ASADA tipped off about Lachie Whitfield drugs case after inaction by GWS Giants

THE whistleblower in the Lachie Whitfield drugs case tipped off ASADA after two months of inaction by Greater Western Sydney football boss Graeme Allan.

Lachie Whitfield gets a kick away against Hawthorn. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

THE whistleblower in the Lachie Whitfield drugs case tipped off the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority after two months of inaction by Greater Western Sydney football boss Graeme “Gubby” Allan.

ASADA confirmed it passed the woman’s allegations to the AFL, which announced on Tuesday it had completed a secret 13-month investigation.

Whitfield’s former girlfriend first made contact with Allan in May last year but did not hear back from the veteran administrator, who is now at Collingwood.

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The Melbourne woman went back to Allan in July 2015 but this time also notified ASADA of her claims.

Allan then told GWS chief executive Dave Matthews, who immediately alerted the AFL.

The AFL probe centred on Whitfield’s decision to stay at the home of former Giants welfare manager Craig Lambert for several nights instead of his own home in May last year.

Whitfield told investigators he was suffering from a migraine and was advised to stay at Lambert’s house.

A focus of the AFL investigation was whether Whitfield stayed at Lambert’s house because of fears he would fail a drugs test.

We’re very confident and very comfortable in the report that we received and the action we’ve taken since, our club, in my view, has acted properly every step of the way.

Dave Matthews

The AFL integrity unit has examined communications including text messages and emails between the whistleblower, 2012 No.1 draft pick Whitfield and other parties.

In a worst-case scenario, Allan, Whitfield and Lambert, who has since moved to the Brisbane Lions, could face lengthy suspensions under the AFL anti-doping code.

Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert quizzed Allan over the Whitfield revelations and asked him about allegations he had deleted text messages.

He told Pert he had not done so.

The finals-eve bombshell could become a major embarrassment for the Magpies, who had planned to unveil Allan as its new football boss on Tuesday. Collingwood delayed the announcement until next week, a move it said was unrelated to the Whitfield revelations.

The AFL said the findings of its “detailed investigation into a matter involving a current-listed player of the GWS Giants Football Club, and two members of staff, who have since left the club” would be sent to ASADA.

The anti-doping body said: “ASADA received information from a member of the public in July 2015 regarding this matter.

“We consulted with the AFL in August last year and both parties agreed that the AFL would be best placed to conduct the investigation into whether there was a breach of the AFL rules and/or of the AFL anti-doping code.

“ASADA has not yet been appraised of the evidence collected by the AFL in their investigation.”

Giants chief executive Dave Matthews said an independent investigation by a lawyer engaged by the club last year found no basis to support allegations Whitfield had attempted to avoid a drug test.

Matthews said GWS made immediate contact with the AFL after becoming aware of the allegations in July last year.

Former GWS Giants football boss Graeme Allan. Picture: Michael Klein

“The report that we commissioned, that was independent, found that there was no really significant basis to support the allegations that were put forward,” Mathews said.

“We’re very confident and very comfortable in the report that we received and the action we’ve taken since our club, in my view, has acted properly every step of the way.”

Giants’ coach Leon Cameron said he expected Whitfield, 22, to play in next week’s qualifying final against Sydney at ANZ Stadium.

“It’s obviously not ideal, but he’s in the club today, he’s OK,” Cameron said.

“He’s got around his teammates and that (the investigation) will sort itself out in time. But at this stage he’ll be ready to go next Saturday.

“It’s not going to affect us at all.”

Originally published as ASADA tipped off about Lachie Whitfield drugs case after inaction by GWS Giants