Brisbane’s player welfare program could be rendered inoperable if Craig Lambert is suspended
CRAIG Lambert is set to be offered an AFL deal to serve a one-year ban for bringing the game into disrepute with his role in the Lachie Whitfield drug saga.
Lions
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BRISBANE faces having its critical welfare program rendered almost inoperable if Craig Lambert, who is one half of the club’s husband and wife player support team, is banned for attempting to cover-up a drug violation.
Lambert is set to be offered an AFL deal to serve a one-year ban for bringing the game into disrepute with his role in the Lachie Whitfield drug saga while the GWS welfare manager.
Should he refuse, he would have to defend the accusations under ASADA rules which carry a potential ban of four years.
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He informed Lions officials on Thursday the AFL had made contact and provided a brief to his solicitor.
Lambert and former GWS footy chief Graeme Allan, now in charge at Collingwood, stand accused of hiding Whitfield at Lambert’s home for three days last May to avoid a drugs test.
It is understood Allan, formerly footy manager during Brisbane’s three-peat of premierships, can also accept a one-year ban while Whitfield’s suspension would be closer to six months.
All three have so far denied any wrongdoing.
Lambert did not return calls on Thursday night.
The potential suspension would unfairly impact the Lions who were not made aware of the incident upon hiring Lambert at the end of the 2015 season.
The Lamberts host several Lions each week for dinner and it is standard practice for players who are injured in games to spend that night there where they can be monitored.
Those practices would be almost impossible to maintain should Lambert be banned from any contact with players.
Lions CEO Greg Swann said the only information the club had received from the AFL was that their planned action was imminent. Lambert has yet to inform the Lions of his intentions.
Swann also said the Lions needed AFL clarification on how any potential ban would impact their footy department salary cap given welfare was such a critical part of their operation.
“We’ve got a lot of questions, we don’t know anything,’’ he said.
It is believed the league wants a response from Lambert, Whitfield and Allan before the AFL Commission meets on November 15.
Lambert has told Lions officials he did not alert them to the matter because he believed it was over after an independent barrister enlisted by GWS to review the case found no breaches of the league’s illicit drugs policy.
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However, the Giants informed the AFL which began its own 12 month probe. The league’s findings were passed on to ASADA in September this year.
It is believed ASADA informed the AFL its position was that all three had breached ASADA rules and the AFL’s illicit drug code.
Originally published as Brisbane’s player welfare program could be rendered inoperable if Craig Lambert is suspended
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