Former Wallaby and undercover cop Dan Crowley says football codes should work together against drugs

FORMER undercover cop Dan Crowley is appalled at the leniency shown Karmichael Hunt and has urged the formation of a four-code coalition to better fight the cocaine scourge.

FORMER undercover cop Dan Crowley is appalled at the leniency shown Karmichael Hunt and has urged the formation of a four-code coalition to better fight the cocaine scourge.

The former Wallaby prop said the Hunt drama should be the “line-in the-sand” moment for Australia’s footy codes to show far greater community leadership.

“No one is showing leadership now with a six-week ban and a fine ($30,000) that Karmichael Hunt doesn’t even care about,’ Crowley said.

“Enough is enough. Everything is getting watered down and the silent majority of fans and parents are just not being heard.”

Crowley said rugby union should lead the way by forming a coalition with rugby league, AFL and football to more powerfully deal with illicit drugs.

“Nelson Mandela used the power of sport to change society in South Africa and sport is powerful enough to help change the thinking on drugs,” Crowley said.

“A guiding set of principles, rather than a piecemeal approach, for all the codes is needed and the golden opportunity is with the Queensland Rugby Union and Australian Rugby Union to lead it.

“’Player welfare’ is a very convenient smokescreen in the codes.

“What Hunt was caught for is illegal and it doesn’t matter if you are a nice guy or an A grade arse, rules are rules.

“Don’t let him play for a year and do community service.”

Crowley worked undercover as a policeman in Brisbane’s drug trade in the 1980s when even newspapers agreed not to run his playing image to protect his cover.

QRU chief executive Jim Carmichael and chairman Rod McCall are on the same page in wanting to build a forceful, ongoing message on illicit drugs after Hunt used cocaine.

“I believe Karmichael thought he was able to behave like that,” McCall said. “We’re going to make it very clear to our people in the game of rugby that they are not able to act like that.”

Carmichael promised rugby would take a strong lead role.

“Not everyone is going to be satisfied with the punishment we see as balanced,” Carmichael said. “People will see it as right or wrong but we are determined to take lessons from this to take a strong lead in rugby for the years ahead.”

Originally published as Former Wallaby and undercover cop Dan Crowley says football codes should work together against drugs