The AFL has been rocked by allegations of drug use cover-ups, this time from a sitting member of parliament, who has claimed that players have been taking undisclosed drug tests to avoid being caught.
Andrew Wilkie, an independent federal MP, used parliamentary privilege on Tuesday night to accuse the Melbourne Demons of serious misconduct, including directing players caught using illicit drugs in-house to fake injuries, so the league was not aware.
Using supposed evidence from former Melbourne personnel, Wilkie alleged the issues were not just isolated to one team and called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to investigate the claims.
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Federal MP Andrew Wilkie alleges widespread AFL illicit drug coverup
Wilkie, the federal member for Clark, has alleged that the Melbourne Demons and other AFL teams are using off-the-books illicit drug tests to safeguard their players, preventing them from being caught out.
"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 in parliament.
"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.
"Aussie rules football is far too important to our nation. I call for intervention at the highest level and ask the Prime Minister to personally intervene in this matter … because right now, Deputy Speaker, the term white-line fever has taken on a different and sinister meaning at the AFL."
Wilkie's claims rely on evidence he says has been supplied to him by former Melbourne president Glen Bartlett, former Melbourne club doctor Zeeshan Arain, and Shaun Smith, father of suspended Melbourne player and alleged drug trafficker Joel Smith.
According to SEN's Sam Edmund, the AFL is aware that tests like these are undertaken.
"I’ve spoken to the AFL this morning, the league don’t deny this happens and in fact they admit that it does happen, but they say that it sits well within their medical model," Edmund said on SEN Breakfast.
"If they have a player who has a problem with illicit drugs, they have the ability to test them and make sure they don’t use them on match days and hold them out of play.
"Now, unless they have permission from the player to do otherwise, the league cites medical privacy and that no one would want it known that they might have an illicit drugs problem."
AFL issues statement in response to drug scandal
A day after Wilkie made these accusations towards the AFL, the league released a statement that reaffirmed its Illicit Drug Policy (IDP), but acknowledged that there is still work to be done and that illicit drug use is a problem in wider society.
"As well as being a signatory to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code via the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code, the AFL has an Illicit Drug Policy which has been in place since 2005, and at the core of the policy is a commitment to player wellbeing and welfare," the AFL said.
"The AFL Illicit Drug Policy (IDP) is a policy that specifically deals with the use of illicit substances out of competition and is focused on player health and well-being. The policy seeks to reduce substance use and drug-related harms for AFL players and aims to inform and rehabilitate players through education and intervention.
"It exists alongside and in addition to the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code which covers prohibited substances including some illicit substances in competition as prescribed by the WADA prohibited list.
"We support the WADA code (as it applies to our sport through the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code) and support the fundamental premise on which it is founded that any player who takes the field with a performance-enhancing prohibited substance in their system should be treated in accordance with the Anti-Doping Code and face heavy sanctions."
However, the statement did not outright deny the allegations made by Wilkie, and laid out the processes that are taken within clubs in relation to illicit drug use.
"Urine tests conducted by doctors to determine if a player has used illicit substances are part of the AFL’s Illicit Drug Policy medical model and have been for some time," the statement said.
"Doctors may use those urine tests to obtain an immediate result to determine whether any illicit substance remains in a player’s system. This is normally conducted at the club or in the doctor's consulting rooms.
"If the test shows a substance is still in the player's system, a doctor will take steps to prevent a player from taking part in either training and/or an AFL match both for their own health and welfare and because having illicit substances in your system on match day may be deemed performance enhancing and a breach of the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code (depending on the substance involved).
"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).
"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."
Melbourne Demons coach Simon Goodwin denies any knowledge of improper illicit drug testing
Despite his team being accused of a widespread drug coverup, Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has denied any knowledge of the events alleged by Wilkie.
Goodwin said that he fully trusted his club's doctors, and that any further issues would be better addressed by the AFL.
"It's news to me. I think it's a surprise to everyone in the industry because there's no line of sight for me as a head coach," Goodwin said.
"I think it's a question you'll have to ask the AFL, about what the policy looks like moving forward.
"I've got enormous trust in our doctor in terms of them being able to do their job so I'm not going to question how they go about their business."
Sport Integrity Australia to investigate Andrew Wilkie's claims
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon has welcomed an impending investigation from Sport Integrity Australia, regarding Wilkie's claims.
"I spoke to David Sharpe from Sport Integrity Australia earlier today and the AFL supports SIA’s role in being asked to assess the claims made under parliamentary privilege by Andrew Wilkie MP," Dillon said.
"We encourage Mr Wilkie to pass on all the documents in his possession to SIA and look forward to working with SIA and providing any information on the AFL Illicit Drug policy and its objectives and operation."
AFL Doctors Association statement per Dr Barry Rigby
"The AFL Illicit Drug Policy (IDP) is based on a medical model and provides a structure of supportive care for the player. 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 statement read.
"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."
