There has been just a “handful” of players who were pulled from AFL match-day squads to avoid sanctions for positive illicit substance tests, according to the chief executive of the players association.
The AFL confirmed on Wednesday it had given club doctors powers to withdraw players who were at risk of delivering a positive drugs test on match days from their lists as part of the league’s illicit drugs policy.
The revelation gave way to speculation over the number of players who had been enabled to avoid detection, with some reports claiming the figure to be about 100.
The head of the AFLPA, Paul Marsh, played down that number on Thursday and said the speculation was well wide of the mark.
“It feels like the commentary around this is that it’s happening every week,” Marsh told SEN Radio. “In my time with the AFLPA, there would be less than a handful of these examples.
“And what would happen here, typically, is the club … would come to us and say, ‘Is it OK for us to do a test of this player because we’re concerned about him turning up [positive] on game day.’ And our view is, they’re looking after the wellbeing of the player. That makes sense. I couldn’t definitively say that happens on every occasion but it certainly has.
“I’ve been doing this job for nearly 10 years and there would be less than a handful of players that this has been an example for. [An] incredibly small number. Nowhere near the level as perhaps … this story is suggesting.”
Sport Integrity Australia said it had become involved and had “commenced an assessment” of the allegations, which were first brought to light by independent federal MP Andrew Wilkie in parliament on Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday, the AFL defended the principles behind the policy, saying the league is “unapologetic” over its approach and the practice would continue in the interests of players’ health and wellbeing.
The policy has raised questions over transparency, although the league’s chief executive, Andrew Dillon, has emphasised the sanctity of “private medical information”.
Club doctors are not compelled to share test results and Marsh highlighted the players’ need for confidentiality, particularly when it came to contract discussions.
“The clubs do know,” he said. “The club’s doctor knows and that, in our view, is the most appropriate person to know. We do not discourage the players from discussing this with their coaches, their CEOs, their presidents, if they want to.
“The players’ fear is that it will be used against them in contracting or whatever. We’re in the middle of club visits at the moment. I have had this conversation with at least six clubs and I catch up with the coach, CEO, footy manager. And we put this to them: ‘How can you use the information, how can you actually help the player and would you use it against them in contracting?’ And clubs are freely admitting that they would.
“ … They would say, ‘You can’t un-know that information when it comes down to the next contract, particularly if they’re not a superstar player. It’s pretty hard not to actually use that against them.’”
Wilkie told parliament on Tuesday that if there were illicit drugs in a player’s system, the player “is often asked to fake an injury” to avoid taking the field.
Melbourne Demons captain Max Gawn said he was “a little bit taken aback, surprised, and slightly angry” about the news, but would be surprised if that was the case.
“I’d be very amazed if there’s the whole fake injury thing,” Gawn told Triple M radio.
“I can’t see it happening at our club. I’m trying to wrap my head around an incident where someone was out for a week, and I just can’t see it.”