AFL drugs bombshell: MP tells federal parliament of secret illicit drug tests allegedly authorised by league’s top medico
Parliament has been told of secret tests allegedly authorised by the AFL to help players evade detection in what one MP claims could be a “multi-hundred million dollar fraud”.
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A former Melbourne Football Club doctor has sensationally admitted to conducting “off the books” illicit drug tests – allegedly authorised by the AFL – to help players evade detection on match days.
The doctor-turned-whistleblower says players who confessed to having taken drugs in the days before AFL games were given secret tests to ensure their systems were clear or were advised to “fake an injury” so they would not risk being tested and suspended for breaches of the World Anti-Doping Agency code.
READ ANDREW WILKIE’S SPEECH TO PARLIAMENT IN FULL
Federal MP Andrew Wilkie told parliament on Tuesday night he had received a signed statement from former Demons head doctor Zeeshan Arain in which he accused the AFL of facilitating the clandestine drug tests at Dorevitch Pathology in Heidelberg.
Mr Wilkie called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to intervene in the scandal.
In a stunning address, Mr Wilkie said: “I rise to bring the house’s attention to deeply troubling allegations of egregious misconduct within the AFL provided by former Melbourne Football Club president Glen Bartlett, former Melbourne Football Club doctor Zeeshan Arain and Shaun Smith, father of Melbourne player and now alleged drug trafficker Joel Smith.
“The allegations include the prevalence of drug abuse and other prohibited behaviour across the AFL, off the books drug-testing of players at Dorevitch Pathology in Heidelberg, facilitated by the former chief medical officer of the AFL Peter Harcourt, the resting of players testing positive in these secret tests, ostensibly on account of injury, wilful inaction by AFL chairman Richard Goyder, and former CEO Gill McLachlan.
“The allegations are credible, detailed and provided in signed statements which have been given to me which clearly identify the sources of the information.
“The allegations are also deeply troubling ... Such appalling behaviour endangers the life, safety and future of players and officials, subverts the official drug testing conducted by Sports Integrity Australia on behalf of the World Anti-Doping Authority and is a fraud on the governments that provide millions of dollars in support to the AFL directly and indirectly through tax-breaks, grants and beneficial capital works, conditional on the AFL being a signatory to and complying with WADA code.
“This is not conjecture, with Dr Arain describing the matter clearly in this signed statement where he states that, and I’ll quote Dr Arain: The off-the-books testing took place at Heidelberg Dorevitch. The former chief health officer of the AFL Peter Harcourt gave me the contact of the guy at Heidelberg who would do the testing.
“Here is what happened as has been described to me (by Dr Arain): The AFL wants the player to play at all costs and so the cover-up begins.
“If there are no illegal drugs in the player’s system they are free to play, and if there are drugs in their system the player is often asked to fake an injury.
“They are advised to lie about a condition, while the results of the off-the-book tests are kept secret and are never shared with Sports Integrity Australia or WADA.
“In other words, hundreds of thousands of Australians will watch the game not knowing that the game has been secretly manipulated by the AFL and thousands of Australians will bet on that game not knowing the game has been secretly manipulated by the AFL.
“So next time you hear a player has a hamstring injury, you could be forgiven for wondering what is really going on.
“But as Dr Arain explains, this isn’t just a Melbourne problem, it is an AFL problem, with multiple players coming to Melbourne from other teams with pre-existing cocaine dependencies, more than suggesting that drug testing workarounds are commonplace elsewhere in the AFL.
“The documents in my possession also indicate a shocking unwillingness of senior AFL executives to address drug abuse by players and executives, particularly in relation to cocaine use.
“For instance here are very detailed notes of a telephone meeting between Gill McLachlan, Richard Goyder and Glen Bartlett.”
The AFL has a longstanding contract with Dorevitch Pathology to conduct testing for its controversial out-of-competition illicit drugs code.
Match-day drug tests are conducted by SIA officers under the world anti-doping code.
The stunning claims are likely to draw the interest of WADA chiefs, SIA and the Albanese government, which has responsibilities under the global anti-doping code.
A spokesman WADA on Wednesday morning said the agency had no comment to make at this stage.
Mr Wilkie said the allegations were deeply troubling and called on Mr Albanese to review the signed statements and “personally intervene in this matter”.
“It is not an exaggeration to say the off-the-books testing scheme I’ve described sees the AFL effectively involved in a multi-hundred-million-dollar fraud on governments and taxpayers,” he said.
“Aussie rules football is far too important to our nation. I call for intervention at the highest level and ask the Prime Minister to personally intervene in this matter … because right now, Deputy Speaker, the term white-line fever has taken on a different and sinister meaning at the AFL.”
Joel Smith failed an anti-doping drugs test last August after traces of cocaine were detected in his system from a urine sample taken by SIA testers on match day.
He has since been accused by SIA of cocaine trafficking and faces a lifetime ban from sport.
In Shaun Smith’s statement, detailed by Mr Wilkie, he said: “If I had known of a massive drug problem in the AFL when my son was 14, I would have said you’re playing baseball, you’re playing something else.
“Something is not right when you get so many broken players.”
Cocaine is considered to be a performance-enhancing substance if detected on game day.
Dr Arain was sacked by the Demons in October 2020 after eight years as head doctor – just days after raising serious concerns about the club’s culture with chief executive Gary Pert.
Lawyers for Dr Arain hit the club with an unlawful dismissal claim, which led to a significant settlement.
Mr Bartlett was also forced out of the club shortly after raising concerns about alleged drug use at Melbourne.
Mr Bartlett is suing current president Kate Roffey and three other directors in the Federal Court, for misleading and deceptive conduct and defamation.
Dr Harcourt, an AFL life member who became embroiled in the Essendon drugs scandal, stepped down as the league’s chief medical officer in October 2021.
The AFL and Melbourne were contacted for comment.
The government on Tuesday night blocked attempts by Mr Wilkie to formally table the signed statements to parliament.
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