (regular draft pick)
Cam Zurhaar (rookie draft pick)

Literally none of these players have anything to do with the priority picks.

He'd have half a point if he was arguing that Logue, Tucker, Fisher, Stephens and W. Dawson have pushed us over the edge into contender status. But that would require actually doing some research, which is asking a bit much of this simpleton.

Gee when they work out Will Dawson is a multiple AA fullback in 5 years, media street will have a meltdown

 

[gokangas]

Interesting that The Age isn't running the story at all yet.

 

[Masked Avenger]

Of course, with a premiership so recent you can almost touch it and with the best number 1 draft pick like ever, on Duffield's logic we can assume that West Coast certainly won't be putting its hand up for assistance at the end of the year.

 

[Sphynx]

Reading the full transcript.

Goodwin

 

[Luke72]

WTF.. this guy is an idiot.

How did the AFL decide North Melbourne needed draft assistance?

The AFL has effectively handed North Melbourne a top eight list on a two-year time delay, writes Mark Duffield.

www.sen.com.au

Sounds like their version of Dwayne Russell.

 

[Roo316]

Reading the full transcript.

Goodwin

Where r u reading this?

 

[Sphynx]

Where r u reading this?

 

[shintemaster]

Of course, with a premiership so recent you can almost touch it and with the best number 1 draft pick like ever, on Duffield's logic we can assume that West Coast certainly won't be putting its hand up for assistance at the end of the year.

It will be in the 3rd draft revision already.

 

[gokangas]

I reckon there may be a very busy industrial shredding company today touring AFL clubs.

 

[SammyRoo]

Shaun Smith : “If knew there was a drug culture in AFL, I would have made him play Baseball or something instead”

Ok Shaun … nothing to see in Baseball

 

[Flawed Genius]

Hodge has just categorized illicit drug use by players on weekends as "making a mistake"

I would suggest most AFL players using drugs on the weekends are not accidentally tripping and falling into those peskily placed piles of cocaine at popular inner city nightclubs that the cleaning staff haven't gotten around to yet

 

[justroyal]

I’m not sure what to take from hodge listening to him.

You’re elite athletes. Athletics has ruthless policies. The AFL is taking the the AFL and NFL approach, juice hard and entertain. So just drop the testing???

 

[Shermanator]

I reckon there may be a very busy industrial shredding company today touring AFL clubs.

Do they know how to shred Spread Sheets too?.. asking for a friend who lives in Tullamarine..

 

[justroyal]

with Hodge talking about Coll v Brisbane game and the importance of leaders really needed to know when to shut the game down when things are getting out of control - I hope Lmac and Jy listen to that. He said it’s up to the leaders to know not to go for the handball out of the contest and allow free flowing footy when things are getting out of control, and try to slow it down.

 

[krakouers]

WTF.. this guy is an idiot.

How did the AFL decide North Melbourne needed draft assistance?

The AFL has effectively handed North Melbourne a top eight list on a two-year time delay, writes Mark Duffield.

www.sen.com.au

Always been Duffield’s mind, one week something to really make you think, the next week absolute dross like that

So, we get equalisation money and finish at the bottom = that’s all the assistance we need?

 

[travelli]

The Bombers would have to have a raised eyebrow wouldn’t they?

The AFL murdered them and then do this? WOW

The AFL will chuck them under the bus pretty quick.

 

[gokangas]

Just watching Goodwin's presser - its all ok - nothing to do with the club - its all the AFL's fault.

 

[travelli]

The Ivory Tower boys club cronies (potentially) corrupt?…

It's right though the AFL administration and media.

They don't want to point the finger too much on the party drugs because they are all on the gear

 

[gokangas]

Softest media conference I have ever seen. Wow.