Under the AFL’s illicit drugs policy, Melbourne’s Joel Smith would record a first strike, receive a suspended fine and counselling. But here’s what happens under the league’s anti-doping code.
and has been provisionally suspended under the AFL’s anti-doping code has reignited talk about the effectiveness of the AFL’s separate illicit drug policy,
Smith tested positive after playing against Hawthorn in round 23, and thus in competition, but under new World Anti-Doping Agency rules introduced in 2021 an athlete testing positive to cocaine or marijuana will only face a three-month suspension if they can prove “the substance was used out-of-competition and that its use was unrelated to sporting performance”.
In 2004, Carlton players Laurence Angwin and Karl Norman arrived at training under the influence of the party drug ecstasy. After much outcry and debate, the next year the AFL, through ASADA began to randomly test players for 44 weeks of the season for illicit drug use out of competition.The AFL Players’ Association agreed to the AFL’s move as long as it was designed to protect the health and well-being of players rather than to be used as a punitive measure.
A first strike sparks a suspended $5000 fine, counselling and target testing but the player remains anonymous.it is assumed a strike is recorded, but the information is not made public. Mumford expressed remorse, apologised, was suspended for two matches and committed to rehabilitation and counselling through the club and league’s programs after the incident.A third strike incurs a 12-match suspension.
The program was introduced to protect players with mental health issues, but some in the industry feel it allows those issues to be used as a shield for illicit drug use. “I’ve been criticised for saying this in the past, that players that take drugs take them because they can,” Riewoldt said. An AFL source claimed the testing was so extensive it was impossible for a player to avoid eventually being caught. However, this was disputed by several sources, particularly with COVID-19 impacting testing and limited testing of players while they were in hubs.It depends on who you ask – and believe.
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