‘No place in community sporting clubs’: Traces of cocaine found at four Adelaide footy clubs’ toilets

An investigation by The Advertiser revealed traces of cocaine were present at four community football clubs’ facilities around Adelaide. Did your local club test positive?

Four Adelaide footy clubs’ facilities returned positive results for cocaine.

South Australian football facilities are a hotbed for cocaine, as an investigation by The Advertiser revealed four community clubs’ grounds tested positive for traces of the drug.

Detection swabs found residue of cocaine in the toilets at four out of the seven community clubs The Advertiser visited, located all across Adelaide.

Traces of the drug were found at Gaza Sports and Community Club — home to Gaza Football Club, Shark Park — where Henley Sharks Football and Netball Club play sport, Northgate Community and Sports Club — home of Gepps Cross Football Club and at the public toilets at Park 9 adjoining Prince Alfred Old Collegians Football Club rooms.

Traces of cocaine will appear blue on the testing swab. Picture: Shashi Baltutis

The commercially available detection swabs turn blue if residue of cocaine is present on a surface and can detect all purities of the illicit substance.

A disclaimer for the wipes warns there is a possibility of false positives occurring.

Many community sports grounds in Adelaide are owned by councils and leased to individual clubs.

Port Adelaide Enfield Council leases grounds to Northgate Community and Sports Club and Gaza Sports and Community Club.

Traces of Cocaine were found at the facilities at Gepps Cross Football and Cricket Club. Picture: Shashi Baltutis

A Port Adelaide Enfield Council spokesman said clubs are “directly responsible for day-to-day maintenance, operation and cleaning of leased space and facilities”.

“We work closely with sports clubs within the city including running governance health check programs which clubs participate in every second year,” the spokesman said.

Traces of Cocaine were also found at Gaza Sports and Community Club. Picture: Shashi Baltutis

Gaza Sports and Community Club president Natasha Jenke said it had “zero tolerance to the use of illicit drugs in and around our club and community”.

A spokesman from Charles Sturt Council, which has a licence agreement with Henley Sharks for their clubrooms, “stipulates they are responsible for cleaning and maintaining the facilities”.

“The club … has a zero tolerance to drugs and would act responsibly on any instances they are aware of,” he said.

Henley Football and Netball Club also had traces of the illicit substance. Picture: Shashi Baltutis

Adelaide City Council acting associate director of city operations Scott Rodda said he was “disappointed to hear there is evidence of cocaine use in the toilets at Park 9”.

“These toilets are cleaned seven days a week to ensure they are safe and well presented,” Mr Rodda said.

The toilets adjoining the Prince Alfred Old Collegians club rooms do not form part of the lease with the council.

Prince Alfred College headmaster David Roberts said the public toilets are “the sole responsibility of the City of Adelaide to maintain and clean”.

Traces of cocaine were found at the public toilets adjoining Prince Alfred Old Collegians Football Club facilities. Picture: Shashi Baltutis

He said the club has separate amenities within its clubrooms.

“Neither Prince Alfred College nor the Old Collegians’ Football Club tolerates the use of illegal substances,” Mr Roberts said.

Adelaide Footy League chief executive John Kernahan said: “The facilities at some clubs are available to the general public on any day of the week as well as other sporting codes having access such is the purpose of a community facility.”

SANFL declined to comment.

Henley Football Club and Northgate Community and Sports Club did not respond when contacted by The Advertiser.

A government spokeswoman said “illicit drugs like cocaine have no place in community sporting clubs”.

On Monday, police commissioner Grant Stevens announced the rollout of new drug tests for drivers with cocaine in their system “as part of ongoing efforts to tackle the use of the illicit drug”, the spokeswoman said.

It comes after a father found a bag of white powder at his daughter’s soccer match last month.

The father, whose 17-year-old daughter was playing a senior women’s soccer match at Elizabeth Grove Soccer Club, noticed the bag of white powder on the ground and residue on a countertop under the club’s veranda.

The parent did not accuse anyone at Elizabeth Grove Soccer Club of leaving the white powder at the facilities.