The AFL says it is "unapologetic" about its illicit drugs policy amid claims by a federal MP Andrew Wilkie that Melbourne Football Club conducted off-the-books drug testing of players to help them avoid failing tests on match days.

Melbourne

Allegations have emerged that the Melbourne Football Club conducted off-the-books drug testing of players. This was purportedly done to help them avoid failing official drug tests on match days. In response to these claims, the Australian Football League (AFL) stated it remains "unapologetic" about its approach to managing its illicit drugs policy.

Federal MP Andrew Wilkie brought these allegations to light, indicating a significant concern surrounding the practices and integrity of drug testing within the AFL. The league's response highlights its stance on its drug policy amid the controversy.



Allegations AFL helped players avoid drug testing

Federal MP Andrew Wilkie has really dropped a bombshell under Parliamentary privilege in Parliament last night. He was asked to repeat some of his comments outside of Parliament on News Breakfast on ABC just a short while ago, but he said that he had nothing further to add and said that that was quite difficult for him given that he's a person who likes to give a straight answer to a straight question. However, in Parliament last night, he said that the sporting term white-line fever had taken on a different and sinister meaning within the AFL. He revealed that he had a signed statement from the former head doctor of the Melbourne Football Club in which he admitted to conducting off-the-books illicit drug tests on players before match days at a lab in Melbourne's east, and he said that that was to avoid having to have them play if they tested positive and therefore avoid sanctions. So he read out a statement from this doctor on the clandestine drug testing. Deputy Speaker, here is what happened as it has been described to me. 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. So Deputy Speaker, next time you hear a player has a hamstring injury, you could be forgiven for wondering what's really going on. Andrew Wilkie says that this was not just in the Melbourne Football Club but also widespread throughout the AFL, and he can provide further evidence to show that there is a major cocaine problem among AFL players. And he says that this is really letting down those players. He says that they are being treated as corporate cannon fodder, and that the AFL is complicit in this, that there has been an extensive failure to actually detect this widespread drug use within the AFL. He has called on the Prime Minister to personally intervene and to ensure that federal authorities investigate this matter. And this follows the forward at the Demons, 27-year-old Joel Smith, actually being revealed as someone who is facing a possible lifetime ban after he was accused by Sport Integrity Australia of three charges of alleged cocaine trafficking, and that is still being investigated and could be brought before an AFL tribunal in the coming months. Now we're still to hear from the AFL and the Melbourne Football Club about their response to these explosive allegations.

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Council of the City of Sydney

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London

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Paris

Israel-Gaza War

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Pyongyang

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