It is time for the AFL to get robust and clear on illicit drug use.
That is not simply the view of impartial MP Andrew Wilkie, who used parliamentary privilege to stage allegations concerning the AFL’s drug coverage final month, but additionally former Collingwood boss and long-time sports activities journalist Eddie McGuire.
Mr Wilkie’s criticisms rocked the league, however McGuire was glad to listen to them.
“I used to be really fairly open to Andrew Wilkie popping out and saying these items as a result of it shone a light-weight on it,” the previous Collingwood president mentioned.
Mr Wilkie alleged in parliament that quite a few gamers have been gaming the AFL’s illicit drug coverage, which offers three strikes for gamers who check constructive for medication equivalent to cocaine on non-game days.
On the primary strike, gamers are usually not named.
Mr Wilkie advised parliament that many gamers who examined constructive then faked accidents to keep away from being examined on recreation days, after they can be topic to a lot harsher penalties below the AFL’s World Anti-Doping Company (WADA) code.
It’s one league with two completely different drug testing regimes, and McGuire believes the inconsistencies have to be checked out.
“For the time being, we’ve a state of affairs the place [under the illicit drug policy] if you happen to go and self-report, you get no weeks and also you get sorted,” McGuire advised 7.30.
“You get caught on match day and also you get 4 years, so it is everywhere and we simply have to tighten these items up.”
The chance to the credibility of the sport is now too nice for the coverage to proceed as it’s, in line with McGuire.
Gamers reside in a world the place societal use of illicit substances is commonplace and that may depart them weak to extortion from anybody who manages to document them utilizing and posts the footage to social media or sells it to information shops.
It’s a course of that has been oft repeated in recent times.
“Heads out of the sand, let’s be grown-ups about this and take a grown-up method,” McGuire mentioned earlier than he known as for offending gamers to be named.
“I consider there must be punitive motion and you have to be named. And I feel that’ll act as a deterrent.
“Nevertheless it additionally implies that these specific gamers can then be given the correct steerage and the correct rehabilitation.”
McGuire’s views characterize the “get robust” aspect in AFL circles which desires to see the drug coverage tightened.
AFL physician says Wilkie is off the mark
However there’s one other highly effective college of thought from the AFL golf equipment’ medical doctors. They consider the precedence must be sustaining patient-doctor confidentiality for gamers who might have a drug drawback, not naming and shaming.
“It is all very nicely to place guidelines and rules in place. I feel that is necessary,” Barry Rigby, the AFL Docs Affiliation president, mentioned.
“However I feel the medical public well being literature would assist the truth that that is not going to vary a number of the advanced behavioural points that we cope with once we’re speaking about illicit substances.”
Dr Rigby known as Mr Wilkie’s allegations “nonsense” regardless of AFL CEO Andrew Dillon not refuting them on the time as he spoke of a “medical intervention mannequin”.
“We’re not within the enterprise of feigning accidents and we’d by no means actually coerce a participant to try this,” Dr Rigby advised 7.30.
“I am going to re-emphasise the truth that when a participant does transgress in that space, it is often invariably a participant that has a number of different medical, psychosocial or psychiatric or psychological well being points.
“They usually’re the gamers, in our opinion, that want prolonged assist moderately than a punishment.”
Change is coming, AFL CEO says
For Mr Dillon, issues have modified and there’s now a dialogue underway across the AFL’s coverage.
“Our illicit medication coverage has served the AFL and its gamers very well for 19 years, and it continues to serve us nicely, however we additionally know we’re in 2024,” he mentioned.
“We’re reviewing the coverage and we now have to do what we wish to do is evolve our coverage … in order that it is match for objective for 2024 and past.”
What type the evolution will take is not clear however there are hints the brand new guidelines shall be an adjustment, not a wholesale overhaul.
“I feel what’s necessary with any coverage, no matter what you are , is I do not assume extremes at any stage — at both finish of the extremes — are what you need,” Mr Dillon advised 7.30.
“What you need is a balanced coverage that appears after the well being and pursuits of our gamers, but additionally be sure that that we’re balancing all the pursuits of the general public as nicely.”
Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV
