Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin denies knowledge of fake injuries amid claims of secret drug testing controlled by the AFL

Amid claims that secret drug tests are part of the AFL’s medical policy, two coaches have reacted with one wanting answers.

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin wants answers Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says his club will be “asking questions” but he has no knowledge of club doctors direct players to fake injuries to avoid failing drug tests on match days as it emerged the AFL’s medical policy does include “off the books” testing for illicit drug use.

Sydney Swans chief executive Tom Harley also said he was aware of the testing as per the AFL’s medical policy but had “never seen” doctors lie about players’ injuries while Essendon coach Brad Scott, who quit a football operations job with the league to join the Bombers, said he didn’t think any senior coach would have knowledge of players testing positive to illicit drugs unless it was made public.

Federal MP Andrew Wilkie aired accusations in parliament on Tuesday night that AFL authorities including former chief medical officer Dr Peter Harcourt authorised club medical staff to facilitate clandestine drug tests designed to stop players from testing positive to illicit substances on match day and that drug use was rife across the AFL.

Citing written statements from whistleblowers including former Melbourne doctor Zeeshan Arain it was claimed players had been urged to fake injuries in the wake of any of mid-week positive tests to avoid match days bans.

Melbourne swingman Joel Smith is serving a provisional suspension after he failed a drug tests on match day after the Demons’ round 23 win over Hawthorn on August 20, 2023.

Responding to the claims on Wednesday morning, Goodwin said he and all clubs would be “interested” in finding out more information from the AFL and the AFL Players Association, with reports that the league didn’t deny the secret tests happened.

Joel Smith is provisionally suspended after testing positive to illicit drugs on match day. Picture: Michael Klein

“Every club would want answers and how the policy works and is it a success?” he said.

“We’ve been through a bit, but this is an AFL policy and we will be asking the appropriate questions.

“This policy is an AFL policy, it’s an AFLPA policy and its led through a medical model. It’s something I have never really thought about. I back in the process and what the policy is.

“I understand the policy but I don’t get information that people would expect to get.

“I get information that I am required, and the policy says it’s information that should remain confidential. It’s not unexpected I don’t have information, that’s the way the policy is designed.

“This is a process that the AFL and the AFLPA and the club doctors put together from a confidentiality perspective.

“I have enormous trust in our doctor to be able to do their job. I am not going to question how they go about their job.

“I’m sure it’s something the AFL will give good clarity on, and we’ll all move forward.”

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says the issue is an ‘AFL-wide thing’. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Goodwin said he had no thoughts about the ex-Melbourne doctor who was central to the claims.

“This is an AFL-wide thing … we need to get to the bottom of it and we can have some more information going forward,” he said.

Scott, who coached North Melbourne before joining the AFL and is now back at clubland, said he wasn’t aware of the secretive policy and didn’t think any senior coach would have knowledge of players testing positive to illicit drugs unless it was made public.

He said his previous role at the AFL had no connection to the league’s drug policy.

“It hasn’t occurred to my knowledge … there are a whole lot of things that can be happening without my knowledge. I know what’s clearly in my remit and that doesn’t fit in it,” Scott said.

“This is my understanding, and it always has been since the illicit drugs policy has been brought in: that there is a world’s best practice which involves a level of confidentiality, and I can unequivocally say in my time in football, I have never been alerted to the fact a player has tested positive to an illicit substance, unless it’s out in the public domain.

“I’m not part of that process, and to my knowledge no senior coach is. Certainly in my experience, it doesn’t come to me, there’s a level of confidentiality between medical professionals and players.”

Brad Scott, Senior Coach of the Bombers . (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Scott said addressing the allegations were above the “level” of club coaches.

“I don’t have a reaction – fortunately, I used to work at the AFL and I had to have a reaction – now I don’t work at the AFL and I don’t have to,” he said.

“I think there’ll be powers that be, I think it’s more a CEO level sort of thing than coach level to discuss that.

“I’d just give you the boring answer, but it’s just not in my remit. Obviously there will be people concerned about it, rightfully so potentially, but there’s not a lot I can say or do about it.

“That was the deal that was stuck with the players’ association when the illicit drugs policy was introduced, and clearly it’s been iterated since then, but in my experience I’ve never had visibility over any of that.

“It’s a medical model that involves the chief medical officer, and quite frankly people who were above my pay grade.”

Two Sydney AFLW players were on Tuesday suspended after being charge by police with cocaine possession.

Now calls are growing louder for the AFL to review its strikes policy for drug use.

“The illicit drugs policy in the AFL, we are absolutely all aware that it’s a medical model. We put enormous trust and faith into our medical practitioners and our doctors,” Harley said.

“I can only comment on what I’ve seen and the clubs that I’ve been involved in, and I’ve never seen that (doctors lying about players’ injuries).

“There’s no doubt that what’s been reported is having some cut through this morning. As a representative of the club, I’m sure there’ll be more information passed through in the next 24-48 hours into what it really means.

“All I can say is that it’s not a practice or a behaviour that I’ve been privy to.”

Originally published as Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin denies knowledge of fake injuries amid claims of secret drug testing controlled by the AFL