AFL drugs scandal
There is still a lot of hot air and mud flying in relation to the latest AFL drugs scandal. Private medical files were apparently obtained from a clinic which reveal that players from a Melbourne-based club were being treated for drug abuse.
Channel Seven named the team and the players. A subsequent court injunction prevented anyone else from following this up.
While I respect the fact that people’s personal medical records should be private, this episode highlights the inadequacy of the AFL’s three strikes policy. Elite athletes should face only one strike before they are named and shamed.
The AFL enforces the one-strike policy for betting, even if the amount is only $10, and drugs are a much more serious offence. I therefore find the league’s response to the scandal disappointing:
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said he was upset by the report. “I find it distressing and disturbing that any person’s private medical records could be purchased and published,” he said.
Andy should wake up to the fact that what’s “distressing and disturbing” is the cover up of drug abuse by AFL players. The AFL has arguably the weakest regime in high-level world sport when it comes to outing drug addicts and cheats.
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Tags: Australia, Australian-football, Sport
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I couldn't agree more Michael. The AFL's policy amounts to allowing known drug users (and therefore cheats) to keep taking drugs and keep cheating until they catch them out a 3rd time - and how likely are they to do that?
And Demetriou's constant refusal to acknowledge the problem and, instead, 'shoot the messenger' (such as Akers & Channel 7) is weird. In my experience those who constantly spring to the defence of illicit drug users usually do so out of empathy! Make of that what you may but there's a lot of 'high flying' going on at high levels.
By the way, does the suppression order on the club's name not apply interstate?
The News Ltd web site in Perth and the Fairfax site in Brisbane have both named the club (NB: subsequently removed).
Quite a few blogs and forums have named the players too.
Hi
I agree with the fact that The AFL must revamp the drug policy.
Ray I don't agree with you saying don't shoot the messenger ( Ackers and Channel seven) Arckers shot his mouth off and was 100% wrong, having said that it was channel 7 who named the player.Make no mistake I think drug cheats should be named and shamed I think It may be a lot worse than we would like to think.
You may not agree with me but tell me this, what does"shooting the messenger" ever achieve? Surely it only serves to avoid the issue, like Demetriou does.
Hi,
Caught the story too late, just need to know who the players are, is it true they were xxx players.
Cheers
Channel Seven named the club. The Brisbane Times named the club for several days after the TV report. Is it true? Hard to know, given the club hasn’t commented in reply, presumably because of the media ban in Victoria.
Great editorial in the Herald Sun today headlined "Footy's drug problems".
I like this: "Some would find it questionable to defend the privacy of players who have broken the law. Whether they like it or not, AFL players are role models. Leniency to transgressors sends the wrong message."
By banning contact with Channel Seven the players have missed the point too. They need to clean up their act and change the culture that drug use is okay. That's the message they're giving.
This blog entry has attracted considerable interest and ranks highly in Google searches. As a result, I have withdrawn the name of the club at the centre of the allegations. One of the few mainstream media outlets which had named the club, the Brisbane Times, has also withdrawn the name from its online coverage.
I spoke to a lawyer friend this morning who did not believe a Victorian injunction would apply in Western Australia. Plus this blog is published in the United States, but I'm not taking any chances.
I felt to publish the players' names would have been potentially defamatory, however I believed it was reasonable to name the club.
Australian democracy is in a sad state when injunctions of this type are so easily granted.
Visit here for a statement on "freedom of speech" in this country.
No other sport in the world, including the Olympiuc sports, test for illicit drug use out of competition. If a player tests positive to cocaine or ice in a match day test they are 'named and shamed' immediately, and face a ban. Please get your facts right. As for players gambling on games, this goes straight to the integrity of the game. It's potentially much more dangerous for the game than drug use.
dont know why they need to be named and shamed. its just advitising for the kids to see that their idols are doing drugs in my mind.
Also not sure why a sportsman have to be treated differently from the rest of us. if they get named and shamed, then to be fair and just i suggest that every person in the country get tested randomly and have their results published on a web page for all people to see.
Isn't it funny how the people who have the most to lose always seem to jump and shout the highest.
Why would the AFl(and its players) defend themselves so vigourously unless there is indeed a MAJOR problem. Out of principal and players rights i hear you SCREAM, fraid not.
Its all about protecting the IMAGE and market ability of the sport, i.e. CASH.
I agree whole heartedly with them naming the players, I do not agree that the means were the best way to go about it, but journos sources are rarely above board anyway…….I think the ONLY way to make the teams and the playerrs more accountable is to name and shame them, after all who needs role models that are unwilling to come out and say hey I am human I stuffed up and I am getting help..to hide is just not right!!!
I incidentally am an eagles supporter, and I do not altogether like the way that Ben Cousins went about his statement either,, but at least he DID admit he had a problem…the only way to stamp out illegal drug use in sport is to make it public make the players get treatment and make it obvious that it should not be just swept under the rug!!!
I have four children and I would much prefer they idolise someone who has the decency to admit their mistakes and get help for them, than to support a player who is doing drugs and getting away with it scot free!!!!!!
The AFL are keen to keep any bad publicity out of the media, including anything to do with drugs.
All I see is the AFL supporting drug addicts, with no realistic deterant in place. No public shame, no accountable for your actions, and lets not talk to any media out let that says otherwise.
I for one do not believe that channel 7 should have aired private medical documents, but that drugs are freely available in our society is a no brainer.
AFL players are meant to be professional sports people, they are role models to younger aspiring sports people.
What they appear to be are spoilt brats who think they are above the law, with no accountability to society or social expectation of them.
A drug addict is a drug addict no matter what they do or say, the only support a drug addict should be given is to rehabilitate if that is what they want to do.
You either support drug users or you don't, there are no half measures. At this point in time all I see is the AFL aiding and supporting the use of drugs in sport.
If the AFL want the public to think otherwise then they should adopt a tough approach to drugs and drug users.
I've set up a discussion forum for this issue if anyone wants to have their say: http://gorey.com.au/forum?forum=4&topic=6&page=1
GET THE FACTS RIGHT AND COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES!! The AFL imposes a 2 year automatic ban on players tested positive on match day. Match day tests are the ONLY tests done by 88 other sports in Aus!!! The AFL tests under scutiny in the media are voluntary tests agreed to by players, out of comp. time. Other sports do not have these tests - they are only there to help the players. If this circus continues then those tests will be abandoned and nobody will know what the players are taking on non-match days. All of the idiots who post "name and shame" type comments on this site should TRY to understand the context. (But of course you wont because you are either deliberately provocative or uninformed or unable to grasp logic).
Come on you weak pricks……. if you know who they are then name them on here!
That's a bizarre question BD. Are you living in Greenland? Anyone who names the mighty flying brown and chicken poo players will go to jail for a very long time. That's democracy, Australian style.
The fact that Ben Cousins was ridiculed by the public when he NEVER tested positive, yet has HAD TO live with the shame proves that these 2 Melbourne based footballers should be NAMED and SHAMED. AFL footballers need to REALISE that it is a PRIVLDEGE and NOT A RIGHT for them to play football at the highest level. They DONT work 9-5, instead they play football and get paid MEGA bucks. If want a lifestyle whereby they are PROFESSIONAL athletes, and are not slogging away ta the coal face 9-5, then they should NOT complain about donating 50 mls of urine on demand, 385 days of the year. WHAT A JOKE !!!! WITHOUT football they would have nothing !!!! Being able to kick a football 60m on your left and right boot DOES not go down well in a job interview ! These blokes have terrible CVs ALL they have is AFL. So therefore they should RESPECT their PRIVLEDGE, they are not Michale Chaney, Jack Welch or John Howard …. they are not as special as they belive they are !
I think there's been a bit more at stake here than whether football players are complaining about donating 50mls of their urine Insider, but if you're not clever enough to work that out then, please, feel free to continue posting that ignorant shit.
Jealousy is such a curse.
AFL is homo and I personally think you should all start watching REAL FOOTBALL, the one played with the round ball and two goals WITH NETS at each end, the way its spose to be played. The way he wanted…
The only REAL form of FOOTBALL fella is Rugby League! A real mans game! Not a game for whimps!