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0 UPDATED: The AFL has responded to allegations made in federal parliament accusing the game of covering up illicit drug use by players.
Federal MP Andrew Wilkie used parliament to reveal a signed statement he says he received from former Melbourne Demons doctor Zeeshan Arain.
Wilkie told parliament that Arain accuses the AFL of conducting off-the-books illicit drugs testing on players and essentially covering up positive results. Wilkie also told parliament that Arain claims players were told to fake an injury in order to cheat the system.
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He even named Dorevitch Pathology in Heidelberg as the facility the AFL used to conduct the alleged secret testing.
Speaking to media on Wednesday, AFL chief Andrew Dillon did not deny off-the-books testing was taking place.
“It’s private medical information of the players,” he said.
“There is a difference between what the public is interested in and what is in public interest… the doctor-patient confidentiality is paramount and should be prioritised.
“We’re talking about a very small handful of players and it is private medical information.”
Dillon denied the AFL has a widespread issue with illicit drug use.
In a statement to media on Wednesday, the AFL did not flat out deny those allegations.
“It is absolutely imperative that no doctor or club official should ever allow or encourage a player to take the field knowing they have recently taken an illicit substance that may be harmful to their health and/or may be deemed performance-enhancing (as many illicit substances are on match day),” the statement read.
“The AFL observes that AFL players are not immune to the societal issues faced by young people with respect to illicit substances and also acknowledges that illicit drug use problems commonly co-occur with other mental health conditions.
“While the AFL’s medical model involves a multidisciplinary healthcare management plan, the monitoring of players is highly confidential. A doctor or healthcare professional generally cannot disclose the nature of the clinical intervention or condition to others unless the player willingly consents.
“We understand that the illicit drugs policy can be improved and we are working with the AFLPA and players to improve the policy and the system to ensure we are better able to change the behaviours of players. But 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 and that doctor patient confidentially is upheld and respected.
“The AFL will always be required to make decisions which seek to balance competing rights and interests. The medical interests and welfare of players is a priority for the AFL given everything we know about the risks facing young people generally and those who play our game in particular.”
The AFL doctors association has also released a statement regarding the policy and the issues that have been raised.
“The AFL Illicit Drug Policy (IDP) is based on a medical model and provides a structure of supportive care for the player,” the statement said.
“It specifically is not meant to be punitive and over the years has been based on trust and confidentiality between the player and club doctor. The club doctors’ prime responsibility is, and always will be, the health and wellbeing of the athlete.
“The suggestion that this unique privilege has been somehow manipulated is simply not true. Such comments are disappointing, and represent a distortion of a process aimed at supporting player welfare.
“The AFL Doctors Association supports the AFL’s Illicit Drugs Policy, which aims to deter use while providing avenues for education and treatment. This approach aligns with our ethos of empathy and support. We maintain transparent communication with the AFL, ensuring that any substance use concerns are managed with discretion and in accordance with medical ethics, the AFL’s guidelines, and WADA’s code.”
Wilkie’s address to parliament on Tuesday night sent shockwaves through the AFL.
“I rise to bring the house’s attention to 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,” Wilkie said.
“The allegations include the prevalence of drug abuse and other prohibited behaviour across the AFL, off-the-books 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.
“The allegations are credible, detailed and provided in signed statements which have been given to me which clearly identify the sources of the information.
“The allegations are also deeply troubling … Such appalling behaviour endangers the life, safety and future of players and officials, subverts the official drug testing conducted by Sports Integrity Australia on behalf of the World Anti-Doping Authority and is a fraud on the governments that provide millions of dollars in support to the AFL directly and indirectly through tax-breaks, grants and beneficial capital works, conditional on the AFL being a signatory to and complying with WADA code.
“This is not conjecture, with Dr Arain describing the matter clearly in this signed statement where he states that, and I’ll quote Dr Arain: The off-the-books testing took place at Heidelberg Dorevitch. The former chief health officer of the AFL Peter Harcourt gave me the contact of the guy at Heidelberg who would do the testing.
“Here is what happened as has been described to me (by Dr Arain): The AFL wants the 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, and if there are drugs in their system the player is often asked to fake an injury.
“They are advised to lie about a condition, while the results of the off-the-book tests are kept secret and are never shared with Sports Integrity Australia or WADA.
“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.
“So next time you hear a player has a hamstring injury, you could be forgiven for wondering what is really going on.
“But as Dr Arain explains, this isn’t just a Melbourne problem, it is an AFL problem, with multiple players coming to Melbourne from other teams with pre-existing cocaine dependencies, more than suggesting that drug testing workarounds are commonplace elsewhere in the AFL.
“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.
“For instance here are very detailed notes of a telephone meeting between Gill McLachlan, Richard Goyder and Glen Bartlett.”
Demons player Smith is currently accused of drug trafficking.
The allegations by Sports Integrity Australia are not criminal in nature. In an anti-doping context, trafficking may include an athlete “selling, delivering or distributing” any prohibited substance.
Demons coach Simon Goodwin fronted media on Wednesday morning and spoke about the allegations aired in parliament.
“It’s news to me and I think it’s a surprise to everyone in the industry,” Goodwin said.
“I haven’t got a line of sight on what that policy looks like. I understand the policy, but I don’t get the information that people would expect to get.
“It’s not for me to have an opinion on right now, all I do is get the information I’m required. The policy says it’s information that should remain confidential, so it’s not unexpected I don’t have the information, because that’s the way the policy is designed.
“This is a process that the AFL, AFLPA and club doctors put together from a confidentiality perspective. To have no line of sight is not unusual.
“But I’ve got enormous trust in our doctor in terms of them being able to do their job. I’m not going to question how they go about their business.”
Speaking about the allegations on Nine’s Today on Wednesday morning, legendary former coach Mick Malthouse was stunned.
“It’s quite damning, it’s such a surprise. I can’t believe how angry I’ve got just hearing the news,” Malthouse said of the allegations.
“We have an obligation for the players’ health, to start off; we have an obligation to the game, want a fair, honest game, we want players who run down the race to play good football without compromise.
“This is almost on the same level as the Essendon saga – in fact it might even go beyond that. This is suggesting that AFL officials are involved in this.
“It is just so damning… it’s going to place every player, every club official, and in particular club doctors now under scrutiny.
“I can’t describe how angry I am about this… I’ve been in football for 50 years, and you think how can this possibly be?”
