News Willie Rioli: tampered with drug testing sample; tests positive for cannabis

[YippeeYiYeo]

The best Willie Rioli can hope for now is that online trolls bully him on twitter and Facebook. Should be enough to have everybody forget about the saga and instead erect a bronze statue of the poor victim.

 

[Admiral Byng]

As predicted he panicked after having some weed.

For just the weed id give him nothing.

For the stupid tampering 12 months.

Total = 12 months.

I think that is a bit optimistic now. A 12 month ban for tampering is already giving him a substantial discount for exceptional circumstances. Having two different offences within a one month period kind of makes it hard to argue the exceptional circumstances foir the first instance. Then arguing for a zero penalty on the second offence... I don't like your chances.

 

[FreoRicci]

It honestly feels like Rioli is being thrown under the bus. This was a separate test to the one he tampered with. Guys are getting 1 2 or 3 strikes and the AFL covers it up but Rioli gets outed after 1 failed test?

IT's an in-competition (Game Day) positive test. That nulls and voids the three strike policy.

 

[YippeeYiYeo]

It honestly feels like Rioli is being thrown under the bus. This was a separate test to the one he tampered with. Guys are getting 1 2 or 3 strikes and the AFL covers it up but Rioli gets outed after 1 failed test?

Thats what i dont like about this whole process. Unless Rioli already had 2 strikes against his name he NEVER should have been outed like this. Our club has recourse to sue the AFL if theyve breached their own policy.

 

[Falcon27]

Thats what i dont like about this whole process. Unless Rioli already had 2 strikes against his name he NEVER should have been outed like this. Our club has recourse to sue the AFL if theyve breached their own policy.

There’s a difference between in comp and out of comp testing

 

[Ron The Bear]

Think WADA increased the threshold for marijuana by 1000% (i.e. ten times) a few years ago. Must've used it pretty close to the game.

 

[The Donners]

Never surprises me the stupidity of AFL players.

Young and stupid.

 

[garlic munchers]

Performance enhancing my left nut.

Agreed.

Never seen anyone run out a game after ordering 5 meat lovers pizza's at 1/2 time.

 

[Juzzk1d]

This story reminds me of how I white lie to avoid awkward situations, when I should really just be open and honest and the truth won't be as bad as what I'm anxiously making out in my head. Yet, you eventually get caught out and start to lie on top of the lie and you end up digging yourself in a hole 10x bigger than what you were in to begin with.

Anxiety at its finest.

 

[Andrew Mc]

You'd deduce that between the actual positive test, and the tampering incident, that he's been doing it pretty regularly. Some may say, so what, it's only weed? Sorry, but he's getting a ton of cash to play footy - suck it up and follow the rules. You can smoke all the cones you want once you retire. Well, from now on.

 

[DERIBERATE]

Think WADA increased the threshold for marijuana by 1000% (i.e. ten times) a few years ago. Must've used it pretty close to the game.

Just takin the edge off them nerves

 

[DERIBERATE]

You'd deduce that between the actual positive test, and the tampering incident, that he's been doing it pretty regularly. Some may say, so what, it's only weed? Sorry, but he's getting a ton of cash to play footy - suck it up and follow the rules. You can smoke all the cones you want once you retire. Well, from now on.

Yes, we call these people bogans.

 

[Gough]

Yes, we call these people bogans.

You'd be surprised, even Tony Abbott has called for legalisation for medicinal purposes.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Just takin the edge off them nerves

Probably, or perhaps for pain relief.

 

[mcnulty]

If he’s had a recreational cone and panicked then he was a very silly boy, but I’ve got to feel sorry for him.

A fine would seem more just but they won’t set a precedent like that- and fair enough I guess.

 

[Ok Boomer]

People need to remember that game day tests are a completely different ballgame and that the strike system is basically irrelevant.

Ben Cousins was never banned presumably because he never tested positive on game day, unlike Rioli and Sam Murray

 

[Balls In]

From the ASADA website

For a substance or method to be prohibited, it must meet two of the following three conditions:

1. The substance or method has the potential to enhance, or does enhance performance in sport.
2. The substance or method has the potential to risk the athlete’s health.
3. WADA has determined that the substance or method violates the spirit of sport.

Assuming point 2 is how ASADA is justifying pot on its testing regime, what happens if in the meantime Victoria decriminalises it?

 

[Ron The Bear]

A common perception of marijuana is that its use impairs physical activity, including exercise performance. While the effects of marijuana can decrease hand-eye coordination and distort spatial perception, there are other effects that can be performance enhancing for some athletes and sport disciplines. Cannabis can cause muscle relaxation and reduce pain during post-workout recovery. It can also decrease anxiety and tension, resulting in better sport performance under pressure. In addition, cannabis can increase focus and risk-taking behaviors, allowing athletes to forget bad falls or previous trauma in sport, and push themselves past those fears in competition.

https://www.usada.org/athletes/substances/marijuana-faq/

 

[The_Ru]

As predicted he panicked after having some weed.

For just the weed id give him nothing.

For the stupid tampering 12 months.

Total = 12 months.

If the system is to have any integrity then the penalty for tampering always has to be the maximum. Always. Otherwise you would be better off tampering than getting caught cheating and cheats would never get the appropriate penalty.

It might seem tough for someone in Rioli's situation but it's the only logical position. The first message professional athletes should get is NEVER miss or tamper with a drug test.

 

[fnerd]

Throw the book at him

 

[blue harvest]

From the ASADA website

For a substance or method to be prohibited, it must meet two of the following three conditions:

1. The substance or method has the potential to enhance, or does enhance performance in sport.
2. The substance or method has the potential to risk the athlete’s health.
3. WADA has determined that the substance or method violates the spirit of sport.

Assuming point 2 is how ASADA is justifying pot on its testing regime, what happens if in the meantime Victoria decriminalises it?

Nothing.
It's still a health risk and still has the potential to enhance.

 

[kaiserchief13]

He’s on a different charge so the strikes don’t come into it

I get that but I'm saying even if he tested positive that's what would happen

 

[kingswood71]

Silly boy, but why has the 2nd test been made public, i thought with recreational drugs it was kept quiet, unless it's a third strike.

Out of competition testing v in-comp tests....
Out of comp, stikes. In-comp (straight after Final) is prohibited...

 

[spudmaster]

 

[Hawks_4478]

Hes in a lot of trouble now after the positive test as he was obviously trying to cover up his cannabis use.

On another note, how can the thewest get it so wrong last week by saying his test was negative for any performance enhancing or illicit substance.