Andrew Wilkie tells parliament of alleged secret drug tests on AFL players
A whistleblowing doctor has revealed allegations of secret illicit drug tests conducted to enable AFL players to avoid detection on game days, the federal MP Andrew Wilkie has told parliament.
Wilkie told the House of Representatives of the allegations from a former Melbourne Demons club doctor and football club president.
He described the allegations as credible, detailed and provided in signed statements given to him clearly identifying the sources of the documents. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup
“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 Zeeshan Arain and Shaun Smith, father of Melbourne player and now alleged drug trafficker Joel Smith,” he told parliament on Tuesday night.
“The allegations include the prevalence of drug abuse and other prohibited behaviour across the AFL, off-thebooks drug-testing of 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 and the removal of Mr Bartlett as president of Melbourne after he suggested to Mr Goyder and Mr McLachlan that AFL officials be regularly drug tested.”
Wilkie said Arain had said the AFL wanted players to compete at all costs.
“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 offthe-book tests are kept secret and are never shared with Sports Integrity Australia or Wada [the World Anti-Doping Agency].
“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.”
Wilkie said Arain alleged it wasn’t a Melbourne problem but an “AFL problem” with a number of players arriving in the city from other states with preexisting cocaine dependencies.
“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.”
The AFL and Melbourne Football Club have been contacted for comment.