Australian Rules reviews drug policy after cocaine claims

Australian Rules football yesterday said it was reviewing its illicit drugs policy after a whistle-blower aired claims of widespread cocaine use among players.

Independent lawmaker Andrew Wilkie said the Australian Football League (AFL) was “secretly” manipulating drug tests.

Wilkie said that players would be urged to fake an injury if they were at risk of testing positive for drugs on game day.

League CEO Andrew Dillon denied the AFL had a drug problem, saying it impacted only “a very small handful of players” each year.

“We are reviewing the illicit drugs policy. The review is ongoing, but [we] are hopeful to have it updated this year,” he told reporters.

Dillon said that doctors would occasionally keep players off the field if they suspected they had taken drugs.

“We are unapologetic about club and AFL doctors taking the correct steps to ensure that any player who they believe has an illicit substance in their system does not take part in any AFL match,” he said.

“The allegations are credible and detailed and provided in signed statements which have been given to me and which clearly identify the sources of the information,” Wilkie said in parliament late on Tuesday. “The AFL wants a 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,” he said. “If there are drugs in their system, the player is often asked to fake an injury.”

Players were told to “lie about their condition,” while the tests were hidden from Sport Integrity Australia and the World AntiDoping Agency, Wilkie said.

Earlier this week, two players from the Sydney Swans women’s side were stood down after they were caught buying cocaine.

“I am fully aware I have made a bad error of judgement and will be working hard to earn back the respect of my teammates,” player Paige Sheppard said.