It’s been claimed some 100 AFL players are inside the Illicit Drug Policy (IDP)’s medical model, with calls to revamp the system as quickly as possible because some are “taking the mickey” and using loopholes to avoid strikes.
The AFL has strongly defended the IDP after allegations players were purposefully being tested and then withdrawn from teams to avoid testing positive for illicit substances on gameday, which would see them banned for several years.
The AFL Doctors’ Association also backed the system which focuses on privacy and medical care for those who have taken drugs, but it has seen intense criticism over the level of secrecy involved, the deception involved of players allegedly being withdrawn from games for false reasons, and the lack of punishment for repeat users who effectively cannot receive a second drug strike.
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‘Start kicking the players’ heads in!’ | 03:14
The Herald Sun’s Sam Landsberger and Mick Warner reported there are up to 100 players currently in the medical model.
“So they’re immune from drug strikes. That’s about five players per club,” Landsberger said on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle.
“It’s a significant number, I think that’s climbed significantly in the last few seasons.
“Dr Harry Unglik, who’s on North Melbourne’s board, I remember speaking to him a couple of years ago and he’s certain this drugs policy has saved the lives of multiple AFL players. So there’s a lot of defence from the doctors’ cohort about the IDP.”
On AFL 360, host Gerard Whateley pointed out the system had a “very sound” core, but the “lack of transparency is genuinely concerning”.
“It should’ve been declared many years ago that within this policy, was the capacity to target-test players, and if they failed that test they wouldn’t be allowed to take the field,” he said on Fox Footy.
“It is very sound practice to not allow a player with an illicit drug substance in his system to take the field because it is a breach of the overriding WADA code.
“Keeping that secret has led to clandestine behaviour.”
He added: “It is a betrayal of the whole football public.
“You (Mark Robinson) and I have both had episodes through our reporting careers, and I went back and found the one that most triggered with me today on AFL Tables; the player, the weeks, and the questions that were asked at the time. Vehement denials that this was not related to drugs, that the player wasn’t stood down because of positive tests; it was what the club had declared – that’s just not true.
“You don’t have to go far back in history… you don’t have to go back very far to figure that if you held suspicions, that you were actually right.”
AFL responds to secret testing claims | 12:49
Robinson responded: “People in the media knew of players (taking drugs), and there was enough anecdotal evidence around to suggest that players were not playing because of drug taking.
“But, for medical health reasons again, you just can’t name players – so there’s a protection for them, and I think there has to be a protection for them.
“Fans love this game, and they feel that the integrity of the game has taken a hit today.
“Fans want to believe in the integrity of the game; they hate it when there’s betting on games of football by players, they hate it with drug taking, and now they find out Gerard, that the AFL was ticked off secret drug tests. And they go ‘hang on, what else is there?!
“Have they lost the public a bit today? I think they have.”
Robinson saved his strongest criticism for the players he argued were taking advantage of the system and using illicit drugs in the knowledge they would receive care, rather than a punishment.
“They (the players) get named-and-shamed when they get caught, and I don’t know if that’s a fair system,” Robinson said.
“In actual fact Gerard, the problem goes back to the players taking drugs on a Tuesday or a Wednesday before a game of footy and say ‘Hey, help me can you? I think I’ve got it (drugs) in my system’.
“Those who are taking the mickey out of the system – not those with legitimate mental health issues, and they exist, it’s a high-pressure environment – but you people who are wrecking it for all of us, they’re the ones who should be targeted.
“The AFL getting their heads kicked in today, how about we start kicking some of these players heads in?”
The league said on Wednesday evening it would assess the original claims made by independent MP Andrew Wilkie in parliament on Tuesday night.
“I spoke to David Sharpe from Sport Integrity Australia earlier today and the AFL supports SIA’s role in being asked to assess the claims made under Parliamentary privilege by Andrew Wilkie MP,” AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said.
“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.”
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